The Celestial Hunter

This thought-provoking eighth entry into an ongoing work on myth and history by publisher Calasso (The Marriage of Cadmon and Harmony) leisurely explores the idea of hunting as the key activity in the emergence of civilization. Moving from prehistory to the classical world, Calasso looks for the roots of modernity in ancient literature and myth and discusses the human relationship with animals and the divine. While some chapters retell memorable stories, such as Zeus’s last night on Earth, or analyze works including Plato’s Laws, most are loosely organized collections of digressions on themes of metamorphosis, imitation, sacrifice, and divinity. The text is laced with aphorisms and bold declarations, but its real strength lies in Calasso’s great facility with languages, especially ancient Greek, which aids his ability to do original research, and his ability to make connections over vast territory, for instance noting that people in Australia, China, Greece, India, Mesopotamia, Persia, and Surinam all saw “the exploits of a Celestial Hunter” in “the same segment of sky.” Though less thematically cohesive than other series entries, this philosophical tome will provide historians with much entertaining speculation on the story of humankind. Agent: Andrew Wylie, Wylie Agency. (Apr.)