I'm completely converted to Hesperus Press, who produce these gorgeous little books with very readable translations. The two works by Andre Gide here look at the two opposite sides of heroism: the epic hero, like Theseus, who cheerfully plunges through life, living for the moment, regretting nothing, and coming across as a bit of a brainless muscle-man; and the tragic hero, like Oedipus, doomed to always dwell on his mistakes. Comparisons have been made between Theseus and works like Yourcenar's Memoirs of Hadrian, and Mary Renault's novels, but I have to say that Gide just doesn't quite match up to their sumptuous lyricism. Nevertheless, it's a punchy retelling of the two legends, and a perfect length for reading on a journey. ( )