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Sin Eater by Megan Campisi

Sin Eater by Megan Campisi

Has anyone heard of sin-eating? I had no idea sin-eaters were an actual thing until I read Sin Eater by Megan Campisi. Of course, I had a go down the Google rabbit hole after I finished reading this novel to learn more about sin-eaters. It was an actual custom practiced in many countries, more particularly in Scotland, Wales and England, were a person, the sin-eater, would consume a ritual meal in order to take on the sins of a deceased person. The last known sin-eater apparently died in 1906. It is interesting the things that people believe in, and it is also interesting that anyone with such beliefs would willingly take on the role of sin-eater.

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The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

I first became aware of The Song of Achilles when I read Miller’s other book Circe (published after The Song of Achilles. I also highly recommend you read it), then I started to notice it pop up on lists of must-read books. If you have any interest in Greek mythology or tragic love stories, I highly recommend this book. I only know the bare bones about Greek mythology myself; before reading this novel, my knowledge of Achilles was limited to him being a great hero with a weak heel. The Song of Achilles tells the story of Achilles through the perspective of Achilles’ great love, Patroclus. Miller based her novel on Homer’s the Iliad, where Achilles is a strong fighter and difficult to kill (but doesn’t have a vulnerable heel) but she diverges from the Illiad by writing the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus as a romantic one.

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