The Persephone Myth in Young Adult Fiction - (Bloomsbury Studies in Classical Reception) by Cristina Salcedo González (Hardcover)

About the Book

Studies the use of the Persephone myth to explore the initiation of young girls into adulthood within six contemporary young adult books.

Book Synopsis

Investigating the widespread but understudied presence of the Persephone myth within 21st-century young adult literature, Cristina Salcedo González analyses six young adult novels which incorporate a reworking of this ancient Greek myth.Through the identification of mythic themes ('mythemes') and patterns within these novels, González shows that these works evoke the female life cycle and develop current perceptions of the female maturational experience. As a result, González makes an important contribution in establishing the cultural significance of young adult literature in the world of classical reception. These novels, all written by women, also inflect or interpret the myth in ways influenced by their contemporary contexts, specifically the impact of the novels' target readership on the aspects of the myth that are either emphasised (e.g. Persephone's descent into the underworld; her existence there; and her re-ascent) or de-emphasised (e.g. the mourning and wanderings of Demeter).

This book makes original methodological contributions - through its innovative dual perspective of myth criticism and classical reception - to our understanding of the academically neglected genre of young adult literature and the reception of the myth of Persephone. As a result, González makes an important contribution in establishing the cultural significance of young adult literature in the world of classical reception.

Review Quotes

A convincing argument for - and vivid demonstration of - the relevance of Young Adult literature in giving us a full picture of the reception of the ancient world.

About the Author

Cristina Salcedo González is Assistant Professor in English at the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain.