Madam

Madam by Phoebe Wynne 352 pages

“Rebecca” meets Margaret Atwood in this creepy neo-historical fiction tale of a girl’s boarding school in the Scottish Highlands. The atmosphere is fabulously creepy, which I loved.

Elite families wishing to train their daughters in the fine art of being a perfect wife send them to Caldonbrae Hall in order to be trained to be “resilient and ready to serve society.” The premise of the school is basically for the girls to emerge with this ideal:  In order to be a perfect wife, a woman must be a conversationalist at his dinner table, a chef in his kitchen (or at least know how to run a kitchen because she will hardly ever step foot in one) and a whore in his bed. Side note: I remember reading that in a book form the 1920s titled “How to Catch a Husband and Keep Him.” Can anyone spell “Stepford Daughters?”

While this novel has that 1890s feel to it, the story actually takes place in 1993-94 over the course of an academic year. I never felt as if I could actually see the girls’ uniforms, but they gave off a strong 1890s vibe. I also never really got the grade levels; they weren’t freshman-senior, but that didn’t bother me too much.

Into this nightmare, comes twenty-six-year-old Rose Christie, the new head of the Classics Department. Immediately, she is affronted by the environment where she has found herself, but no one will talk with her. All the staff is referred to as “Madame”; No need for names. The girls automatically dislike her and plot to drive her mad. No one will speak of her predecessor who seems to have had an inappropriate relationship with one of the girls. No one wants to discuss the student who is obviously having a mental breakdown. She cannot leave or go into to town with permission and supervision.

Rose is always in trouble with those who preside over the school. She is the first new hire in over a decade, and the reason why is extremely creepy. Another reviewer describes Rose perfectly: she is “that mix of naïve yet earnest (ness) and has this massive sense of justice.”  She uses Greek mythology to try to get through to her students, but they aren’t interested. Their goal is to land a wealthy husband.

“Madame” was not a tough read, but much of it seemed redundant. If, dear Reader, you decide to give this novel a shot, do not read the “Prologue.” It gives away the ending, which ticked me off, so that is why I’m warning you now.

“Madam” receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world. 

 

Circe

Circe by Madeline Miller   393 pages

I liked The Song of Achilles and cried many tears over it, so it saddens me to share that I did not enjoy Madeline Miller's Circe as much. The novel follows Circe, daughter of the sun god Helios, who possesses the power of witchcraft and a heart kinder than most who dwell with the gods. When Zeus learns of her abilities, he banishes her to a deserted island where she develops her craft in isolation. Over time, Circe learns that she must stand up and fight for what she believes in, lest she be struck down by the same gods who raised her.

Miller tries to give Circe a back story by name dropping the most famous figures in Greek mythology: Hermes, Prometheus, Daedalus, Minotaur, Odysseus. But in this retelling of well known mythology, the characterization feels static and the episodes are disconnected. For those who have already read Homer, Hesiod, Euripides, and everyone else, there’s little new information.

Additionally, I was disappointed by the pacing of Circe. The story line played out at a super slow speed. Once Circe got exiled to the island Aiaia, very few important or seminal events happened across the span of the following 300 pages, and I became unsure of her character's main motivation. I also found it confining that the majority of Circe's growth and passion came from her relationships with men and her role as a mother. I wish that more of her development happened before or in addition to the men in her life, as opposed to the men motivating a lot of her character's trajectory. Overall, a good read I would recommend to fans of Greek mythology and those who do not mind a book with a slower place. 

Posted by: Regina C.  

The Song of Achilles

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller   378 pages

Miller manages to mix the greatest events of the Iliad, including various interpretations of events, and imagine the blanks to create a believable and captivating story. Miller has a way with words and imagery and figurative language in a classic (yet modern) style. Yes, modern. This is not some stodgy read favored by readers steeped in the ancient classics. In fact, its narrative reads like a modern novel, even if the trappings are all ancient. In that sense, believe the hype: Miller breathes new life into old classic!  

Miller’s writing, if often prosey, stays compelling and flows smoothly, capturing these great characters in an honest light. Truth be told, most of the story is dull, but this is not a story of great battles and honors, this is a story of the men behind them; stripped of the sparkling lights of fame, they remain flawed people whose lives were as ordinary and mundane as the rest of ours.

Starting during his childhood, the book revolves around Patroclus as he befriends Achilles, who is fated to be the greatest fighter of all time. Telling the story from the secondary character's perspective was a brilliant choice. Not only was the protagonist relatable, but as Patroclus slowly learns more about Achilles, so do we. The ending was a beautiful gut punch, all the more so since it happened quickly after the meandering story that it had been up to that point. I wish the climax had a few more pages so I had time to process what was happening before it was over.

