Time for Greek mythology soon

My readers know that I love Greek mythology, and they may remember that this time of year, in the weeks of Spring leading to (and including) Summer, it is for me the proper time to reconnect with my old passion. My wife knows this too, and she bought me for my birthday The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. You may remember that last year I thoroughly enjoyed her Circe. Her first novel is a rewriting of The Iliad and the relationship between Achilles and his friend (and lover?) Patroclus. I know the story by heart, but I cannot wait to discover Miller's perspective on it, which, judging by her other novel, should be original, knowledgeable and show genuine love for the source material.

Circe, the autobiography

As I have finally finished it, here is today's reading suggestion: Circe by Madeline Miller. An autobiography of the minor goddess and the world's first witch. Veggie Carrie bought it for me on my birthday. I rarely read a novel published in the year if it's not crime fiction but I've always been into Greek mythology. And I was pleasantly surprised with Circe. Modernisation of old myths often end up to be glorified fanfics, but this one has heart. Miller gave Greek gods and heroes character and complexity. I particularly liked her take on Hermes and Odysseus. Less so with Athena, but I am a big fan of the goddess and she is in this novel more antagonistic, so this is a completely subjective criticism. Inn any case, Miller understands the dubious moral nature of Greek mythology and does not fall into cheap Manichean narrative. And she also uses Greek names, not Roman ones. During a summer heatwave, you can't go wrong going Greek.

Greek mythology reads

I receive mailers from Waterstone's from time to time. Recently, there was one advertising Circe by Madeline Miller. The name got my attention and I suggested it to my wife as a birthday present. She saw it at the local bookshop and bought it for me. Since I am a child I have always been a big fan of Greek mythology and especially anything regarding Ulysses, my favourite Greek hero. If the weeks coming to Christmas is time for me to renew with Norse mythology, the weeks after Easter and leading to summer are for the Greek one. So this novel is on my reading list for the upcoming weeks. I know nothing about the novel and its author, except that she has received lots of praises for it and that it is meant to be really good. I am really looking forward to it.

Homère

Le dernier hôtel où mes parents et mon frère PJ sont demeurés lors de leur séjour en Angleterre avait beaucoup de classe et avait bien des tableaux intéressants, dont celui-ci. Je suis à peu près certain que c'est le poète grec Homère. L'auteur de l'Iliade et de l'Odyssée, qui n'a sans doute jamais existé. C'est un tableau un peu sombre pour illustrer la Grèce antique, mais je l'aime bien quand même. Ça fait longtemps que je voulais partager et je me suis dit que c'était le bon temps, parce que Pâques arrive et que j'associe Pâques à la mythologie grecque (voir ce billet). Et puis Ulysse étant mon héros grec préféré, je suis reconnaissant à Homère, même s'il est aussi fictif que ses personnages, de l'avoir popularisé dans deux grandes oeuvres épiques.

A cyclops

I took this picture at the Natural History Museum, in one of the displays showing how the Ancient Greeks may have come up with their ideas for monsters and fantastical creatures observing natural phenomenons. I cannot remember what they were, all I was interested in I must confess was the statues of the mythical creatures. This one is of course a cyclops. While their Medusa was the most impressive, I found the cyclops quite cool too, because it looks so lifelike. I remember them mainly from The Odyssey, my favourite Greek story ever, and this statue is exactly like I pictured them, rustic and nasty. It was like seeing a true cyclops, directly from my imagination.

A Dubliner

This picture dates back from March 2000. I took it during my visit in Dublin, from a throwaway camera that was quite popular at the time, but it was a poor quality one, so it was a poor picture. Do you recognize him, even in the shadow? Yes, it is James Joyce. Well, the statue of him. Shame on me, I only ever read one short story of Dubliners from him. I have Ulysses somewhere among my books back home, which I promised myself I'd read one day. Anyway, it is Saint Patrick's Day tomorrow, so I thought I'd share this picture of James Joyce for the occasion.