Greek Mythology!! (But not the Percy Jackson Kind)
I feel like when people say that they love Greek mythology retellings they are mostly talking about Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series...Most of my students have learned all about the Greek gods and heroes from these adaptations and while I agree that they are really fun books that get my kids engaged in reading, I'd like to read other author's takes on it!
Now I had heard of The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller as the name floated around various social media and book blogs but it wasn't one I was super inspired to pick up. UNTIL one of my friends who is also an English teacher told me that I HAD to read it. So I did...I read it. And I loved it. So I had to read her next book as well. So let me tell you about both of these AMAZING books.
The Song of Achilles is set in Greece right around the time of the Trojan War. It is told mostly from the perspective of Patroclus, a young prince who has been exiled from his home and sent to live with King Peleus and his son, Achilles. For some reason, this awkward boy finds favor with the god-like prince and they become dear friends and even lovers. However, Helen's kidnapping sparks the Trojan War and Achilles is forced to journey to Troy and face his destiny as a hero. I agree whole-heartedly with Goodreads when it says...
"Profoundly moving and breathtakingly original, this rendering of the epic Trojan War is a dazzling feat of the imagination, a devastating love story, and an almighty battle between gods and kings, peace and glory, immortal fame and the human heart."
AGH! So good! Anyway, I'm not sure if I know more about Greek mythology than your average American citizen since I'm an English teacher...but I feel like I knew a little about Achilles and his story...but I was still surprised, shocked, excited, and on my toes throughout this story. Miller's writing is seriously gorgeous and I felt like she gave this legendary story justice!
So like I said, I was so impressed by this book that I had to read her next book that came out more recently.
The story of Circe is mostly known through her association with Odysseus so I found myself having to refresh my memory on a lot of things as I was reading along. I felt like Miller does a good job of explaining and telling you the backstory behind a lot of the minor gods, goddesses, and monsters that she mentions throughout the novel but I still found myself fact-checking and researching for my own curiosity!
Circe is the daughter of Helios, the god of the sun, but she doesn't really seem to fit into her father's household along with her goddess mother and her siblings. As an immortal, the passing of time in the novel is ambiguous at times as stories of heroes come and go. Despite their fragility and brief mortality, Circe finds herself attracted to the world of mortals and in her interactions with them as well as divine beings, she discovers that she has the power of witchcraft.
Many of the gods feel threatened and Circe is banished to a desert island where she builds her home. As time passes her story is interwoven with the stories of her siblings, the Minotaur, Daedalus and Icarus, Medea, and of course Odysseus.
But the world of men and gods can be a dangerous place. Circe finds herself fighting for her place in the world and everything that she cares about.
I loved Circe as the protagonist of this story. As I mentioned above, her immortality means that this story spans possibly thousands of years but I still felt like the story was constantly moving and not just a travelogue of what happens in her life. Unlike many of the petty stories of the gods doing things just for the heck of it, Circe is frequently motivated by love and curiosity, all human emotions that we can relate to!
Once again, Miller managed to bring life to dozens of myths and stories of Ancient Greece that I found myself really enjoying.
Unlike the Percy Jackson books I would say that these are both more for adults--maybe upper YA. But I feel like I could recommend these books to a wide variety of people...those who like Greek mythology, books with strong female characters, LGBTQ (for Achilles), or even war stories because of the Trojan War. I'm looking forward to hearing others' thoughts on them as well!
The Song of Achilles is set in Greece right around the time of the Trojan War. It is told mostly from the perspective of Patroclus, a young prince who has been exiled from his home and sent to live with King Peleus and his son, Achilles. For some reason, this awkward boy finds favor with the god-like prince and they become dear friends and even lovers. However, Helen's kidnapping sparks the Trojan War and Achilles is forced to journey to Troy and face his destiny as a hero. I agree whole-heartedly with Goodreads when it says...
"Profoundly moving and breathtakingly original, this rendering of the epic Trojan War is a dazzling feat of the imagination, a devastating love story, and an almighty battle between gods and kings, peace and glory, immortal fame and the human heart."
AGH! So good! Anyway, I'm not sure if I know more about Greek mythology than your average American citizen since I'm an English teacher...but I feel like I knew a little about Achilles and his story...but I was still surprised, shocked, excited, and on my toes throughout this story. Miller's writing is seriously gorgeous and I felt like she gave this legendary story justice!
So like I said, I was so impressed by this book that I had to read her next book that came out more recently.
The story of Circe is mostly known through her association with Odysseus so I found myself having to refresh my memory on a lot of things as I was reading along. I felt like Miller does a good job of explaining and telling you the backstory behind a lot of the minor gods, goddesses, and monsters that she mentions throughout the novel but I still found myself fact-checking and researching for my own curiosity!
Many of the gods feel threatened and Circe is banished to a desert island where she builds her home. As time passes her story is interwoven with the stories of her siblings, the Minotaur, Daedalus and Icarus, Medea, and of course Odysseus.
But the world of men and gods can be a dangerous place. Circe finds herself fighting for her place in the world and everything that she cares about.
I loved Circe as the protagonist of this story. As I mentioned above, her immortality means that this story spans possibly thousands of years but I still felt like the story was constantly moving and not just a travelogue of what happens in her life. Unlike many of the petty stories of the gods doing things just for the heck of it, Circe is frequently motivated by love and curiosity, all human emotions that we can relate to!
Once again, Miller managed to bring life to dozens of myths and stories of Ancient Greece that I found myself really enjoying.
Unlike the Percy Jackson books I would say that these are both more for adults--maybe upper YA. But I feel like I could recommend these books to a wide variety of people...those who like Greek mythology, books with strong female characters, LGBTQ (for Achilles), or even war stories because of the Trojan War. I'm looking forward to hearing others' thoughts on them as well!
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