Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes

91 reviews

marisa_n's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Misogyny, Murder, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Gore, Torture, Abandonment, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Grief, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, and War

margodawful's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

This is going to be long because I have a lot of thoughts and nobody to talk to them about LOL personal diary entry here we go. 

Overall as a feminist retelling (tm) of the Odyssey/Iliad this book was fascinating and VERY good. The author was clearly well researched and had spent time thinking about how she wished to put this book together. The order was not as random as it seemed to me when I began reading. It is a slow read as well, but I think that is normal to be expected with this kind of subject matter.

I really enjoyed the characterization of Helen- there is always such a debate over whether or not she willingly went with Paris. Subsequently, feminist discussions of the Iliad are around Helen's agency and in doing so don't leave room for her to be a person (which, to be fair, she never really gets any characterization lol). Helen's acceptance of godly machinations and her acceptance of the mixed jealousy/hatred/ardor of other women is also really fascinating.

I felt sometimes that Calliope was much too overtly feminist (but that might be a personal preference). Sometimes Penelope was this way too, spelling it out for the audience too much. But at the same time that also serves a purpose in the grand narrative. And I think Calliope using these stories to punish the male poet who demanded her help is ace. 

I had other thoughts but I lost them! Just would recommend to people even though it wasn't perfect!! It's a gem in a sea of poor feminist retellings (this is an ariadne callout post)

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual violence

rcroteau's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional

5.0

An excellent book. I would say that it is predicated on the assumption that the reader is already pretty familiar with the major events of the Trojan War.   And not just what is covered in the Iiliad, but events in the Oresteia, the Aenied, etc. Most of the more obscure characters and events are explained pretty well, but the book really only works if you go into it knowing who Cassandra and Hecabe and Penelope and Hellen and Clytemnestra at least vaguely. 

Its phenomenal though. While centering the stories of these women certainly isnt unheard of (and not just modern texts like the Penelopiad. The Trojan Women by Euripedes is from 415BC is the source for the chapters that share its name)  The way they are handled here does such an excellent job at breathing life and courage and tragedy into these stories. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, War, and Murder

rd77's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.5

A very interesting read. The author was able to make you sympathize for each woman very quickly, and it was interesting to think about the impact of the war on women, since it’s not talked about nearly enough. The only thing I didn’t like was Penelope’s chapters- for anyone who has read The Odyssey, it’s a tired retelling of it, with little actual insight to Penelope’s side of the story until her last 2 chapters. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Animal death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, War, Abandonment, Blood, Child death, Death, Slavery, and Sexual violence

marianneiriss's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, Rape, War, Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual violence, Violence, Child death, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Slavery

Moderate: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Xenophobia, War, Torture, Slavery, Infidelity, and Cursing

Minor: Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Incest, Abandonment, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Suicide, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, and Self harm

gertrudethemoonstone's review against another edition

emotional reflective relaxing sad medium-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Violence, Trafficking, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexism, Murder, Grief, Child death, and Death

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Self harm, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore

Minor: Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Incest, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, and Suicidal thoughts

beiiadonna's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Sexual violence, Violence, Sexism, Sexual assault, Murder, and Death

Moderate: Child abuse and Child death

orlagal's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Incest, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Vomit, and War

claudiamacpherson's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 

“When a war was ended, the men lost their lives. But the women lost everything else.”

Homer’s <i>Iliad</i> has inspired generations of epic tales: tales of war, rage, violence, and glory. But these tales have been told primarily by and about men. In <i>A Thousand Ships</i>, Haynes asks: What about the women? Many of their stories have been told, yes, but as footnotes or backstories for the “real” heroes: the men. But why should heroism be confined to the battlefield? The women of Troy lose everything, but must find the courage to continue. Penelope waits for her husband for 20 years, but uses her wit to escape her suitors and stay loyal and true to her husband. 

As a rule, I prefer my stories with happy endings. I went into this book knowing that I wouldn’t get one, and worried that that would ruin the story for me, but it didn’t. The stories were told so beautifully and the endings so inevitable that I loved each one of them (even as I cried for the lost). I’ve read a lot of really incredible mythology-inspired books this year, and this was definitely one of my favorites!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and War

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

Minor: Alcohol, Incest, Self harm, Sexual content, and Suicide

camsara99's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A Thousand Ships focuses on the women who played a role in the legendary Trojan War, and all of the heroic and tragic roles they played before, during, and long after. 

This book is one of the most beautifully written I have read in a long time. The prose itself completely sucked me in, not to mention the incredibly well-constructed story. Natalie Haynes did a phenomenal justice to all of these characters who always seem to come second to their male counterparts, if not just ignored completely. 

I particularly loved the chapters about Cassandra. Haynes wrote her with such care and intelligence, while still keeping the youth of the character clear. I was happy to see in the afterword that this character was her favourite as well.

I also strongly recommend listening to the audiobook for this. It is narrated by the author so you hear everything exactly as it was intended, and the performance is phenomenal. I can’t wait to read more from Natalie Haynes going forward.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, Vomit, Slavery, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual content, and War

Moderate: Animal death and Animal cruelty

Minor: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt