AlcestisFor fans of The Song of Achilles, a queer and fiercely feminist retelling of a little-known Greek myth: the ultimate story of sacrifice and forbidden desire—now in a deluxe reissue. In Greek myth, Alcestis is known as the ideal wife; she loved her husband so much that she died and went to the Underworld in his place. But who was Alcestis before she was married? Other than her love for Admetus, what circumstances led her to make this ultimate sacrifice? And what happened to her in the three days she spent in the Underworld? Katharine Beutner’s lush, emotionally devastating debut explores the magical reality of Ancient Greece, where gods attend weddings and the afterlife is just a river away, as Alcestis goes on a heroine’s journey from sheltered princess to self-actualized savior—redefining love and discovering her own power. Giving an achingly beautiful voice to the most misunderstood wives of Greek mythology, Alcestis is the Underworld as you’ve never seen it before. This deluxe edition features discussion questions, a craft essay, and a bonus short story. |
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Common terms and phrases
Acastus Achaean Admetus Admetus's Alcestis Anaxibia Apollo arms Artemis asked asphodel Asteropia bedchamber beneath beside body boys breath chariot cheeks chest cloth courtyard Creon curled dark dead death Demeter dirt door edge Eileithyia Elysium eyes face father feast feet felt fingers gate girl goddess gods gray Hades hair hall head maid heard Heracles Hermes Hippothoe Hippothoe's hips husband Iolcus king kiss knew lady laugh leaned lifted light lips listened looked lord mortal mouth Mycenae never nodded palace palms Pelias Pelias's Pelopia Persephone Persephone's Pherae Phlegethon Phylomache Pisidice Pisidice's pomegranate Poseidon pulled pushed queen quiet river servants shades shift shook shoulder shouting silent sister skin slaves slipped smell smile soft sound speak spoke stared stepped stone stood stopped tell thought Tiresias told touch turned Tyro underworld voice waiting walked wall wanted watched wedding whispered wife woman women words Zeus