Heroes

Product Information

A serious well written YA novel exploring the nature of heroism, set in post WW2 USA but managing to retain a timeless quality. Francis is plagued by the fact that he couldn’t stop his then-girlfriend, Nicole Renard from getting raped by Larry LaSalle. I both read and listened to it (the audio is narrated by Stephen Fry himself, after all, and I couldn't possibly resist), and I can't say which I loved more. If you know him and have listened to anything read by him previously, you might hear his distinct voice anyway if you read this. All I can say is that both are absolutely brilliant! This is another one of those books which my son brought home from school, apparently it is part of his GCSE English curriculum. I wasn't really looking forward to it and I was thinking it was just going to be a war thiller. Fry's wit and erudition come together nicely to make one of the most accessible accounting of a large handful of Greek Heroes I've had the pleasure to read. Perhaps better than Hamilton, definitely better than Bullfinch, but perhaps not quite as bright as Ovid, these are, however, punctuated with Fry's charmingly dry wit and panache.

This book focused on Greek stories of Heroes - like Heracles, Jason, and Theseus. There were a lot of memorable tales, told in Stephen Fry's unique manner. I read the US Hardcover version and I have to say it is a beautiful edition featuring stunning classical artwork inspired by these stories. The author draws from multiple sources and does not fail to mention the different versions of the same story (if and when applicable). Contemporary references inspired by the myths make for interesting reading, as does the author’s distinctive style of storytelling, without digressing too much from the main stories. Though many of these characters and their stories were briefly mentioned in Mythos, in Heroes the author goes into much more detail. The glossary of the characters at the end of the book was very useful for reference because with so many characters and their complicated lineage, it does get a bit confusing in parts. In time, even the benevolent minor deities would find themselves elbowed out by the burgeoning and newly confident human race. The nymphs, dryads, fauns, satyrs and sprites of the mountains, streams, meadows and oceans could not compete with our need and greed for land to quarry, farm and build upon. The rise of a spirit of rational enquiry and scientific understanding pushed the immortals further from us. The world was being reshaped as a home fit for mortal beings only." The book’s purpose was to show how much betrayal, love, hate, guilt, and forgiveness can impact a person. Also, it shows how some things cannot go the way you wanted. Additionally, those words are not always what you think they are, since all of those traits can hurt instead of help. The overall message of the book is to teach you a lesson about love, hate, guilt, and forgiveness. My main criticism of this work is that it doesn’t feel whole. It doesn’t feel like a consistent narrative. It’s the sort of book you dip in and out of, as you read about a character and move onto the next. Mythos didn’t have this affect, it felt like it built on itself as it established some of the core systems behind the gods. These characters aren’t connected. They’re not supposed to be, but at times it felt like I was reading different sections from different books. The idea of Heroes and heroics only connects them loosely, as some are more heroic than others and some are even villainous, at least in part.To all the NHS heroes who’ve worked tirelessly at the front lines throughout the COVID-19 crisis, we want to say a huge, heartfelt thank you. Guy Montag is a firefighter in a futuristic town where they burn books. Questioning the “anti-intellectual” society around him lands him a spot on our list! Yes, the book sounds dark--and it is. Rape, attempted murder, war, death. But Francis's struggle against guilt is powerful. The interrogation of intent is thought provoking. And LeBlanc's manipulation of innocent kids looking for a hero is scary.

Throughout the past few years, I have grown as a person- and so has my taste of books. I used to adore YA books, with cliché romance plots and heartwarming love stories to more sort of philosophical books, which most of the stories took part in 20th century america. I liked the footnotes as it added some more context, or it was just fun to read Stephen Fry’s comments. The only caveat I'd give is that some of these stories were darker than I expected, and sometimes kind of.... well, gross. I was pretty amazed that the author Robert Cormier wrote this in his seventies and only got published in his forties. Bloody hell there's hope for me after all !The heroes cleansed our world of chthonic terrors—earthborn monsters that endangered mankind and threatened to choke the rise of civilization. So long as dragons, giants, centaurs and mutant beasts infested the air, earth and seas we could never spread out with confidence and transform the wild world into a place of safety for humanity. Joey LeBlanc: Joey and Francis were childhood friends and went to the cinema together. He was a troublesome figure at school as he used to be talkative. He is a confident person and seems to be the antithesis of Francis. He also became a soldier, and is said to have died at Iwo Jima. Plus, as an added thank you for your dedication and hard work, you’ll be entitled to amend your departure date free of charge* to allow flexibility in case work commitments mean you’re unable to travel on your chosen dates.

The smartest witch around, Hermione Granger is constantly saving the day and is a wonderful female role model. So, all in all, I'd say that, although it is not quite my favourite GCSE text, I do still adore it and I think that everyone should give it a go. Ono što je u Mythosu uradio sa bogovima, Fraj ovde radi sa herojima. U prvom planu ih je osmoro: Persej, Herakle, Jazon, Belerofon, Orfej, Atalanta, Edip i Tezej. Ne može se o njihovim avanturama reći nešto posebno novo, moraju se skratiti te priče, ali nije ovo previše pojednostavljeno. Imamo opis svakog Herakleovog i Tezejevog dela, a i nakon čitanja Cara Edipa, interesantno je kako je Fraj to prepričao. Bajke za decu i tinejdžere možda, ali i za "let's be honest, pretend grown ups, like us". If you love to learn something new or simply love losing yourself in stories of heroes, quests, and adventures (sorry, couldn't resist), I cannot recommend this (or Mythos) highly enough! Few mere mortals have ever embarked on such bold and heart-stirring adventures, overcome myriad monstrous perils, or outwitted scheming vengeful gods, quite as stylishly and triumphantly as Greek heroes.Thus, Fry tells the story of incredible human feats, of torturous labors, of gods’ punishments - usually for crimes the humans didn’t even commit solely because gods didn’t punish gods but still needed to let their anger out on someone.

Francis gradually slowly his past and his motivation for murder leaving the reader wondering if Francis is punishing Larry for his misdeeds or himself for his own inaction? Celie becomes a strong woman after being abused and oppressed throughout The Color Purple. Her new independence inspires us. What Fry never ever does is interpret the myths. Instead, he wants the readers to do that on their own, to get them to think and fill in the blanks with their own opinions derived from personal experience as myths invite exactly that kind of speculation. There are no single meanings or answers after all. Fate, necessity, cause and blame are the fabric of these stories as they are endlessly represented themes in our own lives. Human motifs and drives, as topical as ever.Dr Abrams (Francis’ doctor who is also a plastic surgeon close plastic surgeon A doctor who can repair or reconstruct body parts.) After focusing on the gods in Mythos, he now turns his attention to the mortal heroes. The stories of Perseus, Heracles and his twelve labours, Bellerophon and Pegasus, Orpheus being an idiot, Jason and the Argonauts, Atalanta (not the football club but the only female hero in this book), Oedipus and some hilarious (and tragic) misunderstandings, Theseus.