FIVE MILES FROM CANDIA

by Althea Urn ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 28, 1959

Althea Urn uses the familiar myth of the ancient Cretan Minotaur in this (presumably) first novel heavily padded with sensual details. Here is King Monis, the Cretan king who defies the gods by refusing to kill the handsome bull sent as a gift. The gods wreak punishment upon him through his beautiful wife Pasiphae, who develops an overwhelming physical passion for the bull. Through a contrivance built by Daedalus, the gifted artist who serves in the palace, she conceives Minotaurus, half bull and half man, whom she affectionately calls ""Moo-moo"". The author emphasizes the unnatural relationships which develop between Minotaurus and his mother and his many brothers and sisters, as she plays out the myth to its well-known conclusion. The author has a knack for scenic descriptions and a useful collection of facts about the customs and decor surrounding the life of royalty in ancient Crete, but the characters, with their highly predictable emotions and actions, are robots, developed according to the most obvious rules of lust.

Pub Date: Sept. 28, 1959

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Holt

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1959

Categories: FICTION