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Cupid: A Tale of Love and Desire Audiobook
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(3.04) - 518 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
When Cupid takes aim–duck! Cupid is the god of love and a tireless maker of mischief. When he breaks out his bow and quiver, nobody’s safe. Sleepless nights, embarrassing poetry, nausea . . . What could be more fun? Only, perhaps, seeing the god of love humbled with a little heartache of his own. With healthy doses of wit and wisdom, Julius Lester’s disarming narrator leads us through the tale of Cupid and Psyche–and helps us navigate our own treacherous passions.
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"Very, very funny. A great narration of a cute story...okay, so maybe 'cute' isn't a good word to describe Cupid and Psyche, but from what I hear, they were some hot stuff. ;) So we'll stick with cute."
— Christine (5 out of 5 stars)
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“Lester again proves his versatility as a writer with a fresh and funny take on classical mythology in his new novel…Readers of the classic tales will find the familiar elements all here—the tests, the journey, trickery, divine intervention, and the groupings of three—but they will delight in the contemporary updates and Lester's witty commentary throughout.”
— VOYA -
“For fans of romance and mythology, this is highly entertaining. Lester casts the two protagonists as adolescents coming of age through the trials and ultimate triumph of their love.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“[Readers] will sink into the beautifully imagined ancient world, the erotic romance, and the insights into how love happens.”
— Booklist -
“The style is humorous and promises a new and clever version of the myth.”
— School Library Journal -
“This retelling of the Cupid and Psyche myth is told by a witty, wordy, and knowledgeable storyteller. As the storyteller meanders among the gods and goddesses of Olympus, the reader is given insight and interpretation in humorous and contemporary allusions…This is certainly a terrific novel to include in the study of mythology, but it is enjoyable in its own right as a look at human nature and how we fall in love.”
— Kliatt
Cupid Listener Reviews
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" A quick n' easy read that is one of my favorites! I just love the story of Cupid & Psyche and this book expands on that myth. It's a must for mythology lovers and fans of cute romantic stories! "
— Amelia_of*the*shire_, 2/6/2014 -
" A less than original telling of Psyche and Cupid, this had an interesting narrator's voice that, at times, was annoying and at others worth listening to. It really wasn't much more than the basic tale of Cupid and Psyche's love coupled with Venus' wrath how they thwarted her. "
— Kristen, 2/1/2014 -
" This book was a fun retelling with a contemporary narrative voice, and could be instructional to teenage (and older) boys, but I don't know if one could be convinced to read it! (Unless they are a fan of mythology, since this is the retelling of the Cupid and Psyche myth.) "
— Tamsyn, 2/1/2014 -
" Lester retells the story of Psyche, Cupid, & Venus in a fun, modern tone. A fast read. "
— Lisa, 1/31/2014 -
" I've put off writing this review because I'm having a little trouble coming up with something intelligent to say about this book that I ended up feeling pretty ambivalent about. The thing I liked best about it was the narrative voice, and the narrator's humorous (but sometimes still profound) observations about life, mythology, love, and marriage. At the same time, this style kept the story at arm's length, so that I never felt truly connected to the characters, and I didn't really like any of them (I also have trouble with characters who bemoan how difficult it is to be beautiful, as well as characters who fall in love with someone based heavily on how s/he looks). Since I'm not very familiar with the story of Cupid and Psyche, I can't really comment on how well it functions as a retelling, although I was hoping for some insight into how the story connected to our modern use of the word "psyche" (I didn't get it.) "
— Lacey, 1/31/2014 -
" Could not get into it. I did not like the style of writing. "
— Pamela, 1/18/2014 -
" A cute fun read on a twist of a myth. "
— Denise, 1/7/2014 -
" This was a fairly cute version of what happens when Cupid himself falls in love with Psyche. I enjoyed the relevant-to-today cultural references. "
— Cindy, 12/24/2013 -
" Now this is a retelling I would love to read again. "
— Zouagie, 12/20/2013 -
" Nothing wrong with this book, I'm just not that into Roman Mythology. "
— Kyla, 12/14/2013 -
" This was a pretty cute story. "
— Heidi, 12/11/2013 -
" a funny but sweet greek myth told in true "story teller" style. "
— Libby, 10/17/2013 -
" Gave me a whole new outlook at the gods and goddesses. "
— Tracy, 4/10/2013 -
" I think the writer talks too much but at least it helps oyu understand the Story of Cupid and Psyche. Even though Venus was the antagonist she was still cool. "
— Sierrah, 5/3/2012 -
" A most loved story brought to life in a new voice. I highly recommend the audio book version. "
— Victoria, 3/18/2012 -
" This would have been better if the author focused more on Cupid and Psyche instead of other stories that do not relate. The ending was rushed and I think this had the potential to be much more than it turned out to be. "
— Alise, 2/26/2012 -
" oh my gosh!! this book was sooooo cute! i liked it a lot, it was really quick, i didn't really want it to end that fast! it was really different from other things i've read and i really liked it. "
— Riah, 10/28/2011 -
" A very good retelling of the Psyche/Cupid myth. I enjoyed the characterization and modern feel (no actual modernization, but the style felt more contemporary). The narration was really good and I liked the almost folksy story telling feel the narrator had. "
— Maggie, 9/1/2011 -
" This book was really good. The author is funny and puts a good twist to the classic myth of Cupid(Eros) and Psyche. "
— Danielle, 7/27/2011 -
" Not a bad book. I loke the original story, but I like how it was modernized to fit today. "
— Steph, 6/9/2011 -
" Interesting YA re-telling of the story of Cupid and Psyche, with an old Southern black man as narrator. "
— Ashley, 3/7/2011 -
" This was an cute story. "
— Wendy, 2/1/2011 -
" Honestly, the only reason I kept reading was to see how the story was going to play out. The narrator, while offering up some tasty life bonmots, kind of got on my nerves. "
— Akilah, 1/5/2011 -
" liked that it was told like a storyteller would tell it. It has a nice style. "
— H.s., 10/30/2010 -
" I think the writer talks too much but at least it helps oyu understand the Story of Cupid and Psyche. Even though Venus was the antagonist she was still cool. "
— Sierrah, 10/13/2010 -
" oh my gosh!! this book was sooooo cute! i liked it a lot, it was really quick, i didn't really want it to end that fast! it was really different from other things i've read and i really liked it. "
— Riah, 10/7/2010 -
" I love this book so far because it is a tale of romance! And love! I want a guy like Cupid to fall in love with me! Like Cupid falls in love psychy! "
— Savannah, 10/2/2010 -
" a funny but sweet greek myth told in true "story teller" style. "
— Libby, 8/26/2010 -
" Cute. I liked the voice in this book. "
— Jess, 5/4/2010 -
" A quick n' easy read that is one of my favorites! I just love the story of Cupid & Psyche and this book expands on that myth. It's a must for mythology lovers and fans of cute romantic stories! "
— Amelia_of*the*shire_, 2/19/2010 -
" It was a telling of the myth of Cupid and Phycse. It was ok but not a fabulous book. It was intresting in the retelling. "
— Chalise, 12/1/2009
About Julius Lester
Julius Lester is the Newbery Honor–winning author of more than twenty books for young readers. He lives in western Massachusetts.
About Stephen McKinley Henderson
Stephen McKinley Henderson’s extensive credits include appearances in The Newsroom and Law & Order and in the films Tower Heist and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. He received a Tony nomination for his work in the 2010 revival of August Wilson’s Fences with Denzel Washington and Viola Davis.