Retelling classical mythology in contemporary style is a dangerous practice; many have tried and have – frankly – been a little bit pants. (Hercules, I’m staring straight at you.) Certainly, taking Roman poet Ovid’s magnum opus – The Metamorphoses – could be considered either brave or foolish. Fortunately, in Metamorphica, Zachary Mason’s new retellings are playful and daring.

Metamorphica is a collection of reimagined stories that are short, almost flash fictive, to retell some of the stories from Ovid’s collection of poems. It features familiar protagonists: Athena, Zeus, Aphrodite, etc. The story of Ovid bookends these tales and the spirit of the poet is certainly alive and well in these retellings. Mason tells these familiar mythologies slant, even in the notes section where some of the Greek etymology and proper nouns have a Douglas Adam’s The Meaning of Liff feel to them (no spoilers, however, see, for example, the amusing entry for Daedalus, father of Icarus).

Mason’s main narrative device is to use lots of voices in these retellings where personas are taken over, or an omniscient author steps in. This complex storytelling is structured using constellations to link each story, prefaced with a manifesto-like statement ‘that the brightest stars are stories’. This acts as a reminder that some stories are almost as old as the stars – their light enduring over the centuries. If you are looking for an accurate retelling of Ovid’s original work, you are not going to get that here. However, if you fancy a wild ride with Mason’s imagination then you are in for a bit of a treat.  It really shouldn’t work, but any chaos is tamed with the use of sectioning off the stories and in using the constellations to function and connect each story.

While the fidelity to the original text is played fast and loose, Mason’s collection is a great addition to any myth lover’s library. For the uninitiated, this book should (hopefully) act as a spur to read more classical mythos and perhaps Ovid’s original poems – possibly in translation, unless you’re great at Latin! The Emperor Augustus is said to have exiled Ovid from Rome for some mischief: possibly also because of Ovid’s massive ego – the real reason is lost to time. This is not a book to be banished: with its beautiful cover, and Mason’s intriguing Calvino-esque storytelling, this is a constellation of stories that should star on your bookshelf.

METAMORPHICA / AUTHOR: ZACHARY MASON / PUBLISHER: JONATHAN CAPE / RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 2ND