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Roman and Greek myths book recommendations [message #15378]

Mon, 27 April 2009 13:41

Beauty/Anna
Messages: 481
Registered: November 2008
Location: America

Senior Member

I am looking for more books on—or of—Greek and Roman myths. I've been searching but am not sure what would be a complete waste of time and what would not be. So recommendations please.

[Updated on: Mon, 27 April 2009 13:45]

"You are your best resource for success"

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Re: Roman and Greek myths book recommendations [message #15429 is a reply to message #15378 ]

Tue, 28 April 2009 04:52

helbel
Messages: 37
Registered: March 2009

Member

I got Ted Hughes - Tales from Ovid for Christmas. I'm not very far into it yet, but wanted the book for years since hearing some of it read on the Radio 4 Book at Bedtime.

There is no such thing as too many books, only inadequate shelving

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Re: Roman and Greek myths book recommendations [message #15524 is a reply to message #15378 ]

Thu, 30 April 2009 10:12

GBKDalton
Messages: 51
Registered: December 2008
Location: New England

Member

Are you looking for translations of the classic tales (Odyssey, Iliad, Metamorphoses, etc), or are you looking for fantasy that is based on the myths?

for fantasy-taken-from-the-myths:

Ursula Le Guin's Lavinia- Aeneas' wife tells her own story, from both before and after his arrival in Italy. This was great. I think anyone who enjoys Robin McKinley's books would find this right up their alley.

Rick Riordan's The Lighting Thief and sequels-the Greek Gods are alive and well in 20th century America, and they haven't exactly changed their ways-they continue to have children with mortal men and women and squabble amongst themselves. Very fun and fast-paced book about a son of Poseiden who is accused of stealing Zeus's lightning bolt. I read these right after Harry Potter and thought they were right on (and I hate most fantasy set within the "real world"). Last one is coming out in May.

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Re: Roman and Greek myths book recommendations [message #15525 is a reply to message #15524 ]

Thu, 30 April 2009 10:31

Beauty/Anna
Messages: 481
Registered: November 2008
Location: America

Senior Member

GBKDalton wrote on Thu, 30 April 2009 10:12

Are you looking for translations of the classic tales (Odyssey, Iliad, Metamorphoses, etc), or are you looking for fantasy that is based on the myths?

for fantasy-taken-from-the-myths:

I'm looking for both really, The Lighting Thief sounds good and the one you suggested helbel.

"You are your best resource for success"

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Re: Roman and Greek myths book recommendations [message #15531 is a reply to message #15378 ]

Thu, 30 April 2009 12:19

helbel
Messages: 37
Registered: March 2009

Member

Possibly also some of the stuff by Robert Graves?

Though I think I may be confusing him with Robert Fagles...

[Updated on: Thu, 30 April 2009 12:22]

There is no such thing as too many books, only inadequate shelving

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Re: Roman and Greek myths book recommendations [message #15584 is a reply to message #15378 ]

Fri, 01 May 2009 09:15

jaccairn
Messages: 152
Registered: November 2008
Location: Kent

Senior Member

Patrick H Adkins wrote three books bases around the titans before Zeus and Co appeared on the scene. Lord of the Crooked Paths, Master of the Fearful Depths and Sons of the Titans.

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Re: Roman and Greek myths book recommendations [message #23958 is a reply to message #15378 ]

Sat, 05 December 2009 14:37

Beauty/Anna
Messages: 481
Registered: November 2008
Location: America

Senior Member

Have you seen the trailer for the movie that is coming out?

[Updated on: Sat, 05 December 2009 14:38]

"You are your best resource for success"

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Re: Roman and Greek myths book recommendations [message #24022 is a reply to message #15531 ]

Mon, 07 December 2009 15:18

Aaron
Messages: 319
Registered: June 2009
Location: California

Senior Member

What I read as a child was Thomas Bullfinch's Mythology. I think that this is the source to which many Americans trace their knowledge of the Greek and Roman myths. Bullfinch, in turn, traces much of his information back to Ovid which is pretty widely available in translation. My copy of Ovid is not immediately to hand and I don't recall being thrilled enough by the translation to recommend it in the first place.
I also give shelf space to a copy of Robert Graves The Greek Myths which is a more scholarly, and somewhat dated, treatment. Robert Graves gives a version of the myth, with variations, and then tries to tie it to historical events, usually not actually attested in any sources other than the myth.
Robert Fagles did a recent and well regarded translation of The Odyssey. I grew up with the Robert Fitzgerald translation so it sounds "right" to me in a way that Fagles does not.
As far as I know Fagles has not done a general work on the Greek myths.

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Re: Roman and Greek myths book recommendations [message #26392 is a reply to message #15378 ]

Fri, 19 February 2010 09:30

SnarkyWriter
Messages: 46
Registered: November 2008
Location: Tennessee, USA

Member

I personally love love love the Troy Game series by Sarah Douglass. It traces the history of England through the fabled founding by Trojans who escaped from the sacking of Troy AND ties in Theseus, the labyrinth, Ariadne, and the Minotaur. It's a four-book series.

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Re: Roman and Greek myths book recommendations [message #26397 is a reply to message #26392 ]

Fri, 19 February 2010 12:20

Mori-neko
Messages: 365
Registered: October 2008
Location: Corvallis, OR

Senior Member

I, too, loved the Troy Game series.

Also good are Ilium and Olympos, a pair of books by Dan Simmons. They aren't -straight- mythology, but I can't really say more without spoiling some of their awesomeness.

And, on the much lighter end of things, Kelly McCullough's WebMage series is great fun. The main character is the many-times-great grandchild of Lachesis and the (not as far removed) grandchild of Thalia, the muse of comic poetry. There are four books in that series right now, with more to come. They pull from much of Greco-Roman myth, as well as a few other traditions.

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Re: Roman and Greek myths book recommendations [message #26438 is a reply to message #15378 ]

Sat, 20 February 2010 20:34

Melissa Mead
Messages: 990
Registered: October 2008
Location: Albany, NY, USA

Senior Member

There's Esther Friesner's Nobody's Princess and Nobody's Prize, about Helen of Troy.

Member of Carpe Libris: http://carpelibris.wordpress.com/

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Re: Roman and Greek myths book recommendations [message #26455 is a reply to message #26438 ]

Sun, 21 February 2010 15:19

librarykat
Messages: 566
Registered: October 2008
Location: Redneck Riviera

Senior Member

Melissa Mead wrote on Sat, 20 February 2010 19:34

There's Esther Friesner's Nobody's Princess and Nobody's Prize, about Helen of Troy.

And then there's Temping Fate by Friesner, in which a teen gets a job at a textile factory through a temp agency, only to learn that the owners are the Fates, and she gets into all kinds of trouble. And the temp agency (Divine Relief Temp Agency) itself is run by the gods. It's light, written for teens. Lots of fun, too.

Edith Hamilton's book on Mythology is another one of those "classic" books about the myths - I read it while in elementary school - I was hooked on Greek/Roman mythology in 3rd grade.

Norma Lorre Goodrich's Ancient Myths includes Sumer, Persia, Egypt, and India as well as Greece and Rome. She was one of my college professors, many many years ago, and my Hubby read this book when he was in high school.

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Re: Roman and Greek myths book recommendations [message #26656 is a reply to message #15378 ]

Fri, 26 February 2010 17:31

Psykie
Messages: 1
Registered: February 2010
Location: Wichita, KS

Junior Member

One of my favorite authors, Francesca Lia Block, admits how much her love of greek mythology has influenced her novels. "Psyche in a Dress" is a beautiful retelling of the trials that befall poor Psyche when she falls in love with Eros, while also drawing from Hades abduction of Persephone and Demeter's search for her daughter. It is written as poetry and is a very quick read. I think Ovid would approve. She stays true to the heart of the myths, while reinventing them in a compelling way. "Echo", "Ecstasia" and its sequel, "Primavera" are others that have been heavily influenced by greek mythology as well.

