Oedipus: Trapped by Destiny

Gr 5–8—A succinct retelling of the Greek tragedy of Oedipus, the king who fulfilled the prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother, this title provides the basic facts of the story. Rendered in muted, somber tones, the illustrations emphasize backgrounds. Characters, on the other hand, are small, as if dwarfed by events beyond their control. The layout is a combination of spreads and panels. Some of the text appears in cartoon bubbles, but most of it is in narrative format and is occasionally presented at the very top or bottom of the page, where readers might overlook it. Pronunciations for names are also provided at the bottom, which can make following the tale confusing at times. The opening endpapers reveal a map of Greece that shows the locations of various events and an inset of a Greek drinking cup depicting Oedipus with the Sphinx. The closing endpapers include an illustrated index for characters and locations, providing more information on each. This is a solid introduction to a Greek classic, but the even tone undermines the horror of the tragedy.