‘The Children of Jocasta’ by Natalie Haynes (and 11 other Ancient Greek myth retellings for your TBR)
The Ancient Greeks knew how to tell a story. Their powerful narratives still permeate into our consciousness and culture today, not least providing a wealth of mythological and ancient reimaginings for us to enjoy.
The thing about a myth or a legend is that there are already many different versions of one story. It’s difficult to pin down to the exact detail because it was born out of a fluid understanding and interpretation. And it still runs through our fingers like water.
That’s the beauty of it, I think. You can have the same story, in essence, but you can change the perspective or interpretation and you’ve got something brand new.
‘The Children of Jocasta’ by Natalie Haynes hit me in my feels. I think the author found the right balance between emotion and action. It’s a quiet story, focusing on the feminine rather than the hyper masculine line that is often followed. I feel like I picked this book up at the right time, I was already a bit soft and vulnerable and ‘The Children of Jocasta’ embraced me in that state and took me along for its journey.
I listened to the book on Audible and the narrator was fantastic. I was especially enamoured with her “boy” voices; they just hit right. Oedipus especially… every time he spoke to Jocasta I understood what she saw in him.
It got 4 stars from me on Goodreads. It missed the full five because I did feel like it could have been longer and explored the life of the second POV with more depth. But other than that I thoroughly enjoyed the writing and the reading experience.
If Ancient Greek myths and inspired retellings are your flavour, then here’s a list of some books you should try!
‘Ariadne’ by Jennifer Saint - You’ve probably seen this on your feed, but I feel like it’s going to become a mainstay on lists like this. A retelling of Theseus and the Minotaur:
“Ariadne gives a voice to the forgotten women of one of the most famous Greek myths, and speaks to their strength in the face of angry, petulant Gods. Beautifully written and completely immersive, this is an exceptional debut novel.”
‘The Song of Achilles’ by Madeline Miller - If you haven’t read this yet then I don’t know if we can be friends. It’s so good. I’ll let you off if you’ve read instead ‘Circe’ though.
“Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. Despite their differences, Achilles befriends the shamed prince, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine, their bond blossoms into something deeper - despite the displeasure of Achilles's mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess. But when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, Achilles must go to war in distant Troy and fulfill his destiny. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus goes with him, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.”
‘The Women of Troy’ by Pat Barker - This is book two in the ‘Women of Troy’ series, but I don’t *think* you need to have read book one to enjoy it. I shamelessly picked this one because I liked the cover better… Shh.
“Troy has fallen. The Greeks have won their bitter war. They can return home as victors - all they need is a good wind to lift their sails. But the wind has vanished, the seas becalmed by vengeful gods, and so the warriors remain in limbo - camped in the shadow of the city they destroyed, kept company by the women they stole from it.”
‘Mythos’ by Stephen Fry - You can’t go wrong with Fry. Fact.
“No one loves and quarrels, desires and deceives as boldly or brilliantly as Greek gods and goddesses.
In Stephen Fry's vivid retelling, we gaze in wonder as wise Athena is born from the cracking open of the great head of Zeus and follow doomed Persephone into the dark and lonely realm of the Underworld. We shiver in fear when Pandora opens her”
‘A Thousand Ships’ by Natalie Haynes - It would be unfair not to feature Haynes on this list. I have only read ‘The Children of Jocasta’ but I have no fear that this won’t also tick boxes.
“From the Trojan women whose fates now lie in the hands of the Greeks, to the Amazon princess who fought Achilles on their behalf, to Penelope awaiting the return of Odysseus, to the three goddesses whose feud started it all, these are the stories of the women whose lives, loves, and rivalries were forever altered by this long and tragic war.”
‘Daughters of Sparta’ by Claire Heywood - Clytemnestra has been a long favourite Ancient Greek figure of mine, so this is high on my TBR list.
“Perfect for readers of Circe and Ariadne, Daughters of Sparta is a vivid and illuminating retelling of the Siege of Troy that tells the story of mythology's most vilified women from their own mouths at long last.”
‘Lore Olympus: Volume One’ by Rachel Smythe - The hit webtoon made into a physical volume you can clutch in your hands. Fantastic art style and I’m always a sucker for a Hades/Persephone retelling.
“Scandalous gossip, wild parties, and forbidden love—witness what the gods do after dark in this stylish and contemporary reimagining of one of mythology’s most well-known stories from creator Rachel Smythe. Featuring a brand-new, exclusive short story, Smythe’s original Eisner-nominated web-comic Lore Olympus brings the Greek Pantheon into the modern age with this sharply perceptive and romantic graphic novel.”
‘The King Must Die’ by Mary Renault - I’ve had this on my TBR for so long now… But 2022 might be the year I pick it up. I can feel it.
“Theseus is the grandson of the King of Troizen, but his paternity is shrouded in mystery - can he really be the son of the god Poseidon? When he discovers his father's sword beneath a rock, his mother must reveal his true identity: Theseus is the son of Aegeus, King of Athens, and is his only heir. So begins Theseus's perilous journey to his father's palace to claim his birthright, escaping bandits and ritual king sacrifice in Eleusis, to slaying the Minotaur in Crete. Renault reimagines the Theseus myth, creating an original, exciting story.”
‘Daughter of Sparta’ by Claire M. Andrews - I really wish James Patterson would stop plastering his name across the front of books he had a developmental hand in. Like… Just let the book shine on its own. ANYWAY. I really want to read this Apollo and Daphne retelling.
“Seventeen-year-old Daphne has spent her entire life honing her body and mind into that of a warrior, hoping to be accepted by the unyielding people of ancient Sparta. But an unexpected encounter with the goddess Artemis—who holds Daphne's brother's fate in her hands—upends the life she's worked so hard to build. Nine mysterious items have been stolen from Mount Olympus, and if Daphne cannot find them, the gods' waning powers will fade away, the mortal world will descend into chaos, and her brother's life will be forfeit.”
‘Thebes: The Forgotten City of Ancient Greece’ by Paul Anthony Cartledge - I may or may not be a little obsessed with Thebes after reading ‘The Children of Jocasta’.
“Among the extensive writing available about the history of ancient Greece, there is precious little about the city-state of Thebes. At one point the most powerful city in ancient Greece, Thebes has been long overshadowed by its better-known rivals, Athens and Sparta. In Thebes: The Forgotten City of Ancient Greece, acclaimed classicist and historian Paul Cartledge brings the city vividly to life and argues that it is central to our understanding of the ancient Greeks’ achievements—whether politically or culturally—and thus to the wider politico-cultural traditions of western Europe, the Americas, and indeed the world.”
‘The Penelopiad’ by Margaret Atwood - It’s Atwood. Need I say more?
“For Penelope, Odysseus’s wife, running a kingdom while her husband is away fighting in the Trojan War is no simple matter. Already distressed that he had been lured away because of the shocking behavior of her beautiful cousin Helen, Penelope must also raise her wayward son, face scandalous rumors, and keep more than one hundred lustful, greedy, and bloodthirsty suitors at bay.”
Which myths or Ancient Greek figures would you like to see reimagined?
Written by Sarah
