Ornate artwork showing a central framed niche with a crowned, seated figure surrounded by lit candles, set against a decorative beige patterned background.

Beyond the Script: Denver Public Library’s Guide to Hadestown

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Graphic book cover with bold black‑and‑white stair‑step shapes on red and blue backgrounds, a small cloaked figure, and the title ‘Memento Mori’ by Eunice Hong.Memento Mori

by Eunice Hong

Recasting the myths of Eurydice, Orpheus, Persephone, and Hades through the lens of a Korean American family, Eunice Hong’s novel weaves together Greek mythology, neuroscience, and family memories as a means of grappling with death. Memento Mori asks what happens when we no longer exist except for in the stories told of us and the memories of others, and whether looking back on these is love and acceptance or selfishness.

 

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Painted figure seated in a green dress against a textured background, partially obscured by brushstrokes, with the title ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ in pale pink text.Portrait of a Lady on Fire

dir. Céline Sciamma (2019)

The themes of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice are central to Portrait of a Lady on Fire, a French historical romance that portrays the relationship between Marianne, a painter hired to secretly paint a wedding portrait of Héloïse, who is betrothed to a Milanese nobleman. As the attraction grows between the two women, the characters offer a reinterpretation of the myth’s tragic ending.

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Ornate artwork showing a central framed niche with a crowned, seated figure surrounded by lit candles, set against a decorative beige patterned background.Hades

by Melanie Martinez

Three years after releasing the critically acclaimed Portals, Melanie Martinez’s fourth studio album continues her tradition of playfully dark storytelling while adding poetic commentary on the state of our society. She weaves narratives of artificial intelligence, police crimes and corrupt capitalism while singing through a dystopian soundscape, with a touch of mythological whimsy. If you enjoy Hadestown’s musical exploration of class dynamics, workers rights and hope, then Martinez’s insightful tales critiquing capitalism and romance might pique your interest as well.

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Illustrated book cover with a close‑up painted portrait against a blurred, pastel background, featuring large yellow title text reading ‘Fruit of the Dead’ and the author name Rachel Lyon.Fruit of the Dead

by Rachel Lyons

This retelling focuses on the Greek myth of Hades and Persphone, where instead of an underground factory, Hades’ domain is that of a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company. The novel focuses on similar themes of the persuasive power of love, and explores the dynamics of the characters’ different relationships through multiple points of view. Lyons’ writing comes together in a psychological, electric novel that will be hard to put down (or forget).

 

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