An Asian Minor: The True Story of Ganymede

A modern retelling of the legend of Ganymede from his point of view. This novella is short, quick, to-the-point and delightful.

Not a historical recounting of anything... but fun none the less. I always enjoy this author so that's why I picked this up.

After my initial distraught at the writing style (because Ganymede reads like the teenage life advice column from the Bravo magazine at the turn of the millennium and not at all like a Classic Greek tale), the book started growing on me.I must say this was quite the breath of fresh air: funny, well documented and Ganymede's witty barbs made me laugh out loud. He makes fun of immortals like Hermes, Ares and Apollo whom he twists around his litter finger mercilessly. The speech is very contemporary but it works.I compartmentalized the fact that Ganymede was actually 12 when Hermes had him and 14 when he became Zeus's (not spoiling you guys it's all in the blurb). I chose not to think about that too much. The reason for this was that in Ancient Greece there was the social custom of paiderastía , the socially acceptable romantic relationship between an adult male and an adolescent male. And I'm all for historical accuracy.I also got a little shout out at my two favorite boys and this brought a smile to my face:"Achilles was also a good-looking guy, with a real doll for a lover, Patroclus."

This book was originally written in 1981 by Felice Picano, and details the early life and career of Ganymede, as told by the alluring boy in his own words. It is extremely well-written, a colourful, ribald account of his escapades as he fights off the attentions of men of all rank and age. His beauty also captures the attention of various Immortals, who will go to great lengths to seduce him. It probably should be noted to those unfamiliar with Ancient history that Ganymede is 12 at the beginning of the book, so 21st century sensibilities do not apply.The book hasn’t been in print for a long while, but now it has been republished as an audiobook, narrated in a salacious drawl by Jason Frazier. This is the first audiobook I have listened to all the way through. The delivery is everything, especially with a book that could be dismissed as being either too highbrow by some or too lightweight by others. This would be a shame, as it is neither. The reader gets a peephole view into the lusty world of Troy and its inhabitants, where beauty is highly prized and judged at every turn. Ganymede is the most beautiful of all boys, gaining sexual experience with a variety of Immortal lovers, before being disgraced and shunned for rejecting the top man, Zeus; probably not his greatest career move.Jason Frazier’s voice should have an R rating. He could read a telephone directory and make it ooze with sexual promise. The book itself is not explicit, but the theme of lust runs through it in a pulsing thread. Ganymede learns humility, but still retains an arrogance that only truly beautiful people can get away with. He isn’t particularly likeable, but that doesn’t matter. His story is told in such rich and gorgeous detail, one cannot help but be captivated. This is a book to be savoured at home, rather than driving, or in a public place, as it would be a crime to miss a single word.I was given a copy of this Audiobook in return for an honest review.

The obvious reference point is Merlis’s “An Arrow’s Flight,” but Picano sticks to the time period instead of inserting modernity into the mix. And Picano’s conversational Ganymede is funny and breezy and altogether charming. His observations on life and mythos are as interesting as they are clever.