Galatea by Madeline Miller

Title: Galatea

Author: Madeline Miller

Publisher: Ecco 2013

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 20

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

In Ancient Greece, a skilled marble sculptor has been blessed by a goddess who has given his masterpiece – the most beautiful woman the town has ever seen – the gift of life. Now his wife, Galatea is expected to be obedience and humility personified, but it is not long before she learns to use her beauty as a form of manipulation. In a desperate bid by her obsessive husband to keep her under control, she is locked away under the constant supervision of doctors and nurses. But with a daughter to rescue, she is determined to break free, whatever the cost...

Very quick little retelling of the Pygmalion myth. I wasn’t quite sure what this was but I loved Miller’s two full length novels, so I had to read this little short. I loved the shift in perspective to the statue. I loved the nods to the original Greek myths. Quick fun read.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Title: The Song of Achilles

Author: Madeline Miller

Publisher: Ecco 2012

Genre: Historical Fiction / Mythology

Pages: 389

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; Monthly Theme - May

A tale of gods, kings, immortal fame, and the human heart, The Song of Achilles is a dazzling literary feat that brilliantly reimagines Homer’s enduring masterwork, The Iliad. An action-packed adventure, an epic love story, a marvelously conceived and executed page-turner, Miller’s monumental debut novel has already earned resounding acclaim from some of contemporary fiction’s brightest lights.

It’s been decades since I last read The Iliad but reading this reimagining of Achilles’s story brought me right back to Classical Studies in college. Overall I really enjoyed Miller’s telling of a very classic story but framing the events from the viewpoint of Patroclus. I loved learning about Achilles not from himself, but from one who loved him. We get an interesting picture of a classical hero. Plus we get to experience the strangeness of encountering gods and goddesses. The horrors of war are particularly affecting coming from an acknowledged poor soldier. We get a proper coming of age story within the pages all the way through the deaths of both of our main characters. Tragic for sure, but with lush writing and storytelling. I enjoyed it very much.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Circe by Madeline Miller

Title: Circe

Author: Madeline Miller

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company 2018

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 394

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Share-a-Tea 

In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child--not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power--the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.

Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.

But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.

My Book of the Month selection for April and I definitely picked the right book for me. This is a wonderful retelling of the myth of Circe told from her perspective. I'll admit that the book started out a bit slow. Once Circe was exiled to her island, I really dove into the book and loved every word. Miller tells a compelling story with a gorgeous voice. Miller makes her fair share of changes and expansions of Circe's story, but every choice made sense. I really loved the twists and turns. Overall, a great read!

Next up on the TBR pile: