The Beauty Of Greek Mythology Novels And Publications
By: Sam Davies
Tags: Writing, Mythology, Authors, Books, Novel

Overview

Ah, Greek Mythology. Tales of such… uniqueness to say the least. From the stories of the Olympian gods, Greek heroes such as Achilles and Perseus, and of course we can’t forget the beloved mythical creatures/monsters. After all, their stories are the stepping stones and grounding points to some of the biggest adaptations in the mediated world.

I truly believe that Greek mythology, well, mythology in general deserves more recognition in today’s society. Although for the sake of this blog, I’ll focus more on Greek mythology and the beauty of the historical tales. Whether it be movie adaptations, books of historical-fiction, theatre productions or even just sources of media in general. Greek mythology has influenced some of the biggest productions in history!

Novels

Cover of the award-winning novel ‘The Song Of Achilles’ by Madeline Miller

Firstly, let’s go into detail regarding novels and books about, or with ties to Greek mythology. If, like me, you’re a huge bookworm, or even just appreciate literature, perhaps you yourself have read a book which links with Greek mythology in some way. From historical fiction such as Rick Riordan’s ‘Percy Jackson Universe’, to beautiful retellings of the Trojan War such as ‘The Silence Of The Girls’ by Pat Barker, the stories are endless!

My personal favourite novel surrounding Greek mythology, in fact, my favourite novel of all time would have to be ‘The Song Of Achilles’ by Madeline Miller. Therefore, I’m going to focus primarily on this stunning retelling of the Trojan war and of the war hero, Achilles’ to which the novel follows.

‘The Song Of Achilles’ is a stunning retelling of the Trojan War from the point of view of a former prince, and exile, Patroclus. Following an accident in his childhood, Patroclus is exiled to Phthia, where fate leads him to Achilles, prince of Phthia and son of the sea nereid/goddess, Thetis. The two become unlikely friends and gain a close bond. When Achilles is ordered by his mother to be trained by the mythological and notorious Centaur, Chiron (Yes, the same Chiron that trained Perseus), Patroclus follows. Beginning Achilles’ prophecy. In the days spent training and living with Chiron, the two become closer and eventually establish a relationship.

Now, I won’t go into too much more detail in order to avoid spoilers, but I highly suggest and enforce that anyone should read this beautiful novel. Miller (author) has truly captured the soul beauty of mythology and is accurate to the tales, and sure knows how to touch at your heartstrings. Oh yeah, have tissues at the ready!

Miller’s writing style in particular is simply just so beautiful and touching. When I speak of the beauty and potential that Greek mythology has regarding novels and publications, there could not be a superior suggestion! The following quotes, in particular, are two of my favourites, and are perfect examples of this:

“We were like gods at the dawning of the world, & our joy was so bright we could see nothing else but the other.”

“Name one hero who was happy… You can’t… I’m going to be the first.”

Historical Fiction

Official Cover Art of ‘Percy Jackson and The Olympians’ book series by Rick Riordan

If there’s one thing I love just as much, if not more than retellings of mythology, it’s historical fiction based off of mythology! A classic and popular example of this historical-fiction sub-genre would be Rick Riordan’s ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ and its sequel/continuation series, ‘The Heroes of Olympus’ and ‘The Trials Of Apollo’.

Rick Riordan perfectly created Percy’s world of gods and monsters, which is a huge success, particularly towards teenagers and young adults. Although no matter your age, anyone is sure to enjoy this series. Believe me, I even pushed this series onto my grandmother and now she’s read them all! From unique demigod abilities, Pegasus, a thrilling (and somewhat dangerous) summer camp, this series really does have it all; and is everything a fictional series should be (and more).

Now, more analytically, I believe that series’ like these greatly and positively represent Greek mythology and convey the attention that the stories of Homer’s Iliad deserve! In modern society and culture, I feel that every now and then it is good to stop and reflect on past societies and tales, such as the tales of Greek mythology. What better way is there to do this by reading about these exhilarating tales, also told through works of fiction and fantasy to make them more engaging to some audiences. Historical fiction truly is an amazing means of reflection and also research in this sense!

Concluding

Now, I’m not saying that everyone should be enforced to go and read through all twenty-four books of the Iliad, I’m simply recommending my personal preferences and interests, and how these tales can be wonderfully adapted. Furthermore, if you’re a fan of history and/or ancient history, I recommend getting into mythology as it’s overall just so interesting and beautiful!

At this point, I’m pretty sure that I’ve made my endorsement and love for the Greek myths pretty clear. So now, let me hear from you guys! What’re your favourite Greek myths and tales, or your favourite film/novel adaptations? If you would like to further discuss this topic or reply to anything I’ve written about please feel free to comment or contact me at: serene.blogs2020@gmail.com

I hope you all are doing well and staying safe, and I really appreciate you reading my short article.

…