Keep your reading light but smart this summer with these popular takes on the Iliad, the Odyssey, and Greek mythology—and set the stage for the museum’s live reading of The Iliad this September 13-15!
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
The first novel by the author of The Goldfinch, The Secret History deals with the themes of Greek tragedy in a murder mystery involving Classics students.
Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions by Daniel Wallace
Wallace’s novel draws inspiration from The Odyssey and the 12 labors of Hercules.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Miller focuses on the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus in this retelling of The Iliad.
Circe by Madeline Miller
The witch Circe, who appears in The Odyssey, tells her own story in this spellbinding and subversive novel.
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
Before there was Madeline Miller’s Circe, there was Margaret Atwood’s Penelopiad. In this novella, Penelope herself recounts the events of The Odyssey.
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
If The Iliad is the male-focused story of the Trojan War, The Silence of the Girls is its female-focused counterpart, offering insight about the lives of those behind the battles lines.
