Book Discussion: Fifth Head of Cerberus by Gene Wolf

This month’s book discussion will be at Stash’s home. Stash will be grilling so bring a side dish and anything you may specifically want to be grilled. It’s a great time to enjoy the summertime and discuss our latest book read. New members encouraged. 🌭🍔🍤
Our book, Fifth Head of Cerberus:
The title of this collection of novellas is a play on words which refers to Cerberus, a three-headed dog from Greek mythology, which guarded the gate to the Greek underworld, Hades. In the first novella the protagonist explains that Cerberus represents his own family, its three heads being his father, aunt and Mr. Million, adding that its "unseen" heads are his brother David as fourth and, by implication, the fifth and final the narrator's own. Following this logic, the title of the novella therefore refers to the narrator himself, whose story we read. Further parallels between the narrator's family and the mythology of Cerberus can be drawn in numerous other ways throughout this novella. For example, a statue of this mythological creature exists at the front, or "gates" of their family home, which is itself located at 666 Saltimbanque, this number having associations with the underworld dating back to the Greek manuscripts of the Book of Revelation. Also, their family home is later referred to at one point as the Maison du Chien, literally "House of the Dog"; in several other places it is called "Cave Canem", or "Beware of the Dog".