The Reading Party Podcast

Join us for this final episode of the Reading Party Podcast's inaugural season! What were our favourite adaptations? Did we find a Helen and Paris we could love? Who was our favourite Achilles, and just why does Lexie continue to love "Odysseus, Voyage to the Underworld" quite so much?All this and more!SEASON 2 RELEASES EARLY 2024!Want to drop us a question, comment, or opinion? Then please send us an email at thereadingpartypod@gmail.com! We look forward to hearing from you! Follow us on Facebook @TheReadingPartyPodcastTwitter @ReadingPartyPodInstagram @TheReadingPartyPodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHB1bZ-N9nWMayVsoMEU1QSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/readingpartypodCustom music by Brent Arehart of Arehart Sounds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We finish up looking at a very unexpected book - how does this Odysseus compare to the others we seen? What about Penelope? Does Telemachus follow in his father's footsteps and become a mighty warrior king? How many tangents do we go off on this time? All this and more!Want to drop us a question, comment, or opinion? Then please send us an email at thereadingpartypod@gmail.com! We look forward to hearing from you! Follow us on Facebook @TheReadingPartyPodcastTwitter @ReadingPartyPodInstagram @TheReadingPartyPodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHB1bZ-N9nWMayVsoMEU1QSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/readingpartypodCustom music by Brent Arehart of Arehart Sounds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Finally, a book that gives us a Telemachus we can get behind! Questionable chaperoning choices aside, this was a great read, with a complex and well-rounded main character. Sadly the same can't be said for Penelope...but at least we got to witness one of Helen and Menelaus' domestic disputes? Want to drop us a question, comment, or opinion? Then please send us an email at thereadingpartypod@gmail.com! We look forward to hearing from you! Follow us on Facebook @TheReadingPartyPodcastTwitter @ReadingPartyPodInstagram @TheReadingPartyPodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHB1bZ-N9nWMayVsoMEU1QSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/readingpartypodCustom music by Brent Arehart of Arehart Sounds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is this finally a Penelope we dislike, and a Telemachus we enjoy? What's with the weird, Egyptian-esque Circe? Are these gods the best we've seen yet? Answers to all of these questions and more, on this episode of The Reading Party Podcast!Want to drop us a question, comment, or opinion? Then please send us an email at thereadingpartypod@gmail.com! We look forward to hearing from you! Follow us on Facebook @TheReadingPartyPodcastTwitter @ReadingPartyPodInstagram @TheReadingPartyPodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHB1bZ-N9nWMayVsoMEU1QSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/readingpartypodCustom music by Brent Arehart of Arehart Sounds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Werewolves, golems, and the theory of everything, oh my! This might just be one of the weirdest and most initially confusing literary adaptations of the Odyssey that we've ever seen. We even try to pick our favorite version of Odysseus' homecoming. Come hear out thoughts on the Odyssey, re-told in an alternative mythology mini short-story format! Want to drop us a question, comment, or opinion? Then please send us an email at thereadingpartypod@gmail.com! We look forward to hearing from you! Follow us on Facebook @TheReadingPartyPodcastTwitter @ReadingPartyPodInstagram @TheReadingPartyPodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHB1bZ-N9nWMayVsoMEU1QSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/readingpartypodCustom music by Brent Arehart of Arehart Sounds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's (delightfully?) chaotic episode features a ton of weird accents, out of place armour, and really bizarre set choices! Apparently Calypso's island is in Thailand, while the Palace of Odysseus on Ithaca looks like a baroque 18th century French palace. Also, we can't figure out why there's a Kraken that won't attack Trojans... Want to drop us a question, comment, or opinion? Then please send us an email at thereadingpartypod@gmail.com! We look forward to hearing from you! Follow us on Facebook @TheReadingPartyPodcastTwitter @ReadingPartyPodInstagram @TheReadingPartyPodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHB1bZ-N9nWMayVsoMEU1QSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/readingpartypodCustom music by Brent Arehart of Arehart Sounds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Might this be Megan's best recap ever? Did Homer invent the first vampire or did giant bat creatures exist already in mythology? Can we all agree that this movie is not really related to the Odyssey since Megan instead finds way too many bizarre Christian symbols? Want to drop us a question, comment, or opinion? Then please send us an email at thereadingpartypod@gmail.com! We look forward to hearing from you! Follow us on Facebook @TheReadingPartyPodcastTwitter @ReadingPartyPodInstagram @TheReadingPartyPodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHB1bZ-N9nWMayVsoMEU1QSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/readingpartypodCustom