5 Books Inspired by Antiquity & the Classics

[@whateverkimberly3245]

Love that you do these types of videos; because of you Jean, my shelf is becoming interestingly more mature and fun! Love love love that you always talk about classics and antiquity!

[@JeansThoughts]

Aw thanks that's wonderful x

[@thebookbelle]

I've been meaning to read The Secret History for so long! Great choices Jean - lots to add to my reading list! x

[@JeansThoughts]

Oh my gosh you must you must! x

[@ornleifs]

Loved Secret History - I've seen so many talk about the Vegetarian on booktube but your description is the first one that has made me interested in the book.

[@JeansThoughts]

Aw well I'm glad I've finally convinced you ;)

[@SavidgeReads]

I've never spotted the ancient myth element in The Vegetarian until now, ooh you're a clever one you! I really enjoyed The Secret History. If you haven't got it yet I would recommend Fell by Jenn Ashworth which has a big classical element hidden underneath it.

[@JeansThoughts]

+SavidgeReads honestly, I had to have someone else point it out to me but as soon as they did I felt so stupid aha - it's so obvious, I think you just don't expect it but I believe Han Kang actually studied classics. Thanks for the recommendation I haven't got that one!!

[@wordswildflowers8048]

you're so great at describing books and making me need to read them. I swear I always add all of them to my TBR!

[@JeansThoughts]

Thanks :D that's lovely to hear.

[@Flutteringbutterflies]

Ooh. I'm really quite intrigued by The Vegetarian now. and I loooved The Secret History. Great recommendations

[@tessah6287]

Oh, "The Just City" sounds so interesting! Thanks for the rec!

[@JeansThoughts]

No problem :D

[@EllenJones]

Ah I knew The Vegetarian reminded me of a classical story with all the tree bits but I couldn't remember which! Really ace video

[@alnsubuga]

I automatically click like on your classics videos before they even start playing. I'm so grateful for the information you share with us. My book selection is so much more varied and interesting as a result.

[@teaspoones]

This is such an interesting video, I loved it! I just finished rereading The Secret History and still love it a lot.

[@flamewillowspn]

I will definitely pick up the walled orchard, I love this series you are doing Greek mythology fascinates me and I definitely don't know enough about it! These videos are great

[@Sirdeln]

love this video! I've read The Secret History and some of the stories in XO Orpheus, and I can't wait to check out the others!

[@JeansThoughts]

Thank you :D so glad to hear it!

[@raesterling]

This is so great! I had no idea so many of these were inspired by classics and myths

[@JeansThoughts]

Glad you enjoyed it :D

[@laurahihaha]

amazing video! so unique! did not know about the secret history! i learn so much from you :)

[@InkandPaperBlog]

The Vegetarian was one of my favorite books of last year. I still think about it - and all the layers that come with it. The Just City sounds fascinating. I am going to look that one up. This is a really fun list.

[@EllenJones]

I just read The Power by Naomi Alderman & rather unexpectedly and excitingly there were loads of allusions to bacchic worship & the maeneds and at one point the narrative was directly paralleling the Pentheus story in Ovid's Metamorphoses (even down to the similes). Anyway that made the nerd in me very happy.

[@someonerandom8552]

Oh, this would be an awesome series. You could even do little categories for it. Like 5 books inspired by Eastern myths or 5 books inspired by Victorian literature or something.

[@DeeDeeCatMom]

The Secret History is known to be a fantastic novel, and I loved it! The Just City is another book I really loved. It read like a historical fiction, with just a tiny bit of fantasy thrown in! It's a trilogy, and I haven't yet read the third but I highly recommend it!

[@michelleabramowitz273]

I love the Secret History! I've also been meaning to read the Just City, you might have given me the push I needed to read it!

[@thearchive1132]

Some cracking books on here I would defo be interested in picking up "The Vegetarian"

[@JeansThoughts]

+Graham Quigley The Vegetarian is phenomenal, definitely worth prioritising :)

[@robotnic]

This is exactly my area of interest in the classics (which I always mean to pursue and haven't): how myths and stories from antiquity are recreated and remixed in contemporary storytelling. I had no idea about The Vegetarian! Sending this on to my book club because we all missed that.

[@JeansThoughts]

Aha I've pulled you in ;) - Natalie Haynes wrote a book about a teacher who moves to Edinburgh and teaches Greek Tragedy that I really want to get to. And I had no idea about the vegetarian until after I'd read it! Added a whole new level.

[@inessamaria2428]

Loved the video.

[@mur2932]

the han kang book reminds me a bit of Margaret Atwood's The Edible Woman. Only from what you said, though, I haven't read the novel yet but I sure will soon.

[@donlevy8960]

I believe that Chimera by John Barth is based on Greek mythology. Grendel by John Gardner is a great retelling of Beowulf.

[@murakamireads]

I'm so interested about the myth you mentioned with "The Vegetarian"! I was always so upset with the fact that the majority of reviews I saw on that book were quite low, while I adored it, and everyone's reviews were basically along the lines of "I don't get it." I wish more people understood the Korean culture aspects that influenced the book and made it happened and the myth that you were talking about! I think more people would be able to enjoy it to its fullest if they did!

[@tulekahju]

You're not helping me whittle down my tbr shelf on gr! Had to add 'The Secret History' and 'The Just City', thanks.

[@JeansThoughts]

Mwuahaha.

[@KW1000LBS]

Hey Jean~ Where are u from~?!

[@Artemis474747]

I just finished The Secret History this morning. Lordy, was is it good.

[@JeansThoughts]

+Jaycee Dean ah glad to hear you enjoyed it!

[@eamesemerson9549]

I'll be in Edinburgh next week, hauling books! I would not mind another one with "characters studying the classics" as a premise, I'm feeling nostalgic! Do you have something? Otherwise I'll go with a good Roman study. The Secret History has been my favorite book since forever, alongside The Count Of Monte Cristo and We Have Always Lived In The Castle...

[@JeansThoughts]

I believe Natalie Haynes has another book following classics students and an older equivalent might be The Marble Faun. :)

[@JeansThoughts]

Yup, The Furies, and it's set in Edinburgh www.goodreads.com/book/show/19286509-the-furies?from_search=true

[@eamesemerson9549]

Haha, this is what I stumbled upon: www.goodreads.com/book/show/23014374-the-marble-faun?ac=1&from_search=true You meant Hawthorne didn't you!

[@eamesemerson9549]

Takk so much!

[@lucindajennings148]

Oooh, been hoping for this. On a separate note, I hold you responsible for the amount of Ancient Greek lit that was in one of my last major book buying splurges.

[@JeansThoughts]

+Lucinda Jennings mwuhahaha I feel no shame, that is great news ;)

[@JeansThoughts]

+Lucinda Jennings what did you pick up?

[@lucindajennings148]

The Portable Greek Historians, Aeschylus I, Tacitus The Annals of Imperial Rome, and a couple others

[@KittyAndTheBooks]

I never thought of the similarities of the Vegetarian and Daphne... So weird. xD Now I feel pretty stupid.

[@yammy_]

Potatoes

[@JeansThoughts]

boil 'em mash 'em stick 'em in a stew