Review: Minotaur Revisited

March 1st already? Is it me, or is this year flying by? Today, I'm hosting a review for Minotaur Revisited by David Gelber. Happy reading!

BLURB:  

Legend states that the Minotaur was confined to the Labyrinth, slain by Theseus and then laid to rest by thousands of years of Greek mythology. But, the truth is far different. Read the Minotaur’s own words as he recounts his full life as god, king, warrior, matchmaker, midwife, monk, sage, father, mother, husband and, most of all, witness. The fierce Minotaur lived to see and be a part of the best and worst of humanity during a life spanning thousands of years. Part bull, part human, the Minotaur struggled to find his place in this world and, in the end, left his unique mark on history.

REVIEW:

Minotaur Revisited is a narrative story told from the viewpoint of the Minotaur, and follows history as he saw it happening. The Minotaur raised an African queen, suffered through Auschwitz, met Picasso, and tried to help humanity as best he could along his immortal life.

This was an interesting read. I initially had trouble getting into the book, but once the story begins to flow it's a relatively easy read. The Minotaur has seen much suffering in his long life, and we are never too far off of his jaded path. This was rather disheartening, and I left this story with a more dismal view of society. When a character is exposed to only the worst of humanity, the reader cannot come away from that with a light heart.

The only thing that truly bothered me with this book was the ending. It was abrupt and rushed, perhaps to end the book on a tidy note. It was a good read, though. The author can weave a tale, that's for sure. Four of five stars for me.

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

David Gelber, a New York native, is the seventh of nine sons and one of three to pursue medicine. He graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 1980 and went on to graduate medical school in 1984 from the University of Rochester.

He completed his residency at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, followed by three years as attending surgeon at Nassau County Medical Center in Long Island, N.Y. Gelber has since joined Coastal Surgical Group in Houston, Texas.

Gelber has been a surgeon for more than 20 years, but over the last few years he began to pursue his passion for writing, initially with his debut novel, "Future Hope" (Emerald Book Company, January 2010). The novel speculates about future Earth and what the world might have been like if man had not succumbed to temptation in the Garden of Eden. "Joshua and Aaron" is a sequel to "Future Hope" and follows the battle of wills that transpires between unsung hero Joshua Smith and satanic Aaron Diblonski.

Dr. Gelber has added two books about surgery, "Behind the Mask" and "Under the Drapes", both of which provide the reader with a view of the world of surgery rarely seen by those outside the medical professions.

"Last Light" is an apocalyptic short story which starts off asking the question: "What would happen if nobody ever was sick or injured?"

"Minotaur Revisited" is an entertaining romp through history seen through the eyes of Quint, the famed half bull half man monster of Greek Mythology. It was in October 2012.

Gelber was raised in reformed Judaism, but joined the Presbyterian Church 15 years ago. He is married with three teenage children, four dogs and 24 birds of various species. His interests include horse racing, mechanical Swiss watches and, of course, writing.

LINKS:

http://www.davidgelber.com/