Tag: Legends

Homer – The Odyssey | Review

Title: The Odyssey

Author: Homer

Type: Fiction/Poetry

Page Count/Review Word Count: 354

Rating: 4*/5

 

Homer - The Odyssey

Homer – The Odyssey

 

Disclaimer: While I aim to be unbiased, I received a copy of this book for free for review purposes.

Well, I finally did it. It took me three or four months reading a few pages each evening before I fell asleep, but I managed it. And it was actually a super enjoyable read.

The edition that I read was a translation in verse by Anthony Verity that was published by Oxford University Press, and it’s a beautiful edition. I accepted it for review a good few years ago, but I’ve only just actually finished it.

What I liked most about reading this was the fact that  I started to understand the different myths and legends that make up the Odyssey and I could see the way that they’ve influenced popular society and been retold in other media. Of course, I struggled to actually understand what was going on half the time, but that’s okay because the language alone was beautiful and there was a useful appendix that basically gave you an outline of the story that you could refer to.

 

Homer

Homer

 

It’s hard to rate something like the Odyssey because it’s a classic for a reason, but I can honestly give it a four out of five for sheer enjoyment alone. Sure, it was slow going and there were times where I thought I wasn’t going to finish it, but I still enjoyed the experience and I’m glad that I took the time to read it. I’m also glad that I happened to read this edition of it, because the book itself was so aesthetically pleasing that it didn’t  bother me too much to spend prolonged periods of time in front of it.

It’s funny because in a way, reading the Odyssey reminded me of reading Stephen King’s Dark Tower series. That’s because something was always happening at every point, and while it rarely feels as though you’re actually making any progress, the reader walks with Odysseus as he inches slowly closer and closer to his destination.

 

Odysseus

Odysseus

 

Click here to buy The Odyssey.


Cassandra Clare – City of Glass | Review

Title: City of Glass

Author: Cassandra Clare

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 512

Rating: 4*/5

 

Cassandra Clare - City of Glass

Cassandra Clare – City of Glass

 

This is the third book in Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series, and I’ve been reading through her books in order with a couple of YouTube friends. I don’t think she’s the most amazing author on the planet, but her stories have been enjoyable enough so far, and this was possibly the best one I’ve read to date. There were actually a couple of plot points that genuinely took me by surprise and which I didn’t see coming, which was a nice bonus.

Sure, there are a few things that I didn’t like, but nothing so bad that it stopped me from enjoying the book. And a few things were just downright weird, like the fact that Jace kept breaking windows. On the other hand, I also felt as though Clare had finished establishing the world and the characters and was able to focus on just having fun in this one. We get to see some of the legends as they develop – and we also get to see certain relationships developing too, which is good news if you’re into that sort of thing.

One thing that I will say is that I’m getting kind of sick of characters getting killed off and then randomly wheeled back out again. I don’t know, I’ve just never been a fan of authors bringing characters back from the grave. I think it destabilises the story itself and then makes any other deaths kind of irrelevant. Death should be final, even in fantasy novels. But I suppose that’s personal preference.

 

Cassandra Clare

Cassandra Clare

 

Because this book is the third in the series, it means that Clare has had some time to develop as a writer, and she does feel a little more skilled in this book than in the first two. Still, there are flaws and it’s not perfect, but at the same time it keeps you turning the pages. This is especially true for the last 200 pages or so, because that’s when the story really starts to take off. But unlike the first two books which have both had parts that felt like nothing was happening, this one had better pacing and there was always something going on. Even if that was just Jace breaking another window.

We also get to find out more about the relationships between different characters, from the key players to more minor characters like the former inquisitor from the earlier books. It’s interesting to see how Cassandra Clare approached the task of worldbuilding and how she adapts legends that we all know about and then puts them to work for the world of shadowhunters. I’m sure there’s stuff I can pick up from her and apply to my own writing to score a series of bestsellers. I just haven’t figured out what it is yet.

If you haven’t read this already then the chances are that you never will. But if you do get round to it then it’s not too bad at all.

 

Cassandra Clare Quote

Cassandra Clare Quote

 

Click here to buy City of Glass.