Zeus now addressed the immortals:

"What a lamentable thing it is that men should blame the gods and regard us as the source of their troubles, when it is their own transgressions which bring them suffering that was not their destiny" 

- Homer, translated by E.V. Rieu,  The Odyssey

Currently Reading

Continuing with my new years resolution to read The Iliad, I am currently reading Ransom by David Malouf. The novel reflects on Priam plea to Achilles to return the body of his son, Hector. So far I am not enjoying it as much as I did The Song of Achilles, but I am finding it interesting to see the other side of the story, from the point of view of the Trojans rather than the Greeks.

ISBN: 978-0-099-53952-0

"citizens-though they believe themselves quietly asleep and safe in bed- are corpses he moves among: headless, limbless, savagely hacked, hovered about by ghostly exhalations and the fires of the dead. Flies cluster at their nostrils and corners of their eyes. Dogs lick up the splatter of their brains, gnaw at their shoulder-bones" 

- David Malouf, Ransom  

Currently Reading

I usually have a couple of books on the go at the same time, because I find I want a different type of book at a different time of day. For example; during the early morning commute I want escapism, in the afternoon my concentration levels are at their highest, so I want a more challenging read and then just before bed I want a lighter novel that is interesting, but not so good I have to pull an all-nighter. 

I’m currently working my way through the following:-

1. The Sense of an Ending, Julian Barnes. I’m really enjoying this. It’s pretty slim and I’m nearly finished, so I’ll be posting a full review soon.  Just briefly, it is a novella about memory, how people’s perceptions of events are distorted.
2. The Iliad, Homer. I’ve set myself a challenge to read and more importantly understand The Iliad and The Odyssey. It’s not going well and I’ve been neglecting it recently, probably because I’m viewing it as a duty. 
3. The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller. This is a re-read, I loved it the first time round and I’ve finally got it back off my sister so I’m revisiting it. This book is reason I’m struggling through The Iliad, it explores the relationship between Patroclus and Achilles so I want to read the original material it is based on. 

What are you currently reading? Do you think I should persevere with Homer?