The Memoir of the Minotaur

By: Tom Shachtman

Narrated by: Charles Geddes

Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

The Memoir of the Minotaur is the posthumous confessions of the half-man, half-bull of Crete, as offered to an audience of recently deceased 21st-century fellow souls in Hades’ domain. This book is a satire for listeners unafraid of a rollicking good tale involving anatomically complex beings, unforgivable puns, the champion serial killer of all time, scantily clad Greek maidens and youths, articulate tyrants, and feminist proto-history leavened with theological impertinence.

The Memoir of the Minotaur shares its form with other popular retellings of the monster narrative such as John Gardner’s Grendel, and the narrative voice has likenesses to the exuberance, bawdiness, and blasphemy of Salman Rushdie and John Barth.

Packed with actions both big and small, while containing a breadth of complexity as it deals with themes of power, violence, sexuality, and the role of storytelling, its most endearing quality is the hilarity and absurdity of our classical values interacting with our animalistic cores. Ultimately, the book is riotous.

©2020 Tom Shachtman (P)2020 Tom Shachtman

Interim review- enjoyed the book.

Another great narration, story was creative. Circumstances prevent me from doing a more in depth review right now, but I shall come back and update this as soon as I can...some sexual references and discussion of cannibalism but it’s not gory.

A horrific tale

Such horrible treatment to the minotaur. He was forced to live a hideous & lonely life. nice to see his side of things. A great read.

The other side of the classic Greek story

The book opens with the shade of the Minotaur, a self-professed serial killer, speaking to the recently dead and telling his tale, from before his birth with his mother to after his death. The style kind of reminds me of Cupid by Julius Lester, another take on a classic myth with modern elements and satire. As a casual lover of Greek mythology, I quite enjoyed all the references this book snuck in to other myths. I'm also a fan of "switched POV" stories where we get the villain's perspective.

Despite the satire and sarcasm of the Minotaur (or perhaps because of it), this book manages to be quite deep as well, offering insight into humans and life. The narrator does a good job of capturing the Minotaur's character, who is at times condescending and aloof, looking down upon human foibles, and at other times mournful for his lost humanity and the innocence he had when he lived as a simple animal.

I received this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. I recommend it for anyone who can stomach graphic references to sex, gore, and cannibalism.

Not my Usual type of read/listen!

This is the story of the Minotaur, a 1/2 human & 1/2 Bull. This is a different look at a classic tale but from the Minotaur's viewpoint. If you do not mind a lot of sex and gore then you will be able to read/listen to this book. When the Minotaur is put into the inescapable Labyrinth in order to serve Crete is when most of the story happens.

Interview with the Minotaur

We all have read the story 9f the Minotaur the story we hear is one sided. This let's the Minotaur speak his side and explain why he did what he did and how he was used, wrongly treated and the truth of his death. I must say this is not for the faint of heart the story is gory, blood lust and sexual incourse between man, women and the Minotaur. And you hear from the Minotaur how this goes back to his mother having sexual incourse with the Great White Bull and he being the child born and how his died giving birth to him. You meet his brother and sisters, learn how his sisters betrayed him and brought a person who would kill him, the women who was carrying his child and destruction of the King Midas and his empire.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did

A satire take on the minotaur myth

The book just wasn't completely my cup of tea. I enjoyed the satire of the story though. The story is in the words of a minotaur half-man, half-bull and how he is sent into the Labyrinth after defending himself but coming out looking like a monster who people now fear. It is an interesting take on a classic story. I did like the take on the story where it shows how our animalistic insists when pressured can come out to survive. If you don't mind gore and a lot of talk about sex and want to think about the outcome of the story for days this book is right up your alley. The writer definitely makes you think with his take on this story with his puns, humor and thoughtful take of this myth.

Not for me

I received this audiobook for free in exchange for an unbiased review. I personally found this audiobook boring. It was written in the narrative style. I’m afraid the narrator could not overcome a strictly told tale. I stopped about 1/4th the way through.