The Best Greek Myth Retellings |

Greek myth retellings are having a serious moment, so here are six of our favourite books inspired by Greek mythology. What are your favourites?
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BUY Circe by Madeline Miller: amzn.to/2DY29qS
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BUY The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker: amzn.to/2DSu9w3
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[@augustine7893]

Song of Achilles opened an entire new genre to me. I’m now almost done with Circe and I’m obsessed. A thousand Ships is my next read. Thank you for the recommendations!

[@nerdtastic2014]

I adore the Song of Achilles! My book club will be reading Circe this summer, and I can't wait to check out your other recommendations.

[@shriya9925]

I don’t know if anyone will see this but what age group would you say it’s for because I’m at the end of middle school but my reading level is pretty ahead

[@angel79nunn]

Im now really the song of achillies it's fantastic

[@angel79nunn]

@@shriya9925 I'd recommend the book to be between 13 and up

[@coolfool183]

One of my favorite books of all time is a retelling of the Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche. It's called "Till We Have Faces" by C.S. Lewis. deals with the concept of an unreliable narrator

[@mariana_reads]

The Song Of Achilles is my all time favorite book! Circe was ok, still recommend it. I read TSOA first and I went with high expectations to Circe and I was a tiny bit dissapointed. Still an enjoyable read!

[@jaegerkarina]

i dont know anything about circe or in depth greek mythology but still want to read circe/song of Achilles.. will that be a problem?

[@purplelover3625]

@@jaegerkarina No you can still read them! I didn’t know that much about Greek mythology either, but fell in love with the books anyways! TSOA is my all time favourite book and made me obsessed with Greek mythology.

[@chrissyplanteater2892]

same for me 😀

[@claireoulton2462]

Your recommendations are so enticing. Can't stop to chat - gotta go read.

[@iisimplyamy8031]

The Song of Achilles is the BEST BOOK I'VE EVER READ. I cannot get over it and you have to read itttt!!

[@nicholasoulton8489]

Amazing! I'm loving Circe, but will try these others too. Yay!

[@BookBreak]

Isn't Circe fab?! (Although, slowpoke!)

[@WomanVsBooks]

Loved this video, so into Greek retellings at the moment so will try and get to some of these. I read Circe recently and loved it so much!

[@BookBreak]

Circe is just brilliant isn't it! I adored it.

[@hm9067]

Ooooh this is so good. I want to read every one of them. Have been getting really into Mythos, but Circe is next on my list.

[@BookBreak]

I'm hearing so much about Mythos! Definitely have to read it.

[@roisinstaunton8725]

i love these reviews! can not wait to get all of these to discuss with my sisters!

[@BookBreak]

Hope you all love them!

[@acueto7]

I just picked up the odyssey translated by Emily Wilson. Can’t wait to read it.

[@shanstergoodheart5177]

Heartily recommend A Thousand Ships. I also suggest looking up Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics, which is the author's radio show.

[@isabellaprice3868]

This is so great!! I read Circe recently and LOVED it - now really want to read Silence of the Girls, have heard such good things! I’ve also been dipping in and out of Stephen Fry’s Mythos which is just great

[@BookBreak]

Mythos is next on my list, I've heard so much about it!

[@alexellis6669]

I really enjoyed Children of Jocasta too! I thought that I'd never read the story of Oedipus, but as I was reading I was shocked to realize how entrenched these stories already were in my brain. It's so heartening to see the ways that authors are breathing new life and relevance into these old tales. Makes me feel connected to the past!

[@BookBreak]

Yes, I didn't realise how well I knew that story either! Totally agree, I love that we're suddenly finding ways for these stories to be relevant to our lives today - instead of just fading away as old stories we had to learn in a classroom once...

[@MercuryCalling]

So fun!! I read a retelling of Persephone by Meg Cabot, the same author of The Princess Diaries, when i was a bit younger, but I'd love to read more about Persephone in general as shes one of my faves!

[@BookBreak]

No wayyyyy I loved Meg Cabot!

[@inessamaria2428]

I read Circe last year, I like, but not felt in love. However, I love myths retelling, so I can´t wait to read Natalie Haynes and Pat Barker`s books.

[@Nyledam89]

The setting for this was lovely. :) I want to pick up most of these, especially after having recently finished The Iliad. :)

[@BookBreak]

It wasn't quite Greece but a girl can dream!

