What a good read this was over the Christmas period, when you need a good fireside adventure story.

I think in the past I have picked poor translations but recently I have come to realise how important a good translation is for opening up these ancient stories. Jason and the Golden Fleece, while not as good as The Odyssey-as far as voyager stories go, is still a highly entertaining story of daring and adventure. I loved that Jason is, at times, a bit of a mopping wimp and a reluctant hero, I loved hearing about Medea the alchemist and was distraught for Herakles when he lost his friend/ partner to a water nymph. There were dragons, malicious rocks, monsters, harpies (got to love a good raging harpy), terrible warriors born from sowing dragons teeth in the earth, maniacal kings and a population of women that killed all there men folk, then realised the fundamental flaw regarding the next generation.

The reason for four stars not five was that there were so many place names and people and I wasn’t sure which I should learn more about and understand and which were ok to let go with the flow.
Also Apollonius of Rhodes did like a lengthy simile..sometimes the similes went on for so long I lost track of where I was. But these are small issues. I did love the book.

Anyway this was great fun to read and only short. Looking forward to Euripides continuing Medeas traumatic story next.