Herc
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3.5 • 4 Ratings
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- £3.99
Publisher Description
*Pre-order Aphrodite, new for 2025 the dazzling, witty tale of the most loved goddess of all*
Winner of the Somerset Maugham Award
Waterstones best book of the year 2023
'A remarkable feat of storytelling' Rosie Hewlett
This should be the story of Hercules: his twelve labours, his endless adventures…everyone’s favourite hero, right?
Wrong.
This is the story of everyone else:
Alcmene: Herc’s mother (She has knives everywhere)
Hylas: Herc’s first friend (They were more than friends)
Megara: Herc’s wife (She’ll tell you about their marriage)
Eurystheus: Oversaw Herc’s labours (He never asked for the job)
His friends, his enemies, his wives, his children, his lovers, his rivals, his gods, his victims.
It’s time to hear their stories.
Herc gives voice to the silenced characters, in this feminist, queer (and sometimes shocking) retelling of classic Hercules myth.
Perfect for fans of Madeline Miller and Joanne M. Harris
'It. Is. Fantastic' NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'An absolute delight' NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Reviews
'A remarkable feat of storytelling… Told through a cast of vibrant characters, Herc is a refreshingly unique and brilliantly funny exploration of Ancient Greece’s legendary "hero".' Rosie Hewlett, author of Medea
‘Alternately hilarious and shocking, this is an astonishingly vivid retelling of the story of Hercules, and these are not the Greek myths I learned in school.’ Jodi Taylor, author of Just One Damned Thing After Another
‘A brilliant debut! Rogerson has produced a fresh and totally original retelling of the Hercules myth. For the first time, long-silent characters from the hero’s story are given a voice. They provide a sparkling new perspective on the club-wielding, all-daring son of Zeus.’ Alex Rowson, author of The Young Alexander
‘Hercules had his story, now it's time for everyone else to get their say. Wickedly fun and devilishly dark – the tell-all for our times.’ Cari Thomas, author of Threadneedle
‘A captivating retelling with a very definite, personal voice, and a sharp, fresh perspective on the lives surrounding the hero.’ Genevieve Cogman, author of Scarlet
‘A rollicking ride through Greek mythology.’ Luna McNamara, author of Psyche and Eros
‘A brilliant, witty and unique retelling of the myths that at times had me laughing out loud. Rogerson's impressive talent leaps from the pages.’ Carly Reagon, author of The Toll House
‘A wonderfully layered piece of storytelling which manages to be earthy, haunting and beautiful all at once.’ Stacey Thomas, author of The Revels
‘Funny, action-packed, violent, tragic … this is the story of Hercules as you’ve never experienced it before! An eye-opening treat.’ A.J. Elwood, author of The Cottingley Cuckoo
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
The mighty Heracles—later, Hercules—is the latest icon of Greek mythology to receive a modern reframing of his legend, as told by various supporting characters from his story. Phoenicia Rogerson’s debut novel, Herc an imagined oral history of Zeus’ (illegitimate) son, adds new dimensions to Herc’s character and motivations, drawing on the perspective of his mortal family, his friends, his lovers, his enemies and the occasional minor witness to his many feats and foibles. Blessed and cursed with extraordinary strength as a result of his divine parentage and persecuted by the goddess Hera from birth for the transgression of being living proof of her husband’s infidelity, tragedy strikes early for Herc when he kills his music tutor in a fit of rage. Whether or not the incident was an accident or intentional—and Herc a victim of his circumstances or recklessly irresponsible to the point of arrogance—becomes the central question of the narrative, further compounded by the later slaughter of his first wife, Megara, and all of their children, after ostensibly being driven to madness by an unrelentingly vengeful Hera. To atone, Herc endeavours to complete a series of “labours”, mandated by his cousin, King Eurystheus, one of the many narrators who takes a dim view of the ill-fated demigod. Indeed, Rogerson’s portrayal of Herc is largely humbling, exposing his characteristic machismo and bombast as little more than boorish self-interest. But it’s difficult to not feel at least some empathy for a (super) man as shrouded in grief as Herc, tormented by the gods and haunted by an endless parade of loves lost at his own hands. Rogerson tucks each observer’s more humanising perceptions in between lively commentary of Herc’s adventures and wry reflection on their own rationale, making for an entertaining character study of a well-known mythological figure, that invites the reader to draw their own conclusions.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Rogerson's underwhelming debut retells the story of Hercules, the illegitimate son of Zeus, from the perspectives of his family, friends, and rivals. Hercules's stepfather, Amphitryon, notes that seers prophesied Hercules would be a monster-slaying hero but would also have a painful life. Hercules fulfills that prophecy as a boy, dealing a death blow to his music teacher, Linus, out of frustration during a lesson. The account of that shocking murder is followed by Linus's brother, Orpheus, composing letters to his dead sibling, writing that he uses Linus's lyre—a family heirloom—to "play lullabies to his son." Hercules later seizes his own infant son by the foot and dashes the boy's head against the wall out of jealousy (a prelude to massacring his entire family) when his mother comments on her grandson's fast development ("He doesn't seem so strong," Hercules remarks after the killing). Hercules's punishment for his murders is to carry out the labors (including slaying the Hydra, a beast that grows new heads when one is cut off) assigned to him by his cousin, King Eurystheus. Though the concept intrigues, the tragic material doesn't fit Rogerson's breezy approach. This disappoints.