Students of the classics, of the Trojan War,  of convention, risk disappointment with this retelling because it is, above all else, a love story.

Posted by: Regina C.  

The Odyssey of Homer

The Odyssey of Homer by Yuri Rasovsky          Audiobook: 8 hours         334 pages     

     A few months ago, after trying to decide what book to read next, I settled on an ancient classic— a book that people have loved for thousands of years (and one of the oldest stories of Western civilization).  I was hoping that I, too, would enjoy it.

     What I checked out isn’t exactly the epic poem written by Homer, however; it’s not even a book I could actually read.  Rather, it’s a radio play that I listened to on audiobook— but it follows the story described in the ancient poem.  Odysseus is a Greek king who fought valiantly in the Trojan War, but is prevented from sailing home to his beloved wife due to the anger of Poseidon, god of the sea.  Instead, he and his men are forced to wander the seas for ten years, enduring terrors such as being captured by the hideous monster Cyclops.  Odysseus also faces temptation in the form of the beautiful, but deadly, song of the Sirens (mythological creatures that are half-woman, half-bird) and the enticement of another female, Calypso, who imprisons him and offers to make him her immortal husband.  Meanwhile, back at home in Greece, Penelope, Odysseus’ wife, faces her own temptation as she endures the harassment of a rowdy, lawless group of men who vie for her affections.  They’re also gradually eating her out of house and home.  Finally released by Calypso, Odysseus arrives home in the end, wreaks bloody vengeance on the suitors and reunites with his faithful wife.

More interesting than the story itself to this history lover were the discussions of classical scholars at the end of each disc in which they explained the culture of Homeric times.  The society described in the play reminded me a little of the Old Testament— there was a lot of emphasis on hospitality to strangers and again and again you hear people and gods referred to not only by their given name, but also their father’s name (e.g. “Odysseus, son of Laertes”; “Athena, daughter of Zeus”).  Genealogy was apparently as important to the Homeric Greeks (called “Achaeans” in the story) as it was to the ancient Jews.  Since I’m somewhat familiar with the Old Testament, these characteristics made the book seem interesting and somewhat familiar to me.  A huge difference between the Old Testament (and modern Western culture) and Homeric culture, however, is polytheism: the Greeks’ worship of many gods.  It isn’t just that they worshipped more than one God, it’s that their gods are so different than our modern conception of the Deity.  Their gods don’t seem to be exemplars of any kind of morality (on the contrary, they’re sometimes petty and mean), but essentially fallible humans who happen to have supernatural abilities.  The main gods in the story are Poseidon, who is Odysseus’ vindictive enemy, and Athena, Odysseus’ staunch ally.  Poseidon makes Odysseus and his men’s lives pretty miserable, while Athena uses her power to help Odysseus finally get home and take vengeance on the suitors.

     I like a lot of action in what I read (or listen to, in this case) but there wasn’t much of it in most of the story.  The audiobook is divided into eight episodes, one per disc, but the only action-packed ones are discs 4, 5 and 8; the rest of the story is rather slow.  Still, it kept my attention enough that a few times I forgot to make turns I needed to make as I listened to it while driving, so rapt was my attention on the story.

I was hoping I would enjoy this story, since it’s a classic, and I did to some extent.  I initially didn’t like it very much, but the story grew on me.  I also find Odysseus’ virtues of good leadership, perseverance and resourcefulness admirable.  But I wish there had been more action and found the world of the Homeric Greeks (especially their conception of deity) hard to relate to and therefore to appreciate.  In sum, I’d say The Odyssey is a fairly good story, but not one of my absolute favorites.

 - John W.

The Dark Prophecy

The DarkProphecy by Rick Riordan, 414 pages

“Zeus has punished his son Apollo--god of the sun, music, archery, poetry, and more--by casting him down to earth in the form of a gawky, acne-covered sixteen-year-old mortal named Lester. The only way Apollo can reclaim his rightful place on Mount Olympus is by restoring several Oracles that have gone dark. What is affecting the Oracles, and how can Apollo/Lester do anything about them without his powers? After experiencing a series of dangerous--and frankly, humiliating--trials at Camp Half-Blood, Lester must now leave the relative safety of the demigod training ground and embark on a hair-raising journey across North America. Somewhere in the American Midwest, he and his companions must find the most dangerous Oracle from ancient times: a haunted cave that may hold answers for Apollo in his quest to become a god again--if it doesn't kill him or drive him insane first. Standing in Apollo's way is the second member of the evil Triumvirate, a Roman emperor whose love of bloodshed and spectacle makes even Nero look tame. To survive the encounter, Apollo will need the help of son of Hephaestus Leo Valdez, the now-mortal sorceress Calypso, the bronze dragon Festus, and other unexpected allies--some familiar, some new--from the world of demigods. Come along for what promises to be a harrowing, hilarious, and haiku-filled ride. . . .” I’m enjoying this series a lot.  This is great for teens who like mythology or fantasy.

