The Story of Antigone

Description

The crow crossed the sky, slow-beating her wings. Beat, beat, beat. It was night, not yet morning, and her feathers were so black that she coasted the air invisible above the city wall. Thus begins Ali Smith's retelling of Sophocles' tragedy, about a young Theban princess who decides to bury her dishonoured brother Polynices, against King Creon's express orders - with heart-breaking consequences.

Ali Smith was born in Inverness, where she was quite good at ice-skating and spent a lot of time on the back of a black Shetland pony called Hodrum. When she was about seven years old she began to write stories and poems. The first poem that she remembers writing was about a girl called Isabel debating with an adder, which was threatening to bite her, about which of them would live the longest. (Isabel won.)

Wonderfully tender... a stunning achievement, effortlessly highlighting the difficult conflicts and questions at the heart of the narrative... Paoletti's striking artwork completes the package beautifully Teach First [Save the Story] is being pursued with rare editorial panache. These books look enticing, are generously sized and dashingly illustrated... What makes these books special is that, brilliantly told by top-flight novelists, they are fresh, idiosyncratic and winning... Ali Smith leans lightly on Sophocles in a beautiful version of Antigone -- Kate Kellaway Observer We love the new, illustrated retellings in the brilliant Save the Story range from Pushkin Press TBK Magazine An amazing new series from Pushkin Books in which literary, adult authors retell classics (with terrific illustrations) for a younger generation... includes Ali Smith's lively reawakening of Antigone Daily Telegraph Marvellously written... engrossing... beautifully constructed to make gifts to be treasured for Christmas Fluxlings This handsomely illustrated series, also including Antigone, Gulliver's Travels and Captain Nemo, offers younger readers vivid, accessible first encounters with some literary heavyweights Metro Perfect for readers old, young or in-between. -- Mark Perryman Huffington Post An international selection of well-established writers, each matched with a timelessly popular children's tale to reinterpret and rewrite, loyal to the original but given a new twist in the process. Oh, and lavishly illustrated too -- Mark Perryman It's a delight to read and only gets better with each rereading, of which children - and adults too - will certainly want many New Welsh Review All the titles in this Save the Story library are gorgeously stylish - attention has been paid not just to the clarity of the written word but also to the importance of illustration and design. -- Marcus Sedgwick Guardian