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Ariadne


A mesmerizing debut novel about Ariadne, Princess of Crete for fans of Madeline ...
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Does Dionysus' indictment of the gods ring true to you? Do you think Dionysus himself is different, especially in his relationship with Ariadne and their sons?

Created: 05/13/21

Replies: 6

Posted May. 13, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
davinamw

Join Date: 10/15/10

Posts: 3442

Does Dionysus' indictment of the gods ring true to you? Do you think Dionysus himself is different, especially in his relationship with Ariadne and their sons?

Discuss Dionysus' indictment of the gods: "The gods do not know love, because they cannot imagine an end to anything they enjoy. Their passions do not burn brightly as a mortal's passions do, because they can have whatever they desire for the rest of eternity. How could they cherish or treasure anything? Nothing to them is more than a passing amusement and when they have done with it, there will be another and another and another, until the end of time itself." Does this description ring true to you? Do you think Dionysus himself is different, especially in his relationship with Ariadne and their sons?


Posted May. 16, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
JLPen77

Join Date: 02/05/16

Posts: 362

RE: Does Dionysus' indictment of ...

That quote was one of the great lines in this novel. It rings true to me in the sense that we tend not to value what is constantly, readily available to us, in endless supply.. unless and until it is threatened. Mother Earth, or our health, or the gift of time with loved ones...when we find ourselves in a lockdown, all sorts of things we took for granted become precious.

Dionysius comes across to me as the most human of the gods, the author’s way of saying that we all have great gifts, powers, to use or abuse. He struggles to use his gifts well, for the benefit of others, yet he still gets tripped up by his ego, just as many great men have done. He does show that he can learn and grow from his empathetic encounters with others, yet he harbors an old resentment with Perseus. And like any human, he will grieve the love that his mistake costs him. In his case for eternity. It feels like that for us.


Posted May. 17, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
peggyt

Join Date: 08/10/17

Posts: 215

RE: Does Dionysus' indictment of ...

Immortality might make you less appreciative of things that are fleeting such as the lives of humans. Dionysus seems to be more aware that lives and loves can be lost because of his previous experience. He did seem to truly love Ariadne and their children but he also had that pull to be worshipped by the whole world and the cult of the Maenads.


Posted May. 20, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
acstrine

Join Date: 02/06/17

Posts: 438

RE: Does Dionysus' indictment of ...

I thought this was one of the best lines of the novel. Dionysus seems to be a very conflicted person. His mother was mortal; and while he never knew her he continues to be outraged on her behalf at her treatment by the gods. His very life, however, was saved by Zeus, a god--yet he cannot enjoy the same privileges due to constantly having to avoid Hera. It seems he made this statement in anger rather than an everyday observation. I definitely read this as a put down. The gods are actually lesser than mortals because they have never experienced true love or passion. These things are what make life living.

Even though Dionysus had the undying admiration of the maenads, a beautiful wife, and his sons-even though he knew love- - he was furious that he couldn't have Perseus as well. Perhaps he was even calling himself out in the above statement (I know better but I'm going to do it anyway), as he displayed very god-like behavior in that he could not imagine not having what he wanted. This led to a war, a taker of life, and the direct opposite of fertility/birth.


Posted May. 27, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
celiaarnaud

Join Date: 04/18/12

Posts: 73

RE: Does Dionysus' indictment of ..

I think Dionysus starts off different from the other gods. He seems to truly care about Ampelos, Ariadne, and his children. But forever is a long time, and when the things you love age or die, your relationship to them changes and you harden yourself. At the beginning, he didn’t want worshippers. He just wanted everybody to have a good time. In that way, he was like a good host. But he eventually grew to want worshippers just like the other gods. And that led to that horrible scene at Argos, where he couldn’t do with human babies what he had been able to do with baby goats.


Posted May. 31, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
BuffaloGirl

Join Date: 01/13/18

Posts: 208

RE: Does Dionysus' indictment of ...

This quote is my second favorite of the novel. I feel that the ultra-wealthy could be substituted for the gods and it would describe them perfectly.

Initially I felt Dionysus was different, but as the book progressed and he spent more time away from his family, he transpired into the typical god he had previously described. The gods had absolute power when they wanted it. "Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely." - Lord Action (19th century British politician)


Posted Jun. 14, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
beverlyj

Join Date: 12/22/11

Posts: 138

RE: Does Dionysus' indictment of ...

The quote was one of my favorite lines in the book and helped to endear Dionysus to me. Often times he seemed human or at least he seems to understand how humans and Gods operate and while like all Gods he had his weak spots and does seem to like the advantages he has as a God.

I think he did love Ariadne and their sons and I think this "love" was unexpected to him and thus yes, I believed he was changed by this love.


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