“He is half of my soul, as the poets say.”
Friday just called—she’ll be here tomorrow and she’s bringing the Coke Zero with limes. Thank Heavens!! I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m up to my eyeballs in pressing stuff and I’m suspiciously devoid of the Christmas spirit at the moment. I’m sure if I turn on a few Christmas tunes and peruse the Holiday gift guide I’ll feel better.
Listening to The Song of Achilles felt a whole lot like holiday cheer. (Granted the Greeks are all about the tragedies, but it was such a good listen.) I had no idea Circe’s brainchild created, “a thrilling, profoundly moving and utterly unique retelling of the legend of Achilles and the Trojan War” years ago. How’d I miss this? Thank the Heavens again for my savvy niece who clued me in on the Orange Prize winner. Even if you’re not a huge fan of Homer, you’ll love Miller’s backstory. Hers is a quiet love story that is both inspiring and heartbreaking. You’ll be hard-pressed to feel anything but admiration for the ardent devotion between Achilles and Patroclus. The first-time novelist by night, Latin/Greek teacher by day grabbed me from the very beginning and never let me down. If you find spare minutes this holiday season, grab a book by Madeline Miller—it might be better than eggnog, peppermint bark, and all the Christmas trimmings (minus Rachel’s ginger snaps, of course).