Reading Options

Ovid's Metamorphoses

I actually read this book in another course and found it to be really interesting. I love that mythology often revolves around tragedy-- not to say I dislike happy endings, but I think tragic stories are able to bring out more emotions in readers. Not only that, but the stories in this book are incredibly unique in nearly everything, whether it be the plot or the characters. The characters always fascinate me, especially the gods because they are seen to be so grand. Not only that, but there are some other characters like Summer or Spring who are personified seasons. I think the image of the gods is very easy to imagine, so it brings lots of writing ideas to mind.

Aesop’s Fables (Jacob)

I like the fables because they are short but present a powerful message. It always interests me that the animals follow tropes, like the fox is the trickster or the lion usually wins. It makes me wonder why this is or how these characteristics were assigned to these animals. What intrigues me the most is typically the last line of these stories. It’s a short sentence, but there is so much meaning in such few words and it perfectly sums up the moral of the story. It’s easy to find motivation whenever I read the last line because there are so many ways to apply the theme to a story. It would be easy to twist those words and use them however one would like.

Homer's Iliad

I have also read this book, but honestly, I had a lot of trouble following it because it was a translation. Despite that, I did like the story because of how much the gods intervened. I am curious as to why they intervened so much and played favorites because if I recall correctly, gods were not meant to mess with fate. Even if they were powerful, there was a certain limit to what they could do for humans. Not only that, but I have always thought that the gods were incredibly human in their actions. I would like to learn more about what the gods think when they view humans because I know some of them do not care for them, while others play favorites. 

The Lion and Other Beasts. Source.