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Re: Roman and Greek myths book recommendations [message #26657 is a reply to message #15378 ]

Fri, 26 February 2010 18:12

Black Bear
Messages: 3216
Registered: September 2008
Location: Indianapolis, IN USA

Senior Member
[Moderator]

I'm a fan of Sam Keith and William Messener-Loeb's Epicurus the Sage, though it only lasted 2 issues it was a hilarious graphic-novel exploration of greek philosophy and myths (Hades and Persephone, and The Many Loves of Zeus.) It's available now as a trade PB I think. Fantastic art, funny scripting.

_{"The time is always right to do what's right."--MLK Jr.}

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Re: Roman and Greek myths book recommendations [message #27092 is a reply to message #15378 ]

Sat, 06 March 2010 23:20

librarykat
Messages: 566
Registered: October 2008
Location: Redneck Riviera

Senior Member

First Second Books is publishing a series of graphic novels by George O'Connor that retell some of the Greek myths. First volume is The Olympians: Zeus: King of the Gods. Second volume is Athena: Grey-Eyed Goddess. O'Connor's art is great for one thing. He tells the stories as though the gods are superheroes. I've read Zeus and think it's excellent. The series is aimed at upper elementary and middle school readers, but I think anyone who enjoys Greek mythology would enjoy it.

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Re: Roman and Greek myths book recommendations [message #28185 is a reply to message #15378 ]

Fri, 09 April 2010 15:01

bonniebythepeak
Messages: 76
Registered: April 2010
Location: Colorado, USA

Member

When I was very young, I was enraptured over D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths. The illustrations stuck with me, and also gave me a feel for Classic Hellenistic art. Not the best book ever, but it was the one that got me started. Then it was on to Edith Hamilton's Mythology and Robert Graves The Greek Myths.

My favorite fictionalized myth is "Till We Have Faces" by C.S. Lewis. It is a novelized account of the Cupid and Psyche myth but told from the point of view of Psyche's sister, who always came across as jealous and spiteful in the myth, but here is a real person with depth and trials and love and fear.

"All their life... had only been the cover and title page, now at last, they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story." C.S. Lewis

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Re: Roman and Greek myths book recommendations [message #30512 is a reply to message #28185 ]

Sun, 13 June 2010 21:07

Beauty/Anna
Messages: 481
Registered: November 2008
Location: America

Senior Member

Oh yes, both of those are very good.

"You are your best resource for success"

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Re: Roman and Greek myths book recommendations [message #34363 is a reply to message #15378 ]

Tue, 21 September 2010 21:28

stardustsnapshot
Messages: 2
Registered: September 2010
Location: Los Angeles

Junior Member

I will second bonniebythepeak's recommendation of Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis.
It is my absolute favorite novel, beautifully written, with a very compelling, very real heroine as its narrator.

"Fairy tales are more than true, not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten." - G.K. Chesterton

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Re: Roman and Greek myths book recommendations [message #34364 is a reply to message #15378 ]

Tue, 21 September 2010 21:48

Rosemory
Messages: 8
Registered: September 2010
Location: Kansas

Junior Member

I've personally found Fagles to be the easiest translation to read of the Odyssey and the Iliad. It's more modern language while still being lyrical and believable as epic poetry.
That said, I love C. S. Lewis.

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Re: Roman and Greek myths book recommendations [message #34993 is a reply to message #15378 ]

Sat, 09 October 2010 12:55

Beauty/Anna
Messages: 481
Registered: November 2008
Location: America

Senior Member

Till We Have Faces is really fantastic, I love C. S. Lewis.

"You are your best resource for success"

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