Hi everyone! Apologies for the late blog this week. I was busy with other life things.
I have an important Certamen tournament (Princeton!) next week, so there may not be a blog.
However, preparing for Princeton means…studying. Lots.
Princeton has some pretty hard questions (not as hard as Texas), so it’s necessary to study.
And everyone has a different way of learning, right?
Well, mine is through story.
I learn stuff mainly through reading source material–or the thing in a humorous or poetic form (Hello, Ovid!).
So when one finds themselves having trouble with the Illiad, and their librarian recommends a mythology-related book to them, what do they do?
Go read it!
In my case, the book was Helen of Troy by Margaret George.
Helen of Troy is a take on the Illiad, focusing on Helen and her journey, from her childhood, to her kidnapping, to her final moments. The book divides into three parts: Helen’s childhood (I forgot), her journey with Paris (Troy), and her return to Greece (Sparta).
What do I have to say?
- Romance. Icky.
There are a lot of lovey-dovey parts in the book I didn’t understand (Deiphobus ew), so uhhh 13+?? It’s not detailed, though (don’t freak out). But still, ick.
I don’t know what I was expecting, because The Illiad literally revolves around Aphrodite messing with people’s love lives (no mention I think of Eros, Psyche, or their daughter, Pleasure)…there’s gonna be love.
But still.
- Aphrodite. Stupid.
Least favorite goddess. ever.
But in this adaptation, she’s portrayed as a savior and wonderful person?? But she’s NOT??
She’s the reason for this whole dang war, and the book says she’s all wonderful?
NOPE.
- Don’t read it if you really like the Greeks.
Because the book focuses on Helen’s perspective, and she turns into a Troy sympathizer, she has various unflattering insights on the Greeks.
Yes, they had flaws, but they had redeeming qualities, too!
Same with the Trojans!
Helen doesn’t think much of Achilles. In fact, she dislikes him, even thinking someone should have slapped him as a boy.
okay.
What he did to Hector was wrong. But he was acting out of grief for Patroclus…
I really don’t know what to say here.
- Helen.
Helen is just a strange character, especially with all the different perspectives on her.
I couldn’t really sympathize with her though 
- minor mention of Hyacinthus
But it’s as a “oh you went to his shrine and he drove you mad” thing, not “oh poor boy who got hit with a discus”
I really like Hyacinthus, so this kind of sucked.
- MY BOY PATROCLUS????!!!!
Bro gets like, two lines.
WHERE IS MY BOY–
(I care not for Aeneas or Paris)
But anyway.
Do I recommend the book?
Not really, but go read it if you want.
It’s pretty (?) great as making you question the different sides of the war.
And by, “great,” I mean making you go, “TEAR MY BRAIN OUT BECAUSE ARE THESE PEOPLE THE GOOD GUYS OR NOT?!?!??!?!??!”
Overall, 4.5/10. Great writing, but I just don’t know what to appreciate about it otherwise.
I’m planning to read The Song of Achilles next for more information of my boy Patroclus.
Oh, and have a random myth fact before you leave.
- Aristaeus was a son of Apollo and Cyrene who went to Proetus, a sea god, and asked him where his bees went. Also bees surrounded the corpse of the bull he sacrficed. (corpus bovis??) he ended up marrying Autonoe, who was the mother of Actaeon.
(requiescat in pacem Actaeon)
Okay I’m done 
Keep on mything and reading! Bye!
-Abby