Greek Mythology

 In this seemingly unending nightmare of the ever-present pandemic, I couldn't help but turn to the comforting world of Greek Mythology.

There are Gods, Goddesses, people, heroes, damsels, witches - you name it , these stories have them. They exist in the comfortable world with many divinities and their extremely human state of being. They rage, wage wars, love, show happiness, sorrow, rebellion - it is a world meant to loose oneself in. 

After my failed attempts at restarting Percy Jackson for the nth time this year, I saw books that were standalone and highly recommended as the next step towards Greek Myths retold. (I haven't read Iliad or The Odyssey. I know. I know. But I want light-hearted reads not heavy political explanations)

I dived into Circe hoping it would be something like that. A retelling of old myths. A light-hearted frolic in the fields of Asphodel before returning to the land of the living. 

 Yeah, that went about as well as anyone would expect.

The Goddess Circe was always portrayed as a witch - transforming men to pigs, great knowledge of herbs and potions. She will be the character one must battle before the final boss-fight, difficulty level 3.5 /5. She is ever the antagonist, her reasons being - it's a fairy tale, she's the evil witch

This book, however, drops us right in the middle of the palace of Helios, the Titan who is the Sun. Her life, the reasons for why she did the things she did, and the emotions felt therein- of growing up, of trying to understand her parents, her discovery of her gifts, her perception of death - we leap from one incident to another, until they blend into a surreal , magical and above all, human set of experiences  that we feel with Circe. I found myself wondering often while I read it - would her life be any different had she been mortal? Would it be different if she had/did not have a certain character trait? 

The undercurrent frustration of being a woman in a definite man's world, the irritation with the titular character for her weaknesses (which I later came to admire as her strengths), the joy of reading about her enjoying something as simple as planting trees, the sorrow at the loss of things we consider permanent - this was an emotional roller-coaster I will not forget anytime soon.

Would this be THE book on Greek mythology I turn to? Not really. First of all, the book has a serious undertone. Secondly, at times it felt like reading fan fiction. It is, however, a journey. A journey I undertook, and am glad to have taken it - with it's highs and lows. I will read it again, perhaps after sometime - to savor each chapter, revisit old places.

In my greed I turned to the other book written by this author - The Song of Achilles. Here, we dive into the world of mortals, and more specifically into the world of men, with their wars and honor, their joy and despair. I always thought of these characters as the supporting act for the main actors. What can I say? I never thought I would read a love story I enjoyed and would want to read again.

I do not know if such books are your cup of tea - honestly I am still not sure what to make of them, but if you ever do read them, let me know. I think the conversation might be quite interesting.

Until next time, 

DragonRider