In the process of rereading Emily Wilson’s translation of the Odyssey, I’ve been puzzling over the nature of the goddess Athena, one of the more intriguing conundrums of ancient Greek mythology.
Continue reading “What’s at stake in ancient representations of Athena?”
Recently, I’ve had multiple requests for book recommendations from readers who are new(ish) to Greek mythology. What’s a good entry point? they asked. My brain immediately exploded with possibilities, of course, but after I reassembled it, these five came floating to the surface.
Continue reading “5 Nonfiction Books for Readers New to Greek Mythology”
Recent reads:
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
Homer: The Resonance of Epic by Barbara Graziosi and Johannes Haubold
Since the title explains the purpose of this piece, I’ll jump right in with my four personal favorite elements in contemporary novels that revisit ancient Hellenic mythology: Continue reading “4 Things I Love in Hellenic Myth Retellings”
My first exposure to Emily Katz Anhalt’s Enraged: Why Violent Times Need Ancient Greek Myths came via Mary Beard’s review of it in the New York Times, which several friends kindly sent me. Continue reading “Why I read this book: Enraged by Emily Katz Anhalt”
About a month ago, I decided I want to read all the English translations of Homer’s The Odyssey. Given the dozens in existence, “all” will probably be interpreted loosely. But that is not the subject of today’s discussion. Today, I want to talk about, well, what the title of this piece says. Continue reading “Why I’m reading all the English translations of The Odyssey”
Have I ever done a tag here before? Sam from Spines in a Line kindly nominated me for this one, and I could not resist. Thank you, Sam! Continue reading “In which I am tagged”
Current reads:
The Odyssey by Homer, translated by E. V. Rieu
Helen and Trojan Women by Euripides
The Poems of Hesiod, translated by Barry B. Powell
Current thoughts:
Lately, I’ve been thinking about my first response to the first line of Emily Wilson’s translation of The Odyssey: “Tell me about a complicated man.” Relief. It was a feeling similar to when you have a word on the tip of your tongue but can’t recall it. It’s maddening. For a second, you think you have it, but it slips away. And then someone says it. They give you the word, and now you can relax. Continue reading “Status of the universe: It’s complicated”
Mid-January feels like a good time for a reading year review of 2017. In recent years, I’ve done my best to stop fussing over how many books or pages I read as compared to an arbitrary goal or my previous reading year. But two developments this year captured my attention.
Every last time I create a TBR, I fail to follow it. At least, that’s how it feels. I think one time, for a readathon, I read some of the books I said I’d read. Sort of?
Point is, I want to read a ton of books. Literally, one entire ton. So many that I can’t even keep track of them. It is not possible. Or maybe the part that’s impossible is actually reading all the books I want to read. Continue reading “Don’t call it a TBR”
