Books Retelling Greek & Roman Myths

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Check out my podcast That's Ancient History: / user-591915376
Where to read Ancient Greek & Roman myths: • Want to know Ancient M...
The Penelopiad: www.bookdepository.com/The-Pe...
Girl Meets Boy: www.bookdepository.com/Girl-M...
Weight: www.bookdepository.com/Weight...
Helmet of Horror: www.bookdepository.com/The-He...
The Fire Gospel: www.bookdepository.com/The-Fi...
Where Three Roads Meet: www.bookdepository.com/Where-...
Children of Jocasta: www.bookdepository.com/The-Ch...
Cassandra: www.bookdepository.com/Cassan...
Medea (by Christa Wolf): www.bookdepository.com/Mede-C...
Medea (by Liz Lochhead): www.bookdepository.com/Mede-L...
Strange Heart Beating: www.bookdepository.com/Strang...
Hold Your Own: www.bookdepository.com/Hold-Y...
The Song of Achilles: www.bookdepository.com/The-So...
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Пікірлер: 87

@angiep8708 7 жыл бұрын

Loved loved loved The Song of Achilles.

@TheSlothReader 7 жыл бұрын

I'm literally always blown away by how eloquent and intelligent you are. You do such an amazing job of presenting yourself and you're a great orator.

@JeansThoughts 7 жыл бұрын

Oh thank you so much, I watched a really old video I made a few weeks ago and realised how much better I enunciate on camera these days aha. It grows on you it would seem.

@SonsOfLorgar 7 жыл бұрын

Jean Bookishthoughts and then there's the usefulness to non-native English speakers like myself to learn to understand more pronounced dialects, at least when one has a preference for travel :) And yes, you do come across as intelligent, educated and with a warm hearted sense of humour :)

@InkandPaperBlog 7 жыл бұрын

I adored Song of Achilles- one of my favorites of a few years ago. I have seen the retelling of Leda and the Swan a few places- cannot wait for your review.

@BooksandLooks 7 жыл бұрын

love this category!!! Percy Jackson and Rick Riodan's series totally was my entry way and it just opened the door so wide! I love your though. Penelopes perspective sounds so interesting.

@JeansThoughts 7 жыл бұрын

Ah the Penelopiad is so wonderful! I hope you get a chance to check some of these out now that you have the bug :D.

@issamhamad3828 5 жыл бұрын

I’ve retold The Shawshank Redemption with bird characters; The Birdshack Redemption is the title of my novel

@GirlintheSea 7 жыл бұрын

I can recommend "The Girl with all the Gifts" by M. R. Carey. It's set in the future but is inspired by the myth of Pandora. And it's been a while but I remember enjoying "The Firebrand" by Marion Zimmer Bradley. It tells the story of the Trojan war from Cassandra's point of view.

@adrianac3258 7 жыл бұрын

Throughly enjoyed this video I really get excited when you talk about things related to greek/roman classics , thank you for the reccomendations ;

@lime__time 4 жыл бұрын

Also by Madeline Miller is Circe, incredible book.

@2480hanna 7 жыл бұрын

I absolutely love Robert Graves's "The Golden Fleece". It brings new, interesting depth to the original myth, especially considering Graves's fascination with the idea of an original mother-goddess.

@SvetlanaSharavina 7 жыл бұрын

May I tell a big thanks to you because you have inspired me so much to fling myself into research of greek culture, myths, related literature. It has always been around and I have never study this field specifically but now I am so interested in it and again - thanks for all of your helpful and inspirational videos

@Xenu 7 жыл бұрын

Yay!! Count me among those who were really looking forwards to this video series. Searching for The Penelopiad" on KZfaq is has I originally found your channel many years ago. Your description of "Helmet of Horror" makes it sound very, very interesting. I have a number of acquaintances who are big on Michel Faber but I must admit my only foray into his work didn't really grab me immediately but you also made that book sound intriguing. I just wish we could have heard more of your own personal opinions on the books.

@ioanabdr 5 жыл бұрын

I am rewatching this after listening to your podcast episodes. Listening to it made me remember how much I used to love myths when I was a kid after an aunt of mine gave me a book about Greek mythology. I think that book, read in childhood made me later understand literature better and it is one of the books that lit my love for books, stories and literature. I am now in a phase where I feel like reading retellings (myths and not only, I only now started reading the books from the Hogarth Shakespeare Projects and revisting Shakespeare's plays, too). Thank you, Jen, for your wonderful videos and podcast and for inspiring me what to read next! P.S. I loved the "literary" chemistry you had with Jen Campbell in your podcast episode where she was invited, loved her perspective as more than often myths and tales interwine.

