Psyche and Eros
There has been a marked trend in recent years for the retelling of Greek myths, Jennifer Saint’s Elektra and Madeline Miller’s Circe to name just two successes. It seems the publishing world thought there was a market for a crossover between Greek myths and romance, and why not? After all Psyche and Eros was one of the greatest love stories ever told.
Sadly, this novel seems to fall between two stools: the prose is nowhere near the literary quality of other retellings, nor does it really sit firmly into the romance model. It reads more YA than its suggested target market: a funny and frothy romp that will be sure to have some readers gripped.
The characterisation falls flat of expectations at several points along the way. At some points, the love between Psyche and Eros even seems forced or strained. Don’t expect it to be true to the original tale, either (traditionalists, look away now). This reviewer particularly disliked that McNamara changed the myth purely to fit the author’s narrative at times. A strange decision for an author who studied ancient Greek language and philosophy at Harvard.
However, putting the criticisms to one side, if you’re looking for a gentle way into Greek mythology and a light, easy read to help you hold onto memories of the last of the summer sun, then this could be for you.