music by Brent Arehart of Arehart Sounds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wait, the book doesn't end with Odysseus leaving Aiaia?! Does Circe turn out to be the parent we think she'd be? What exactly happens when a man's mistress/baby mama and child live with his wife and firstborn son on a tiny island? Also, Lexie find parallels between the Norse myth of Odin and Fenrir and a certain exchange in Circe. Come hear our many opinions on this packed back half of Madeline Miller's novel! Want to drop us a question, comment, or opinion? Then please send us an email at thereadingpartypod@gmail.com! We look forward to hearing from you! Follow us on Facebook @TheReadingPartyPodcastTwitter @ReadingPartyPodInstagram @TheReadingPartyPodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHB1bZ-N9nWMayVsoMEU1QSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/readingpartypodCustom music by Brent Arehart of Arehart Sounds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we contemplate whether Madeline Miller's Circe is the world's original "ugly duckling" story, why Circe and Calypso are often confused for the same person, and explore Circe's selfish and mortal hating family! We discuss this and more in this cameo filled, who is who of Greek mythology in this origin story packed first half! Want to drop us a question, comment, or opinion? Then please send us an email at thereadingpartypod@gmail.com! We look forward to hearing from you! Follow us on Facebook @TheReadingPartyPodcastTwitter @ReadingPartyPodInstagram @TheReadingPartyPodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHB1bZ-N9nWMayVsoMEU1QSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/readingpartypodCustom music by Brent Arehart of Arehart Sounds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Come and hear our thoughts on the 1954 movie Ulysses, starring Kirk Douglas, and some of the shortest man-skirts to ever grace the silver screen! Is Telemachus the most annoying teenage "boy" in existence? Why is Nausica wearing a wedding cake as a hat? All this and more, on the latest Reading Party Podcast!Want to drop us a question, comment, or opinion? Then please send us an email at thereadingpartypod@gmail.com! We look forward to hearing from you! Follow us on Facebook @TheReadingPartyPodcastTwitter @ReadingPartyPodInstagram @TheReadingPartyPodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHB1bZ-N9nWMayVsoMEU1QSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/readingpartypodCustom music by Brent Arehart of Arehart Sounds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us as we discuss how having an inside view of Paris’ and Helen’s relationship changes our understanding of the characters and the story, how we think that the gods could have been more convincingly (and helpfully!) integrated into the novel, and see whether Lexie finds any redeeming qualities in this version of Helen!Want to drop us a question, comment, or opinion? Then please send us an email at thereadingpartypod@gmail.com! We look forward to hearing from you! Follow us on Facebook @TheReadingPartyPodcastTwitter @ReadingPartyPodInstagram @TheReadingPartyPodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHB1bZ-N9nWMayVsoMEU1QSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/readingpartypodCustom music by Brent Arehart of Arehart Sounds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will this monster of a novel finally give us the Helen of Troy we’ve been looking for? Is this the sassiest Hecuba we’ve ever seen? Does someone finally end the “star-crossed lovers” trope? Did we even read the same book?! Join us for this week’s Reading Party to find out all of this and more!Want to drop us a question, comment, or opinion? Then please send us an email at thereadingpartypod@gmail.com! We look forward to hearing from you! Follow us on Facebook @TheReadingPartyPodcastTwitter @ReadingPartyPodInstagram @TheReadingPartyPodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHB1bZ-N9nWMayVsoMEU1QSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/readingpartypodCustom music by Brent Arehart of Arehart Sounds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Featuring the wildest backstory for Helen (who is “a child”), a disconcertingly graphic scene of sexual assault, and the weirdest Achilles we’ve met so far, join us as we laugh our way through the 2003 miniseries Helen of Troy. Despite taking a *very* dark turn at the end (seriously, not recommended for those with SA trauma), this is one of the funniest, most enjoyable adaptations of the Iliad that we’ve seen, and comes with an almost non-stop feeling of “what the actual fuck?!”