@Arabesqueando 7 жыл бұрын

If you haven't read yet, I'd like to recommend to you "The Closed Doors" by Pauline Albanese...i'ts a retell of Hades and Persephone myth and it's beautiful!

@thecrimsonbubbles 7 жыл бұрын

read the first three books (in that exact order) last summer and now The Penelopiad is firmly one of my faves. great list!

@Liz86000 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this video! Very interesting!

@Neverlandishome 7 жыл бұрын

All of these sound so good!!! Thank you for this video, this is the kind of content I watch KZfaq for:)

@JeansThoughts 7 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it :D

@gabekarl82 7 жыл бұрын

this is pretty cool thank you for doing this

@Idontneedadevil 7 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the recommendations. Have you heard about Till We Have Faces by C.S Lewis? It's a retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche, and old favourite of mine. I haven't had the chance to read it yet, but I wanted to let you know about it.

@inpursuitofbooks2654 7 жыл бұрын

Woohoooo! I've been excited for this video :D Greek & Roman Myths are two of my favourite rabbit holes to go down, and it always ends up with me wanting to read more stories about them. Great video Jean - your summaries are always super clear and give just enough away to capture interest without spoiling anything. Argh, so many books to add to my TBR shelf!

@JeansThoughts 7 жыл бұрын

Oh that's wonderful to hear. It's so hard to know how much to say when you are talking about so many books in one video. I'm glad you enjoyed it though and found a few new ones to interest you :D.

@inpursuitofbooks2654 7 жыл бұрын

Well, so far I've put The Song of Achilles and Cassandra into my book depository basket so *hi-five*! Might also cheekily add Hold Your Own to that...Thanks for the recommendations!

@christyfaber7757 7 жыл бұрын

I recommend "till we have faces" by Cs Lewis. it's a retelling of the myth of cupid and psyche. one of my favorite books ever

@anaromanelli1391 7 жыл бұрын

Hi Jean! Thank you for this video, I think I might start with Cassandra (as soon as I have the time!). I was wondering if you'd be interested in making a video about Aeschylus? As someone who hasn't studied Ancient Literature, I find your videos very helpful to go along with the books I pick up! Have a lovely week xx

@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm 7 жыл бұрын

The Fire Gospel sounds so cool!!!!!

@sykoelf 7 жыл бұрын

First, I did read The Penelopiad based on a recommendation you made in a much older video and it was FANTASTIC. So glad I picked up that Atwood. Didn't know it was a series of myth retelling's tho, that's exciting to know. Second, I've been meaning to ask you this question: So I'm really into dreams and what they mean to cultures and people (I'm a crazy active dreamer). Anyways, I was hunting around for some books to read and I came across Interpretation of Dreams: Oneirocritica by Artemidorus. Just wondering if you've read it or if you have recommendations for publishers/translators/editions, etc. Never really read ancient lit except for the standards so I'm not sure how to get a good copy. There doesn't seem to be a standard print one an Amazon so I'm kind of at a loss. Also, if you know any other ancient lit about dreams I would love recommendations :) Love your videos btw :D

7 жыл бұрын

Great work

@ziziari8045 6 жыл бұрын

These all sound so interesting! I actually saved this video so I could go back and find all these books and read them. Great recommendations! :D

@JeansThoughts 6 жыл бұрын

Aha yay! Glad to hear you found it so interesting, hope you enjoy the books.

@Doublethink92 7 жыл бұрын

Thanks for this video it's always good to have new myth retellings to add to my TBR list! There is a great retelling of Antigona called Antigona Velez by Leopoldo Marechal that you might find interesting. It's a play by an Argentinian author and I found his take on the myth to be really interesting though I'm not sure if it has been translated into English.

