Cupid: A Tale of Love and Desire » (Unabridged)

JULIUS LESTER is the author of more than twenty books for young readers. He writes and teaches in western Massachusetts.

Award-winning author Julius Lester brings his renowned storytelling skills to one of the most famous tales in classical mythology and weaves together a romantic, hilarious drama. Cupid is the god of love and a tireless maker of mischief. When he breaks out his bow and quiver, nobody’s safe. Sleepless nights, embarrassing poetry, nausea…What could be more fun? Only, perhaps, seeing the god of love humbled with a little heartache of his own. With healthy doses of wit and wisdom, Julius Lester’s disarming narrator leads us through the tale of Cupid and Psyche--and helps us navigate our own treacherous passions.

Publishers Weekly

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Lester (Time's Memory) retells the tale of Cupid and Psyche, with appearances by some highly appealing lesser Greek and Roman characters, such as Oizys, goddess of pain, and the highly likeable Favonius, the West Wind, along with his other wind counterparts. Psyche comes across as especially sympathetic; her kindness is just as striking as her beauty. And even those familiar with the tale may be surprised at just how vindictive Psyche's jealous sisters can be, as they prompt Psyche to break her promise to Cupid (Cupid, who comes to Psyche only under cover of darkness, asks her to vow never to gaze upon his face or risk losing him forever). Unfortunately, the vague persona of the omniscient narrator here detracts from the pace and poetic details of the tale. The narrator reveals only tidbits of information about himself; for instance as he watches Psyche's wedding procession, he notes, "This reminds me of my weddings. At all six of them, the bride cried." He also conjures a rather contentious relationship with "the story," as when he raises the question of how it is that Psyche never detected Cupid's wings in all their nights of lovemaking: "I asked the story about it. The story scratched its head and looked very confused." Still, for fans of romance and mythology, this is highly entertaining. Lester casts the two protagonists as adolescents coming of age through the trials and ultimate triumph of their love. Ages 12-up. (Jan.)