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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sometimes these retellings hit and sometimes they miss, this was kind of in between! The pacing was kind of weird and jumped over what should have been key moments. But I really liked the vibes and her growth as a character. Glad she got to run round the forest forever.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Violence, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual violence
Minor: Slavery
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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:
Yes
Atalanta is a heroine for the ages. Reminded me of Jo in little women, striving for independence, powerful and fearless, but also human, compassionate, flawed.
The number of times she showed up boastful, arrogant, stupid men is incredible. But she doesn’t become like them, and instead shows them that she is better than them because she is a woman, not in spite of it. In a world ruled by the gods and men, she follows her own conscience and find her own strength. Beautiful.
The number of times she showed up boastful, arrogant, stupid men is incredible. But she doesn’t become like them, and instead shows them that she is better than them because she is a woman, not in spite of it. In a world ruled by the gods and men, she follows her own conscience and find her own strength. Beautiful.
adventurous
informative
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
sad
Love Atalanta hate the ending :,( she deserved better
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I started reading Lavinia by Le Guin immediately after, which set it in stark contrast in several ways. Though I didn't dislike reading Atalanta, I constantly felt like something was missing. Whatever it is Le Guin has, her skill with language, her turn of phrase, her choices when it comes to starting off and building up a story, it immediately clicked in a way this book couldn't.
By the very end I perhaps got a sense of what Atalanta tries to do, but it's a little too heavy on the 'all men bad' and the 'not like other girls' for my taste. The way things unravel and go to shit at the end is so incredibly fast while the emotional buildup (for me) felt lacking for it to pack the punch it's undoubtedly meant to pack.
The one thing it had going for it was the way it put Iason and the Argonauts into perspective. These guys did very little, looking at it from Atalanta's pov. Orpheus saved them from the sirens (a passage that got a few pages if that). Medeia is the one who magics them to the Fleece. The grand quest falls flat on its ass. An interesting look, but overall I wasn't drawn in sufficiently to feel the catharsis.
By the very end I perhaps got a sense of what Atalanta tries to do, but it's a little too heavy on the 'all men bad' and the 'not like other girls' for my taste. The way things unravel and go to shit at the end is so incredibly fast while the emotional buildup (for me) felt lacking for it to pack the punch it's undoubtedly meant to pack.
The one thing it had going for it was the way it put Iason and the Argonauts into perspective. These guys did very little, looking at it from Atalanta's pov. Orpheus saved them from the sirens (a passage that got a few pages if that). Medeia is the one who magics them to the Fleece. The grand quest falls flat on its ass. An interesting look, but overall I wasn't drawn in sufficiently to feel the catharsis.