Cassandra : Christa Wolf
Cassandra tells a modern rendition of the classical myth of Cassandra, the daughter of the Trojan king, and her viewpoint of the war raging around her. Cassandra, who was cursed with prophetic knowledge from Apollo that no one will believe, awaits her execution by the hands of Clytemnestra. While waiting, she looks back at the moments in her life that led to this ultimatum, and why it was unavoidable.
Christa Wolf, born and raised to a pro-nazi family, became a writer in East Germany. Often times, her writings were political in nature, taking stances that reflected the post World War Two climate, and social and political tensions between the divided nation. Her first book was well received by East Germany, however her second novel was banned from sale in East German book stores do to its differing views from East German society.
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House of Names : Colm Tóibín
House of Names by Colm Tóibín tells the myth surrounding the Greek characters of Clytemnestra and her family, with more in depth perspectives from them. Inspired by the Oresteia, Tóibín gives light to the side of the myth that were left out, such as the inner workings of Clytemnestra, the relationships between the children and their parents, and even a more detailed representation of the conflict resulting in the murder of Agamemnon. Instilled with more modern takes representing the time period of the author, the reader will find common tropes of political power imbalance and the need to do everything at all costs to keep it.
While reading through, one should keep a close eye to the following ideas:
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The Lost Books of the Odyssey : Zachary Mason
The Lost Books of the Odyssey by Zachary Mason tells a modernized version of the events of Odysseus travels following the ending of the Trojan War. Often times taking a different perspective from Homer's original telling of The Odyssey, the short stories detailed through every travel, unravel the psyche of Odysseus himself, an intelligently yet reckless witty man, working in mostly selfish endeavors. In his story, Mason shows many different versions of the story, which in some ways according to the Harvard Review, seem to mimic the nature of oral traditions of the past that Homer collected together to create the stories. Often times the stories would change so much from one oral retelling to the next, and Mason's wildly changing interpretations of Odysseus, harkens back to this.
While reading the stories, pay attention to the following :
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Circe : Madeline Miller
The story of the minor goddess Circe has been mainly left untouched. Homer's Odyssey shows an encounter, however her point of view has been ignored. In Madeline Miller's story titled after the character herself, Circe, a new light is given to an already established greek myth. Creating a more feminist and modern take in regards to her character design as a whole, it uses Circe as a lens to look at plenty of other greek myths and stories. She is used as the anchor to which the other gods, greek characters, and heroes are judged and discussed.
Told from the perspective of Circe herself, and by using a time as a more distant/abstract tool, godly history and origin stories are judged, while also comparing it to the lives and dealings of the mortals. In a way, Circe's interactions with mortals and gods alike, along with her differing views on the two, can be looked as a take on humanity itself. What makes mortals human, and is that better or worse than what gods gain from immortality. This question will become a reoccurring analytical lens throughout the piece. Ultimately, it will change Circe herself, and what she believes to be important. |