Full length historical fantasy
This review is done in conjunction with the author's virtual tour with Goddess Fish Promotions.
David will be awarding a $100 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour, so comment today AND follow the tour (if you click on the tour banner above, it'll take you to a list of his tour stops) -- the more you read and comment, the better your odds of winning. You could be introduced to a great new author AND win an awesome prize!
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.
Minotaur Revisited is a retelling of the Greek myth of the Minotaur--only this time it's told from the Minotaur's POV. His name is actually Quinton Arbus Taurus Aegus Minos, but he prefers Minotaur because that name commands respect--at least more than Quint or even Mini as one of his lady friends likes to call him.
According to the legend, the Minotaur devours seven youth and seven virgins every year and was killed by Theseus. According to Minotaur Revisited, the Minotaur is a vegetarian and made a deal with Theseus--the Minotaur would pretend to be dead and would leave the country and Theseus would have the honor of having slain the Minotaur. Even though Theseus tried to double-cross the Minotaur, Quint had been too clever for him and managed to escape anyway.
Then he began his travels around the world and through the ages, taking part in some of the most important episodes in history: the Israelites escaping Egypt, raising the Queen of Sheba, the crucifiction and resurrection of Jesus-- and meeting people in history and fiction. Each of these vignettes just go to show him, however, that he is still not free even though he is out of the Labyrinth. People still want to use him for their own purposes (if you ever wondered why vampires live so long, this book will let you know).
Parts of the book are laugh-out-loud funny, while other parts will make you want to cry. The only drawback I found in the book is that, because of the format (the Minotaur is telling the story of his life to a group of students), there is a lot of "telling." The "show, don't tell" rule is thrown out the window, so the reader might not get as drawn up in the story as they might be. Even with that, however, this is a fun read and would be a fun movie... hmmm.. who could we get to play the Minotaur??
4.5 flowers - This was a very good book! I'd recommend it to my friends.
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.
http://www.davidgelber.com/