.Want to drop us a question, comment, or opinion? Then please send us an email at thereadingpartypod@gmail.com! We look forward to hearing from you! Follow us on Facebook @TheReadingPartyPodcastTwitter @ReadingPartyPodInstagram @TheReadingPartyPodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHB1bZ-N9nWMayVsoMEU1QSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/readingpartypodCustom music by Brent Arehart of Arehart Sounds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How does Madeline Miller take Achillles from lovestruck teen to fully-fledged warrior? Is this the most rounded Briseis we’ve come across? How do you tell the end of Achilles’ story from Patroclus’ point of view when the latter dies before the former?! All this and more!Want to drop us a question, comment, or opinion? Then please send us an email at thereadingpartypod@gmail.com! We look forward to hearing from you! Follow us on Facebook @TheReadingPartyPodcastTwitter @ReadingPartyPodInstagram @TheReadingPartyPodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHB1bZ-N9nWMayVsoMEU1QSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/readingpartypodCustom music by Brent Arehart of Arehart Sounds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S1 Ep16 The Song of Achilles Part 1We enjoy a teenage romance that takes us to Patroclus and Achilles before the war even begins, and debate whether Thetis’ dislike of humanity is reasonable, and whether she is, in fact, Dark Galadriel of the ocean. As a side note…can you adapt a myth and manage to avoid using tropes?Want to drop us a question, comment, or opinion? Then please send us an email at thereadingpartypod@gmail.com! We look forward to hearing from you! Follow us on Facebook @TheReadingPartyPodcastTwitter @ReadingPartyPodInstagram @TheReadingPartyPodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHB1bZ-N9nWMayVsoMEU1QSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/readingpartypodCustom music by Brent Arehart of Arehart Sounds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We continue reading Pat Barker’s “Trojan Women”, and…well, we have questions! Why invent a totally unnecessary pregnancy for a minor character when the main character is so very pregnant? Why is Pyrrhus allowed to get away with (literal) murder? Why are there so many storylines?!Want to drop us a question, comment, or opinion? Then please send us an email at thereadingpartypod@gmail.com! We look forward to hearing from you! Follow us on Facebook @TheReadingPartyPodcastTwitter @ReadingPartyPodInstagram @TheReadingPartyPodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHB1bZ-N9nWMayVsoMEU1QSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/readingpartypodCustom music by Brent Arehart of Arehart Sounds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Moving on from the siege of Troy, we rejoin Briseis (and the rest of the Trojan women) as they wait on the beaches, slaves in the Greek camp, wondering when they’ll be herded onto boats and taken away from their country. Do we finally find a sympathetic Helen? How does Pat Barker handle the issue of forced pregnancies in slave women? Is this the most depressing book we’ve ever read?Want to drop us a question, comment, or opinion? Then please send us an email at thereadingpartypod@gmail.com! We look forward to hearing from you! Follow us on Facebook @TheReadingPartyPodcastTwitter @ReadingPartyPodInstagram @TheReadingPartyPodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHB1bZ-N9nWMayVsoMEU1QSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/readingpartypodCustom music by Brent Arehart of Arehart Sounds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We continue with Briseis’ trials in the Iliad and - despite our myriad of problems with the book - truly enjoy it and recommend it to everyone. This book contains undisguised violence and sexual assault, and episodes 12 and 13 of the podcast should be treated with caution by survivors of trauma and assault.Want to drop us a question, comment, or opinion? Then please send us an email at thereadingpartypod@gmail.com! We look forward to hearing from you! Follow us on Facebook @TheReadingPartyPodcastTwitter @ReadingPartyPodInstagram @TheReadingPartyPodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHB1bZ-N9nWMayVsoMEU1QSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/readingpartypodCustom music by Brent Arehart of Arehart Sounds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Iliad, but from Briseis’ perspective! Join Megan and Lexie as they tackle the first half of Pat Barker’s brutal retelling of the Iliad, focusing on the experiences of Briseis as she is taken into slavery in the Greek camp. This book contains undisguised violence and sexual assault, and episodes 12 and 13 of the podcast should be treated with caution by survivors of trauma and assault.Want to drop us a question, comment, or opinion? Then please send us an email at thereadingpartypod@gmail.com! We look forward to hearing from you! Follow us on Facebook @TheReadingPartyPodcastTwitter @ReadingPartyPodInstagram @TheReadingPartyPodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHB1bZ-N9nWMayVsoMEU1QSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/readingpartypodCustom music by Brent Arehart of Arehart Sounds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Natalie Haynes joins Megan and Lexie to talk about writing A Thousand Ships, her new projects, and the importance of making the ancient world accessible to everyone who wants to know about it! Featuring some serious fangirling behaviour by Megan and Lexie.Want to drop us a question, comment, or opinion? Then please send us an email at thereadingpartypod@gmail.com! We look forward to hearing from you! Follow us on Facebook @TheReadingPartyPodcastTwitter @ReadingPartyPodInstagram @TheReadingPartyPodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHB1bZ-N9nWMayVsoMEU1QSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/readingpartypodCustom music by Brent Arehart of Arehart Sounds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.