Books for Change discussion

This is the thread for the discussion for our February BOTM, The Song of Achilles
Discussion Leader: Gabriela

This has been on tbr for a long time but i'm lowkey scared to read it. (But i will don't worry) :)

Hey everyone. I always loved ancient Greek mythology, so I picked this book based on that. But this story has so much more in it. We have love, friendship, and adventure. However, I will warn you before you read it that you might cry (I cried like a baby) and your heart can be broken in the ending. That is to say that I am overly excited to be the discussion leader this month because this is one of my favourite books. So, I hope you love it as much as I did.

Well, the schedule can be 50 pages every three days starting day 5 what do you think? And then I would ask questions and we can discuss together. Also, tell me about your expectations.

I have here a mythological background if anyone is interest in the history behind

The story of the Trojan war begins with the wedding of the mortal Peleus and the sea nymph Thetis. All the gods are invited to this lavish feast except one: Eris, the goddess of strife. Angry at not being included, she comes to the party anyway, just long enough to throw a golden apple into the crowd. On it is written: “for the fairest.”

Immediately the three most powerful goddesses, Hera, queen of the gods; Athena, goddess of wisdom; and Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, begin to quarrel over which of them deserves the apple most. At an impasse, they present their arguments to the king of the gods, Zeus, who wisely declines to be the judge. Instead, he picks Paris, a beautiful young prince of Troy, to make the final choice.

The three goddesses appear to Paris, each with a tempting reward if he chooses her. Hera promises unlimited power, Athena exceptional wisdom, and Aphrodite the most beautiful woman in the world for his wife. She does not add that this woman, Helen, is already married.

The rest is (mythological) history. Paris chooses Aphrodite and she in turn helps him steal Helen from her husband Menelaus, thus starting the Trojan War. She also becomes his personal protector, and in the Iliad it is she and the god Apollo who are Troy’s staunchest defenders. The other two goddesses declare their eternal enmity towards Troy and, joined by the sea-god Poseidon, conspire to aid the Greeks in destroying the city.

Meanwhile, the now-wedded Thetis becomes pregnant by Peleus. The child is Achilles, who will grow up to play his own part in the war against Troy.

Hey! If anyone's read the book, share your opinion here. How much ever you've read, it's okay. Just tell us what you think!