[@Nyledam89]

@@BookBreak Maybe for the next big holiday.😉

[@molliesoldtheworld]

I too had a bit of a myth binge the last month (kind of accidentally, but I decided to lean into it!) but was unaware of the two Natalie Haynes books so now they are at the top of my list! Other than the ones you mentioned I also read House of Names by Colm Toibin and Weight by Jeanette Winterson - which I would not recommend reading via audiobook, as I actually felt like I was getting mental whiplash from the back and forth , would definitely have enjoyed it more had I physically read it!

[@BookBreak]

Yay glad to have introduced you to something new! The Natalie Haynes ones are both brilliant. Now adding your recommendations to my list!! This may be my new favourite genre...

[@molliesoldtheworld]

I wouldn't necessarily recommend House of Names - I quite liked Clytemnestra's part but that only opened the book really, I found it dragged a bit after! Weight is definitely interesting in comparison to the others though as it is more experimental (even more so than The Penelopiad but in a different way), but yeah, read it with your eyes not your ears haha! But I agree with you, I find I'm specifically looking out for retellings now when browsing books!

[@alicehawthorne9270]

Loved this video! I love Greek mythology so all of these are going on my TBR! Quick question - do you think one needs to read The Odyssey to read retellings of it? Will I understand The Penelopiad (for example) without reading The Odyssey first? 😊

[@BookBreak]

I don't think you need to at all - I never actually have! Though it helps to know the stories a little bit first :)

[@NaomichatswithAngus]

Fiiiiiine, I'll read some myth retellings ... I hope I'll like Madeline Miller's work because I just bought both books

[@BookBreak]

Oh I bet you WILL!

[@wynitchmichel7931]

Unpopular opinion: Circe was better than song of Achilles. I said what I said

[@Peachypink-mi4md]

I would appreciate it if you answer .. Does any of these books talk about Andromache's life and her story with Hector???

[@22Doriano]

What part of London was this filmed in?! I could use a good Greek fix! And great recommendations! Will read Circe soon! :)

[@BookBreak]

It was filmed in Bayswater! There are lots of lovely Greek restaurants around there

[@mayainthesea9927]

"The silence of the girls" must read... Best book ever!!

[@itsmemarie7613]

It is Currently 2021 and i read A Song of Achilles, The i finished Circe, i will read Iliad and Odyssey ❤️ So basically 2021 is a Greek Myth Year ❤️ i am hoping i will read every retwlling and Original Stories or Greek Myth This Year ❤️

[@abraxaszee8953]

I wrote a book about Greek mythology that you would enjoy- The Changing of the Gods.

[@malkisehgal2481]

First Things First: Awesome Video 2. If You(Supreme Commander Of Comment Section) love Fiction And Greek Myths,Try Percy Jackson Books Especially Heroes Of Olympus series

[@malon-]

subscribed when you said (about achilles) He's not THAT GREAT though. I laughed out loud!

[@Rachelh2212]

I really want to read Circe but I'm worried I wont understand. Will a newbie to Greek mythology get it?

[@BookBreak]

Yes, I don't think you need to know the stories in advance! I looked up a couple things on wikipedia as I went along, but that's just because I wanted to know where the stories came from. It's a fantastic story in its own right, and knowing a bit more about the myths it's based on is just an extra treat.

[@iisimplyamy8031]

Don't worry you will understand! When I first read Circe, I was completely new to Greek mythology as well, but Circe is what introduced me to it. It gives a brief introduction of the Gods and mortals, and many more! You won't have many trouble understanding circe

[@sacredband9812]

If you look at the importance of women in the ancient Greek sacred economy, then the written, iconographical and archaeological evidence points to women being vital. From weavers, spinners, sacred basket holders to priestesses of various cults. The Pythia at Delphi, priestesses of Athena Nike, Athena Polias, Demeter and Kore, and Artemis. There were women only festivals such as the Thesmophoria, Brauronia and Adonia. See Connolly's Portrait of a Priestess. I have over 100 journal articles on women in the sacred economy.

[@classicsed]

I've enjoyed reading several of the books on your list (The Penelopiad, Song of Achilles, and Silence of the Girls especially). But I also want to encourage reading ancient Greek literature itself to test the popular assertion that women are silent or merely serve as plot devices in the original myths. For me, this feels like a disservice to women. They're not central characters in the The Odyssey, but I would not agree that Penelope, Circe, and Calypso have no personality in Homer or serve only as plot devices. Several Athenian tragedies, especially Eurpides', put women at the center of the story. I also found Medea to be a sympathetic and fully formed character in Apollonius' Jason and the Argonauts.

[@BookBreak]

Thanks for this perspective Sally! Maybe I'll revisit them and see if I feel differently to how I did at school...

[@classicsed]

Book Break If nothing else, it could make an interesting experiment video :)