Bright Air Black is a lyrical ode to the rage and power and will of one woman, Medea. Spirited from the pages of Greek mythology and Euripides' Medea, David Vann's Medea is a fierce, mostly fearless princess and priestess, as much in love with Jason as desperately seeking her own dominion to rule, her own decisions and choices to make, her own power to exercise as she sees fit, who teeters in darkness and madness when the threats of enslavement or subordination arise. Book I is dedicated to the escape of the Minyae (Argonauts) and the pursuit by Medea's father Aeetes, as she ruminates on what she has done (murder her brother and put pieces of him calculatingly into the sea to halt her fathers pursuit) and what she would and will do for Jason and for her own freedom and ascension, and their arrival at Jason's home of Iolcos. Book II brings us to her most powerful and desperate time, her trickery to ensure the death of Pelias so Jason can reclaim his rightful throne, his failure to act and their removal to Corinth, Jason's withdrawal of love and protection for her and their children, and the entrance of Glauce, usurper of Jason's heart and need for conquest. Her revenge upon Jason is not without horrible pain and loss for Medea as well, and her split second decision to murder her sons is no less agonizing than in Euripides' tragedy. This is a novel concerned with agency, freedom, loyalty, power, and immortality, what it means to be remembered in your own time and all times and why and how that occurs.

Vann's retelling is worthy of the source material, in substance and especially in style. I'd give this 4.5 stars overall, rounding up to 5. It's not a perfect read: I felt the ending was a bit too abrupt, with little delving into a Medea's psyche after committing fillicide, and I would have preferred less time spent on the Argo to get more from Medea in Iolcos or Corinth or even Athens (that phase of her life does not appear). But overall, I thought this was well done, extremely unique, a most worthy retelling and a beautiful piece of art. I highly recommended for enthusiasts of Greek mythology, with an understanding that you are getting a contemporary spin on an old tale done in an epic, lyrical style, and that the overall feeling is black as night and may take you to your own dark places while reading it.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. After I opened up the book and read the first few lines, I was wondering what I'd gotten myself into. I went back and read the Goodreads description. Medea, from Jason and the Argonauts, retold in prose, from Medea's perspective. I was familiar with the story of Jason and the Argonauts, in as much as I had heard their names, and knew it involved the recovery of a golden fleece, but that was it. 

I asked my husband, "What do you know about Jason and the Argonauts?" His reply, "Is it a band?" 

So after about 15 minutes on Wikipedia, I felt backgrounded enough to start in on this story. The prose writing feels like a hat tip to Greek epics, and indeed, Jason and his Argonauts had plenty of adventures in recovering the Golden Fleece, but Bright Air Black starts off with Medea on the bow of the Argo, hacking her brother to pieces in and tossing him into the sea in order to slow her father's pursuit. And for what? A fleece covered in gold only because it was used to sift for gold in a stream in Medea's kingdom. As the Argo speeds toward Iolcus, Jason's home, the gold dust slowly shakes out of the fleece, and the entire Jason and the Argonaut myth unravels for us, and for Medea as well.

Expected to arrive in Iolcus as a hero, and granted the throne his birthright demands, Jason instead finds his uncle Pelias enthroned as king, Jason's own father, brother and mother, all killed by Pelias in brutal fashion. Jason and Medea are enslaved. Over the course of six years they have two sons together while Medea plots revenge on Pelias that would give Jason his kingdom back. But things never go quite as Medea thinks they will. Yes, the people are afraid of her, as she wanted, but that doesn't always give her the result she expects. And she has this awareness of things, of knowing that the stories which are ultimately told will not match the truth of events. 

I can see why ancient Greeks were so intrigued by her. A princess who commits horrendous acts in the name of love, for Jason, for her sons. But who sacrifices all those things she claims to love in the name of revenge. She's a deft with a blade as with poison, as with trickery. Does she really even love Jason? Does she really have any power at all? Medea is such a rich character that of course Euripides would make an entire Greek tragedy of her later years. 

David Vann's retelling is remarkable all the more for giving us yet another view of Medea. She's altogether ancient and modern. This book was a real pleasure.

4/5 Stars.

4.5 Stars Rounded Up

Vann’s telling of his story of Jason and Medea begins aboard the Argo, with Medea’s father in pursuit.

She has ripped out all their hearts, she knows. Her father’s crew crippled to see him made smaller. She will humble him until there’s nothing left, until his men don’t know why they’re rowing. They will collect the pieces of the son and wonder that demigods can fall so easily.

Vann’s Medea is fiery, a quick-tempered, passionate, feisty descendant of gods and royalty. A sorceress. She falls in love with Jason, leaves her home to travel with him on the Argo to his home, Iolcos, where they will marry and then rule – it is Jason’s birthright.

The prose is spellbinding. Vann has such a way with weaving his spell around horrifying scenes with some of the most gorgeous, crafted imagery. Violent, dark and disturbing, Medea is, as Jason says to her, rage personified, and when her rage is unleashed… well, hell hath no fury like a sorceress scorned.

Be prepared to read this when you aren’t pressed for time. With very few breaks built in, it’s a bit more difficult to find a place to stop – but don’t let that stop you from reading this, because the truth is, you won’t want to stop.


Pub Date: 7 Mar 2017


Many thanks for the ARC provided by Grove Atlantic / Grove Press, Black Cat