@jaedyn225 7 жыл бұрын

i know this is random but I'm watching your vid and also looking on book depository and i just came across 'the clocks in this house all tell different times' and your review is on here... i just thought that was a cool coincidence

@vrixphillips 7 жыл бұрын

I happened across a book at a used bookstore that I brought home called "The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony" which apparently a kind of catalogue of mortal/divine romance in myth the way Metamorphoses is a catalogue of transformations in myth. It's by Roberto Calasso? I think? Haven't read it yet, but the premise sounds promising.

@frannieforthoughts9527 7 жыл бұрын

The song of Achilles was already on my radar but I hadn't heard of The Penelopiad and The helmet of horror and I really want to read them, too!!

@JeansThoughts 7 жыл бұрын

Ah you must read The Penelopiad - it is stunning!

@LisaandThings 7 жыл бұрын

Thanks for these! :)

@JeansThoughts 7 жыл бұрын

You're welcome :D

@amandaf9461 7 жыл бұрын

Have you read "Till We Have Faces" by C. S. Lewis? It's a retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche, except it's told through the eyes of one of Psyche's sisters.

@BooksAreMyHart 7 жыл бұрын

I now want to read all of these books:)

@JeansThoughts 7 жыл бұрын

Wooh ;) enjoy!

@AJDwatching 7 жыл бұрын

I'm reading Song of Achilles now! How'd you like it, Jean?

@DrinkingByMyShelf 7 жыл бұрын

Yay I've been looking forward to this one! The Penelopiad is an old fave of my mine, and now I'll have to go buy all the rest. The Helmet of Horror and The Fire Gospel sound super intriguing. Do you have favourites from the ones you've mentioned?

@JeansThoughts 7 жыл бұрын

The Penelopiad & Weight are my absolute favourites ^_^ and so short and lyrical (I have my top 10 books of all time going up today and The Penelopiad is one of them aha, as is Hold Your Own but I guess that one is little different).

@DrinkingByMyShelf 7 жыл бұрын

Awesome, I'll have to start with Weight then!

@user-nv5sn3tb4e 6 жыл бұрын

the helmet of horror is the trippiest, most surreal book i have ever encountered in my entire life. just a heads up.

@TheWrittenWorld 7 жыл бұрын

Loved the recommendations! The Penelopiad has been on my TBR pile for far too long. Have you ever read The Firebrand by Marion Zimmer Bradley or The Song of Troy by Colleen McCullough?

@JeansThoughts 7 жыл бұрын

I have not but I have heard of The Song of Troy! I'll have to look better into them ^_^ thanks.

@TheRobo665 7 жыл бұрын

How do you feel about the Percy Jackson books in general? And/Or Riordan's other mythology-based series.

@JeansThoughts 7 жыл бұрын

Haven't read them but I'm all for anything that gets people interested in Greek myths, I'm not precious about them.

@inessamaria2428 7 жыл бұрын

Great video.

@JeansThoughts 7 жыл бұрын

Thank you :)

@HeyPaulaCooper 7 жыл бұрын

medea is One of my favourites !! Do you know any about Circe ? (Im not sure if she falls into the myth category so you might not have mentioned her)

@SuperBookie100 7 жыл бұрын

I recently read Seahorse by Janice Pariat. It explores a Poseidon mythology regarding Pelops. I was beautiful written, and I thought it was great!

@JeansThoughts 7 жыл бұрын

I haven't heard of it so thanks for the recommendation :)

@jimmerhoft 7 жыл бұрын

In a similar vein what are your thoughts on Ovid's "Heroides"?

@SunriseFireberry 7 жыл бұрын

How much would you say Ulysses/Joyce is a good quality modern retelling of Homer's Odyssey? Further, Voyage of the Dawn Treader/Lewis is based on The Odyssey with a twist or 2. I wonder what you think of that? Till We Have Faces/Lewis is a retelling of the myth of Cupid & Psyche. Beauty & the Beast story is derived from this myth. It'd be interesting to hear spoilery review/discussions of this book from different perspectives.

@JeansThoughts 7 жыл бұрын

I haven't read any of these - I only made it through the first three Narnia books as a child - so can't comment unfortunately.

@inessamaria2428 7 жыл бұрын

Myths tell us a lot about humankind, it's fascinating.

@spannycat2 6 жыл бұрын

What a coincidence, I'm reading Cassandra right now

@Priya-vl3po 7 жыл бұрын

I love the eye-roll at 'given the gift of becoming a real boy'!

