Books by Madeline Miller
Madeline Miller (born 1978) is an American novelist, author of The Song of Achilles and Circe.
“It’s called The Song of Achilles. It’s not called the wrath of Achilles, which is how Homer starts his story. So the ‘Song’ of Achilles immediately softens him, because what we know of Achilles from Homer is that he’s this big warrior, and he has a foul temper, and he’s incredibly selfish, and he’s very happy to sulk. He’s very childish; he sulks in his tent while people are being massacred because Agamemnon has stolen one of his concubines, Briseis. But it’s back to what I said before, about seeing the story from a different point of view… It’s narrated by Patroclus, Achilles’s great friend and lover. So it’s understandable that Patroclus, as the narrator, would write the Song of Achilles.” Read more...
Novels Based on Mythological Retellings
Francesca Simon, Children's Author
Circe
by Madeline Miller
We're big fans of Madeline Miller and we loved reading Circe, a reimagining of the myth of Circe, the sorceress and daugther of Helios who turned Odysseus's men into pigs. Thank you to our Twitter followers for also pointing out how wonderful the audiobook is, read out by the Welsh actress Perdita Weeks.
Interviews where books by Madeline Miller were recommended
Books With Strong Female Leads
In recent years, there has been a slew of novels retelling old myths and epics from the perspective of a female character, but books with strong female leads are nothing new. From classic fiction to memoirs, from fantasy to thrillers, literature is populated with female leads — both fictional and real — who are strong in different ways.
Special Edition Books
Publishers regularly bring out special edition books to entice readers to buy a copy of a book they already own. Often, these are books that are either literary classics or more recent bestsellers with a cult following. Here, we’ve collected together five special editions that have come out recently. These are books that have been recommended on Five Books and are well worth reading.
Five of the Best Feminist Historical Novels, recommended by Flora Carr
In recent years there has been a boom in fiction that reimagines stories of the past—tales that have traditionally been told by men—through female eyes. Here, the writer Flora Carr recommends five of the best feminist historical novels, and reflects on the role of historical fiction in enhancing our understanding of the past.
Novels Based on Mythological Retellings, recommended by Francesca Simon
Mythological retellings bring us stories with timeless resonance, viewed through the lens of modern concerns, explains Francesca Simon. The bestselling author tells us about her five favourite retellings, and introduces her first adult novel and the rich world of folklore and legend that inspires it.
The best books on Greek Myths and Mythology, recommended by Lucy Coats
Lucy Coats, author of one of the best Greek myth books for children, recommends her own favourites. There’s one for children, one for teenagers, one for scholars, one to read out loud and one that’s very definitely adult in content…
Updated Classics (of Greek and Roman Literature), recommended by Daniel Mendelsohn
Greek myths were themselves elastic so there is no reason the classics of Roman and Greek literature shouldn’t be updated, says classicist Daniel Mendelsohn. He talks us through some of his favourites.
