Mythical women in contemporary fiction (LIT 17)

  • Day and time: Monday - see dates below 14:30 - 16:00
  • Length of course: 2 terms. Autumn (3 Weeks), Spring (3 Weeks)
  • Number of places: 8
  • Start date: 10 October 2022
  • Description:

    Helen – the face that launched a thousand ships. Cassandra - doomed not to believed even when she sees her own death. Penelope - patiently awaiting Odysseus' return. Ariadne – her thread leading Theseus out of the labyrinth. We may be familiar with the stories and the characters but recently female authors have started to rewrite Greek myths from the perspective of the female characters, changing our understanding of the stories. Each month we shall read and discuss one novel, sharing thoughts and ideas with the group. Sessions to include novels by Margaret Attwood, Jennifer Saint, Christa Wolf, Pat Barker and Natalie Haynes. Each month I will provide some background on the original myth. Ideas for further reading - Pandora’s Jar Natalie Haynes ISBN 978-1-5098-7314-2. Greek Myths: A new retelling Charlotte Higgins ISBN-10 1529111110 The first book we will read is Circe by Madeleine Miller ISBN-10 1408890089. Course dates are: 10 Oct, 7 Nov, 5 Dec, 16 Jan, 6 Feb, 6 Mar.

  • Format: Discussion

  • Leader: Maxine Fay
  • I have been interested in Greek drama and myth for some time and look forward to discovering new ideas from the novels and the group.


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