Gyaan Adab
Hosted
The Book Club
ABOUT THE EVENT
On a breezy and overcast Wednesday evening, the regular faces of the Book Club with a few new ones, walked into Gyaan Adab. The book being discussed was Mythos by Stephen Fry.
‘Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold’ is a modern retelling of Greek myths that makes it accessible to individuals of all ages and dispositions, without the requirement of preliminary classical knowledge. Stephen Fry uses his hilarious narrative to touch upon some treasured favorite myths such as that of King Midas, the birth of Athena, Narcissus and Echo and so many more. The goal that Fry’s work discernibly reaches is that of ‘humanizing’ the gods; giving them human instincts, attitudes and actions in order to allow us to relate to these tales more closely, all the while maintaining our distance.
Fry takes his writing one step further, where he allows for the ability to interpret these age old myths differently, as was a part of the oral tradition. He proclaims,
“If anyone tells me that I have the stories ‘wrong’ I believe I am justified in replying that they are, after all, fictions. In tinkering with the details I am doing what people have always done with myths. In that sense I feel that I am doing my bit to keep them alive…”
This allows him greater creative freedom within the framework of the preexisting story.
The evening gave the discussion a somber mood and the attendees were wowed by the depth of the presentation by Gauri Athale. An enthusiastic audience chipped in as well and quite a bit of to and fro took place, talk of one’s favorite myths evolving into a critical analysis of each of the individuals and gods. All in all it was a well-executed session and was appreciated by all.
Date: Wednesday, 27th June
Time: 6.15 PM
Entry: FREE
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