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There are currently 26 member reviews
for Ariadne
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Elizabeth V. (Bellbrook, OH)
Mythology From the Female Perspective
Jennifer Saint has created a fresh and thought provoking take on the myths and heroes we normally see only from the male perspective. Her characters were well rounded and much more three dimensional than the original mythological figures. While the "heroes" were shown to be less than heroic (Theseus, I'm looking at you), the heroines were also shown to have very human flaws that made them more relatable. In particular, the contrast between Phaedra's struggles with motherhood and Ariadne's absorption by it and how both were influenced by their differing experiences of their own mother was exceedingly well drawn. Overall, a well written, well researched, highly enjoyable read.
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Roberta W. (Los Ranchos, NM)
Perfect for fans of Circe
An imaginative retelling of the myth of Ariadne. The sisters Ariadne and Phaedra are the children of Minos and Pasiphae. Their half-brother is the dreaded Minotaur who lives in a complicated labyrinth constructed by Daedalus. Each year grisly human sacrifices are made to the Minotaur and Ariadne can no longer bear it. She aids Theseus in killing the Minotaur. This is where the story begins.
The story is told from the perspective of the two sisters. It is safe to say that in this world, women get screwed---literally and figuratively. However, Saint does a good job making Adriadne and Phaedra show some determination.
Saint tells this story so well and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were times where I thought more detail would have enriched the story. I would have liked to know more about the initial attraction between Ariadne and Theseus. Was it really just his green eyes? Also, the part about Icarus and Daedalus could have been expanded because that myth alone is fascinating.
The pace and detail of the book got better after Part 1 and then it was a page-turner for me. Along with Madeline Miller's Circe, these re-telling of myths are wonderful. So many primal emotions---jealousy, revenge, lust, love. It's all there.
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Peg
Ariadne
Ariadne is a retelling of a Greek myth. Her father is King Minos and her brother the Minotaur. This retelling is from the perspective of King Minos's two daughters, Ariadne and Phaedra. The consequences the women bear due to the actions and whims of the Olympian Gods, their father the king, and the choices they believed they had to make.
Jennifer Saint makes the retelling easy to follow even if you are not familiar with the original myth. I enjoy Greek mythology and read this book in one day as I didn't want to put it down.
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Mary Ann S. (Virginia Beach, VA)
Consider an e-version...
Because of my lack of knowledge on mythology, I think I would have enjoyed this book better had I read an electronic version where I could have instantly looked something/someone up. I was sometimes confused about the characters and their relationships. I listened to (and quite liked) Circe but had the same problem with it. That's on me, not the book. Thank goodness for Google search! I thought the writing was outstanding and enjoyed the story. The main characters were well drawn and the feminist slant interesting. I think this would be a good bookclub choice.
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Amy W. (Annapolis, MD)
Greek Myth Retold
I really enjoyed this retelling of Ariadne. I was not familiar with the story so I was throughly engrossed in the tale. I was surprised that this was the authors first novel. I hope she continues to write as she is very talented.
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Teresa L. (Corona, CA)
Ariadne-Not just another Greek Mythology Retelling!
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?????????????? ???? ???????????????? ?????????? is a compelling reimagined Theseus myth but from the point of view of Ariadne and her sister Phaedra, princesses of Crete. ?
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I loved that the Minotaur tale is only a fraction of this book. It dove deeper into the lives of the sisters and what happens to them after the Minotaur is defeated.?
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Ariadne’s voice really shown through and yes, her life is a tragedy, but the power of this book is how Ariadne faces that tragedy head on!?
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I was surprised that this was a debut novel by Jennifer Saint. I can’t wait to see what else she brings to the table, her writing is alluring and you won’t want to stop reading!
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4 asteria ????????!?
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jww Davis, CA
Greek mythology made interesting
A fascinating mix of story and myth. We've all heard some of the Greek myths but often they were just bloody and we had to glean the lessons to be learned from them. Ms. Saint pulls a good many of them together, or references them in a cohesive way, to make this story of human and god interactions 'believable'.
In this day and age, the book will probably get much attention from the 'lib' crowd and be promoted by that faction. This would be unfortunate. Yes, it has a strong women's lib voice but it could be enjoyed by a wider audience if not boxed into that genre alone.
Didn't think I would - but I enjoyed the book a lot.
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