@JeansThoughts 7 жыл бұрын

Aha, oh yes when convention insists you must be a man if you are to marry a woman... definitely a moment for a eye roll :).

@Priya-vl3po 7 жыл бұрын

Yep, I love how Ali Smith dealt with it in 'Girl Meets Boy' and just made it into a wider point about the fluidity of gender. Have you read her retelling of Antigone? It is such a gem, it is a beautifully illustrated version told from the point of view of a sarcastic lady crow: www.amazon.co.uk/Story-Antigone-Ali-Smith-x/dp/1782690891

@Claire-er1jq 7 жыл бұрын

Great video! Want to read Song of Achilles! My favourite myth has always been the story of Persephone and Hades, do you know of any good books or retellings about it?

@JeansThoughts 7 жыл бұрын

Thanks! I wasn't familiar with any before but someone else in the comments has recommended The Closed Doors by Pauline Albanese as a good retelling of Hades and Persephone so it might be worth looking up.

@Claire-er1jq 7 жыл бұрын

Thank you, I'll definitely look that up.

@epifaniaritagallina8591 6 жыл бұрын

I've been trying to figure out your wonderful accent and I keep thinking Merida from brave. Irish? 😉or is it Scottish? Love your videos so much

@JeansThoughts 6 жыл бұрын

Scottish aha ^_^

@epifaniaritagallina8591 6 жыл бұрын

Jean Bookishthoughts yay! That was my first guess !

@finassm 7 жыл бұрын

omg I've asked you a few days ago on a different video if you could do a mythology retellings book rec, but you've already filmed one haha thanks so much for the recs Jean!

@JeansThoughts 7 жыл бұрын

Aha I'm glad you managed to find it before I had a chance to reply! Glad you enjoyed it ^_^

@KatyB2K8 7 жыл бұрын

This video would of been perfect for my myth module at university last year! The book I eventually found and used was brilliant and I think you would love it! It's called xo Orpheus 50 new myths, by Penguin edited by Kate Bernheimer. I used a story by Madeline Miller which follows Pygmalion and Galatea in the years after she came to life. It is set in modern times where Galatea is being contained in a mental hospital by her husband ranting that she has cold skin like marble! She is only used as a tool for sexual pleasure by Pygmalion and wants to escape, the ending is written so beautifully! Definitely recommend the book, it seems right up your street :)

@JeansThoughts 7 жыл бұрын

Oh my goodness I can't believe I forgot that one, I actually own it! This is what happens when I don't have my book collection with me in London :'(. I haven't read all of the stories yet though so you've reminded me to get it when I'm next home. Sounds like such an interesting one to write about at uni!

@eleonoralydia8884 7 жыл бұрын

Shut out by Kody Keplinger is a retelling of Lysistrata, but I didn't love this book. Of course, I didn't really like the original Lysistata so I cannot objectively judge if it's a good retelling or not. Other than that I know of a couple more retellings of the Ancient Greek myths but they were originally written in Greek and haven't been translated in English.

@coslo 7 жыл бұрын

What are your thoughts on Ted Hughes' book on Ovid?

@JeansThoughts 7 жыл бұрын

Haven't read it :)

@kalacs32 5 жыл бұрын

I'm disappointed to see The Song of Achilles here without Mary Renault, from whose books The Song of Achilles gets direct inspiration.

@JeansThoughts 5 жыл бұрын

Haven't read them, but will do in the future hopefully ^_^

@user-so8fx3yp4s 2 ай бұрын

Yes! The King Must Die and the Bull From The Sea are amazing! Some of the most beautiful prose I've ever read especially when Theseus' grandfather explains the concept of Moira or Fate and the King who sacrifices himself for his people. The Sacred King concept or Sacred Hero who has a choice between a short life and glory and the chance to walk with the God or a long life and anonymity. You see that with King Arthur except he gets a long life and glory but still chooses to die for his people.

@valentinacrovettos.1961 7 жыл бұрын

just one question, would you say it´s necessary to read the originals to read any of the books you just recommended?

@JeansThoughts 7 жыл бұрын

No that's why I said they are potentially ways into Greek & Roman myths :). The authors who wrote these books were first and foremost writing works of fiction *and poetry) that would interest lots of people not just people already knowledgeable about myths and classics. Knowing the myths might add an extra layer of appreciation or it might not. You can equally read the myths after and look back on the retellings with a new perspective :).