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eponineeurydice's review against another edition
5.0
Oh. This was so so so so good. I could use a hundred words to describe this: emotive, atmospheric, powerful, fierce, captivating. I put every Greek mythology book I see on my TBR, but this one looked so perfect. The Trojan War through the lens of all the women who were involved? I was so excited to dive in, and it was perfection. I read this book slowly, which I think worked very well. It was not in chronological order really, but more a series of connected stories. I was amazed by how this author could weave a continuous thread of connection throughout each chapter, how we saw the War from every side, and how the empowering message that each story matters was so strongly apparent. Mix that with the fascinating and emotional tales of Greek mythology, and you have the perfect recipe for a book! I enjoyed every single story. Would highly, highly rcommend for someone looking for a feminist read with a Mythological setting.
logicallivvy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
kaylaoswald's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
leareadstoomuch's review against another edition
funny
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This is one of those books that takes you a while to finish. It is beautifully written and I truly believe that it is an important story to be told. The pace was (as is the nature of these types of books) quite slow. My favorite parts were when Penelope was writing her letters to Odysseus. What an idiot. I loved her wit and the way the audiobook narrator (aka the author) narrated those parts. Genuinely made me laugh out loud in a book where you wouldn’t expect to be laughing.
ashley_heuser's review against another edition
5.0
This will probably be my favorite book of the year. I love classics retellings, but this is truly exceptional. It is obvious when reading this book that Haynes has a firm grasp of the cultures, attitudes, and contexts that contributed to the classics (of course she does, she is a scholar!). The characters had distinct personalities and their own goals. Haynes is able to drive plots and create tension despite the readers already knowing the fate of the women. For example, the Muse kept saying that she was not sure if she would talk about Helen, but then she did! The Muse also had very frank conversations with the poet about what it is like to be a woman and how it is not even difficult to find them in the story, but people mostly focus on the men of the stories. The themes are poignant and the characters feel so real.
lukas_718's review against another edition
hopeful
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
s_piercenyback's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
catalyst_of_chaos's review against another edition
5.0
This is undoubtedly one of the best books I have ever read. Haynes' writing is intricate, poetic, and occasionally humorous. Haynes expertly weaves the different perspectives and storylines - from Penelope to Cassandra to Aphrodite to Gaia - into a cohesive and moving novel. Some dislike the numerous different perspectives and wish the book focused more on a few characters. While I see where these people come from, I love how this book created a deep and fascinating overview of the Trojan War by telling the stories of many of the women involved. I highly recommend this book.
aschraver22's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
simplexitly's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0