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
You may have noticed that Greek mythology is having a bit of a moment lately. Several acclaimed novelists have produced fiction inspired by or in conversation with ancient literature…and have been nominated for awards. Continue reading “10 Contemporary Novels (and one Poem) and their Classical Sources”
A challenge of researching reception of classical literature is that we cannot always know whether intertextual references are intentional or incidental. Rereading the Harry Potter series alongside The Odyssey, the parallels are striking. So much so that it’s difficult to believe they’re coincidental. As I’ve noted before, though, it may be a case of timeless human experiences and themes—home, identity, etc.—recurring across literary texts. Whether intentional or not, I love how intertextuality shows us that and how we are connected across time and place. Continue reading “Scars, Wandering, and Homecoming in Homer and Harry Potter”
Pardon me as I clear out the cobwebs… Continue reading “Samuel Butler’s Odyssey and more summer reads”
My April reads, in one handy place. *smiles, waves, blows kisses* Continue reading “Hesiod’s Theogony and more April reads”
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”
Ooops … time got away from me, and it has been too long. But here I am again with two months worth of reading adventures, including what I’m confident will be my favorite read of 2018: Emily Wilson’s translation of The Odyssey. Continue reading “The Odyssey and more February and March reads”
As February is slipping away, it’s past time to revisit my excellent January reads. So with no further preamble…
The Oresteia: “Agamemnon,” “Libation Bearers,” and “Eumenides” by Aeschylus
The Oresteia follows Agamemnon’s return from Troy, his murder at the hands of his wife (Clytemnestra) and lover (Aegisthus), his son Orestes’ revenge killing of them, and Orestes’ murder trial.
Continue reading “The Oresteia by Aeschylus and more January reads”
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.
