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applecub t1_jcde4k1 wrote

Both books are wonderful.

Without giving anything away, I found Circe to match the high standard from Song of Achilles. My one slight caution is that Circe leans far more heavily into Greek mythology than SoA, and that there are some characters or references you may not fully appreciate without this prior understanding. That said, the book absolutely stands in its own and can absolutely be enjoyed without an extensive knowledge of Greek mythology.

Enjoy!

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Ssnnooz OP t1_jcdf2hu wrote

I was a percy jackson fanatic in middle school, is that good enough? haha

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MSeanF t1_jcdiuu2 wrote

It will give you a decent footing, and you'll probably recognize many of the various deities and monsters. But you might want to read with your phone handy to look up some of the minor characters.

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AlmostFilipino t1_jce4a88 wrote

To be honest that was exactly my situation going into the book and it’s one of my favorite books of all time now. I was inspired to read The Odyssey after finishing it and I can say I definitely enjoyed Miller’s prose more than Fagles’

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Patient-Rope-2412 t1_jcfftjl wrote

Circe also does provide a glossary of sorts in the back that gives a short summary of the figures from mythology & their background. Just finished reading it yesterday with the same knowledge base and I loved it!

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Individual_Guest641 t1_jceh751 wrote

I don't know all that much about Greek mythology, just the stuff I've picked up from popular culture. I absolutely LOVED Circe. Never wanted it to end.

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BloomEPU t1_jcf57l0 wrote

I read circe before SoA and honestly, it made me feel a bit disappointed in SoA. Going from circe being this cool complex lady to achilles who's like, some grumpy asshole was a bit rough :P

I still love how SoA is written, both novels are really beautiful, it's just I preferred circe waaay more.

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BookFox t1_jcf9168 wrote

I mean, I feel you, but also: the relevant character to compare in SoA is Patroclus.

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cMeeber t1_jch2xq9 wrote

Probably why I loved Circe so much! I’ve been a Greek mythology freak since 3rd grade.

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