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From the dawn of recorded history, poets have sought to distinguish themselves by creating large works of outstanding merit. Matt Flumerfelt labored for 26 years to bring Hercules' story back to life, assembling the relevant material and combining it in an entertaining verse narrative. Students of ancient culture will know what really happened in the original tales, while those looking for a rollicking good read will find plenty to engage their minds and senses. Henry Adams in his autobiography called America "A Hercules in the cradle," and Hercules' tale contains many parallels with modern American culture. All the great cultures have had their national epics and Flumerfelt has poured his considerable verbal resources into making his Hercules epic something that can stand alongside Homer, Virgil, Dante and others and not suffer by comparison.

Flumerfelt notes that "Humorous works seem to fare best in the long run with posterity." "H--A Picaresque Novel in Verse," has been called a satire and is the furthest thing imaginable from a dry-as-dust epic. Told in modern idiom, it's a tongue-in-cheek retelling that still captures much of the excitement and bravado that has made Hercules such an enduring fictional character.