The Hidden Oracle

The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan,376 pages

“How do you punish an immortal? By making him human. After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disoriented, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus's favor. But Apollo has many enemies-gods, monsters, and mortals who would love to see the former Olympian permanently destroyed. Apollo needs help, and he can think of only one place to go... an enclave of modern demigods known as Camp Half-Blood.” This was a fun beginning to this new series.  Any kids and teens who have liked Riordan’s other books will want to read this.  Otherwise, this book is for fans of fantasy and mythology.

Iliad

The Iliad by Homer, translated by Robert Fitzgerald, 594 pages

The Iliad is the classic epic story of the pride of Agamemnon, the cunning of Odysseus, the courage of Diomedes and Aias, the tragedies of Patroklos and Hektor, the tears of Akhilleus and Priam, and the war of gods and men.  Taking place during an eventful few weeks in the ten year long Trojan War, it begins with a confrontation between Agamemnon, the Greek commander, and Akhilleus, the greatest Greek warrior.  Akhilleus withdraws from battle as a consequence, and the Trojans are able to press their advantage, driving the Greeks back all the way to their ships.  The story ends with tragedy for everyone involved, as was fated from the start.

Homer's genius is such that he is able to comprehend seemingly contradictory attitudes.  War is both glorious and horrible.  Men have their own wills and powers but their destinies are also determined by the gods.  The final scene, when the doomed king encounters the equally doomed warrior who slew his son, is one of the great moments in literature.  Even minor characters (and there are dozens of them) are given their moments -  Hektor's farewell to his wife Andromache and their infant son, Antilochus cutting off Menelaos during a chariot race, the river Skamander striving to drown Akhilleus for clogging his course with corpses, Diomedes challenging the gods themselves and prevailing.  Despite this, the only times the narrative slows its pace is in the early catalog of the opposing forces and the later detailed description of Akhilleus' armor.

Some of that brisk pace is the product of Robert Fitzgerald's admirable translation which, though not as acclaimed as his translation of The Odyssey, still set the standard for a modern Iliad.

Beauty's Daughter

Beauty's Daughter: The Story of Hermione and Helen of Troy
by Carolyn Meyer
352 pages

What is it like to be the daughter of the most beautiful woman in the world?

Hermione knows . . . her mother is Helen of Troy, the famed beauty of Greek myth. Helen is not only beautiful but also impulsive, and when she falls in love with charming Prince Paris, she runs off with him to Troy, abandoning her distraught daughter. Determined to reclaim their enchanting queen, the Greek army sails for Troy. Hermione stows away in one of the thousand ships in the fleet and witnesses the start of the legendary Trojan War.
     In the rough Greek encampment outside the walls of Troy, Hermione’s life is far from that of a pampered princess. Meanwhile, her mother basks in luxury in the royal palace inside the city. Hermione desperately wishes for the gods and goddesses to intervene and end the brutal war—and to bring her love. Will she end up with the handsome archer Orestes, or the formidable Pyrrhus, leader of a tribe of fierce warriors? And will she ever forgive her mother for bringing such chaos to her life and the lives of so many others?

This story was a little flat. I was amazed at how they took the 10 years in Troy and summed it up in a few sentences. So we don't really see Hermione grow while in the Spartan camp - she goes from child to woman, and somehow has developed feelings for her cousin that we never see. Of course it goes over all of the main points of Troy (Achilles, Petrocles, Ajax, etc.)  but just lumps them in at one end. It's not a bad story, and a unique look at the Trojan War, but I didn't get any solid feelings on the main character - I didn't hate her, but I didn't really care for her either. 

Gods Behaving Badly

Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Philips, 293 pages

The Olympian gods have fallen on hard times. Their powers are fading, they are stuck living in a messy falling apart house in London fighting amongst themselves, and some of them have even had to get menial jobs.When Artemis hires a mortal cleaning woman what started as a minor act of revenge between two gods turns into the end of the world, and sadly it is up to two mortals caught in the crossfire to save everyone.
This was a quick fun read, and while the premise isn't anything groundbreaking it is funny and well written. If you enjoy humorous lighthearted takes on mythology then you will probably enjoy this book as much as I did.