Allison Shaw

Allison Shaw’s Persephone: Hades’ Torment retells the myth of Hades and Persephone. Unlike some other retellings that update the setting or the clothing, Shaw works to craft a myth in which the characters appear in traditional Greek tunics (peplos and chiton) and cloaks (himation) as well as sandals and simple diadems or laurels. Hemes has his winged sandals and Eros his magic arrows, but Shaw eschews the modern technology and fashions in retellings such as Lore Olympus and Hadestown. Shaw brilliantly uses a muted color palatte of black, buff, and red, evoking the black-figure and red-figure pottery that was in use in Athens from the sixth century BCE. She writes for a more adult audience, featuring sexuality in a way that honors the original mythology without feeling exploitative.

Shaw’s only concession to the modern age is her contemporary dialogue, though she writes simply so that it reads like a faithful retelling rather than an embellishment. Persephone: Hades’ Torment will appeal to those enjoying the retellings of Greek mythology currently in vogue, such as Margaret Atwood’s Penelopiad, Madeline Miller’s works (The Song of Achilles and Circe), Stephen Fry’s Greek myths trilogy, and Jennifer Saint’s works (Ariadne and Elektra) – in addition to the abovementioned retellings of Hades and Persephone’s story. Worth reading for those who enjoy Greek mythology.… (meer)