A review by bookishreadsandme
Arcadian Days: Gods, Women and Men from Greek Myth - From the Winner of the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction: Gods, Women and Men from Greek Myth by John Spurling

adventurous informative medium-paced

4.0

Arcadian Days, a collection of great male and female pairings of Greek myth. As a big fan of mythology this book ticked all the boxes for me. 

All of these myths are quite well known but it was refreshing to have it retold in a modern way that is clear and flows well. I have previously read books in this genre that have felt heavy and too detailed at times but this didn’t feel that way. 

The narration is witty and I really liked how the author fills in stories with likely outcomes and some of his own literary criticism.

The stories that I enjoyed the most were Thetis and Achilles and Odysseus and Penelope. The tales are filled with passion, love, bravery and adventure and kept me gripped to the pages. 

The tales all came across more male focused but this is to be expected with these well known Greek myths. They have always been more centred on men. 

If you love Greek mythology this book is for you. It is richly told and you can tell how much research and love the author has for this genre. A thrilling piece of mythological storytelling.