olympus, texas: mythology & shitty family drama
- paigenherbooks
- May 19, 2023
- 5 min read
4/5
Stacey Swann knows how to write a book. A story that is so ordinary but gilded with tones of fantasia that you’re simply glued to the pages and stopping at some points to sit and ponder exactly what’s going on and how it relates to your life. Olympus, Texas was a story that kept me engaged, it was a story about family, forgiveness, and choosing yourself at the end of the day. With classical mythology archetypes and undertones combined with the straight wretchedness of the human condition, Olympus, Texas earned its spot as 4 stars and is a story I’m sure I’ll revisit.
Synopsis: The Briscoe family is once again the talk of their small town when March returns to East Texas two years after he was caught having an affair with his brother's wife. His mother, June, hardly welcomes him back with open arms. Her husband's own past affairs have made her tired of being the long-suffering spouse. Is it, perhaps, time for a change? Within days of March's arrival, someone is dead, marriages are upended, and even the strongest of alliances are shattered. In the end, the ties that hold them together might be exactly what drag them all down.
An expansive tour de force, Olympus, Texas cleverly weaves elements of classical mythology into a thoroughly modern family saga, rich in drama and psychological complexity. After all, at some point, don't we all wonder: What good is this destructive force we call love?
Our story surrounds the Briscoe family, a wife, and a husband: June and Peter with their children, Thea, Hap, and March...and Peter's two children he had during an infidelity moment: Artie and Arlo. The story follows this family through about a week, diving deep into what makes them tick, and what issues they're having, and explores, quite well, the complexities that is having a family and the topic of forgiveness.
All the main characters inhabited characteristics and traits of classical gods and goddesses:
June: Juno
Peter: Jupiter
Hap: Hepestus
Vera: Venus
March: Mars
Artie: Artemis
Arlo: Apollo
Thea: Athena
This was such a, for lack of a better term, cool addition to the story. To see the character exhibit these classical archetypes so well while still engaging in a story that is nowhere near ancient Greece, was impressive. March was angry, Vera was stunningly beautiful, Thea was practical, Peter couldn't keep his lust in his pants, Juno was the distraught wife, Hap was considered ugly and too kind, and Artie and Apollo were twins, one quiet and the other outgoing. Seeing these characters interact within these stereotypes was intoxicating in some ways, I've read a lot of different "retellings" or stories taking inspiration from classical mythology, but I can say without a doubt, the author takes this approach so beautifully and engaging that I loved it.
Every second.
Olympus, Texas spoke often of the concept of forgiveness. What it means to truly forgive and how that doesn't always look like a Hallmark or RomCom movie definition of forgiveness. We see June forgive Peter over and over and over, but her actual forgiveness comes from her finally choosing herself and leaving him. She could only truly and authentically forgive him if she left him, totally and completely let him sit with the consequences of his actions. In order to forgive Peter she had to almost in a way forgive herself for repeatedly letting herself be treated in that way.
Her forgiveness of Peter is tied intimately to her forgiveness of herself.
She had to look in the mirror and realize that her lack of true forgiveness for her unfaithful husband had stolen so much from her. Her personality, her happiness, and the way that she treated her children. Honestly, it may seem selfish and in some ways it is. Forgiveness sometimes has to be selfish to be authentic and genuine. To truly forgive someone, to see their wrongdoings and realize that you need to leave, to stop the cycle, is something that I commend June for doing throughout the story.
We see all of our characters do this in one way or another, Vera leaves Hap to forgive herself and him, Hap forgives his brother, therefore leaving a part of his pride, March has to forgive his mother for emotionally "leaving" him as a child, and Artie has to forgive Arlo for simply not being there for her the way he should've, so, therefore, she leaves his side as his trusted companion. This story really drove home the concept that leaving, removing oneself from a situation one can no longer healthily take space in, is a form of forgiveness of not only themselves but of the other person. This story genuinely made me sit and reflect on how I forgive people within my own life and the realization that sometimes forgiveness should be "selfish" if it is to be genuine forgiveness. The kind to where you can actually move on and learn.
The overall plot of the story was engaging and I was glued to the pages from the word go. The way the author crafts the story is one that is insightful and colorful, without elaborating too much on small details. The story takes place within a week and within that week we also get some background "lore" on our characters. I ate this up. Being able to feel like I was dropped into the family's daily life, air out all of their dirty laundry, while also getting the nitty gritty background information?
My kind of book.
This way of setting up the story made the readers feel close to the characters in the present moment while also being able to understand essentially why they are the way that they are. It was a comprehensible and engaging way to read a story. To that, I have to applaud the author for creating a connection so strong in such a condensed way.
The plot was also one that I didn't totally know what was coming next, again, it felt as if I was just a fly on the wall of this family's day-to-day. I genuinely liked this, the shock and awe of the main plot points alongside the smaller subplot of character development were intertwined in a way that crafted a beautiful and thought-provoking story.
As someone who comes from a small town, I thought the depiction of the town pressures and the "everyone knows everyone" setting was spot on and a little triggering (jkjk...hahahahahahah)
Having this family be such a "big" part of the town and having the "lore" around them be something that everyone was waiting for and pounced on at the first chance of a good gossip sesh, makes the story feel more real. It's something that I have experienced and I know a lot of other people have as well. Putting the family that is seemingly on fire, in a setting where they are essentially on the stage to be slaughtered, was intriguing.
I loved it. Reality t.v but in book form??? Hell. Yes.
Then the story just ends.
In a blazing fire of glory, our characters are simply put to rest. We are along the ride for this grueling character development timeline and once they reach the next chapter of character development our story ends. You close the book and have to go on with your life. Or you sit and ponder absolutely everything about your life, how you interact with people, and how everyone you know fits into a character archetype of one of our main characters.
I may have spiraled just a bit, in the best way.
Olympus, Texas was a good fucking book. She was interesting, thought-provoking, and held moments of sheer heartbreak, horror, betrayal, love, and forgiveness. This book is one that I think could and should be dissected by every senior language arts class. It holds a lot of lessons that I think everyone who reads could find one that they relate to.
This book is one that I think about from time to time and one I'm sure I'll revisit with my highlighter sooner before later...and possibly write some dissertation-worthy paper on the subject of forgiveness and how it reflects in life.
So, be on the lookout.
Until next time, happy reading :)
xoxo,
paige :)
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