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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
I always go into greek retellings with high expectations, it is perhaps then (at least partially) my fault when they fall short. I enjoyed Jennifer Saint’s Ariadne and so expected this to be similar in style and breadth. What I hadn’t anticipated was for a book titled Electra to be so focused on adjacent ‘House of Atreus’ characters (Helen, Cassandra and Clytemnestra). While they do provide a level of interesting background to the story, consuming 70% of the novel was extreme and meant the pacing of Electra’s actual story rushed. Equally, I didn’t enjoy Saint’s exploration of ‘less central’ female characters (Andromache was entirely ruined for example) they often seemed contradictory to her overall ‘feminist’ advertising of this book. That said, a lot of this just comes down to me not being an Electra (as in the character, not in this case the book) fan and feeling that it’s a somewhat overtold story with little nuance to be gained. Cassandra was, as she often is, a highlight of this book however, even she pales in comparison to her counterpart in Pat Barkers Women of Troy which feels the most similar (though in my opinion much better) ‘Greek feminist retelling’ to this text. The style was far from bad, Saint is a talented description writer and explores human experience beautifully, however, this book just wasn’t it for me!
adventurous
emotional
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
dark
emotional
medium-paced
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i want to give this 3.5 stars. I really enjoyed reading this book and i think Jennifer Saint does an amazing job at writing about the female experience in a way that is relatable with most women in my opinion. the only reason why i’m giving it a low rating is mainly just because Elektra (the character) annoyed me, but that is no fault of Jennifer, i feel like she is also just like that in the myth. Clytemnestra deserved better, i really loved her and Cassandra. Clytemnestra killing her for mercy made me cry, she just wants women to feel safe and that also reminds me of the end of Ariadne, where she wants to turn the island into a safe haven.
I really liked reading the point of view of these three characters. Like most reviewers, not sure why it is named after just one of them. We hear the story of Achilles, Odysseus, all the men so many times, but it is fresh to read the same timeline from the point of view of females of the time.
While I found Elektra (the character) interesting, I didn’t like her at all. The book could have been called “Women of the Trojan War” or something instead.
While I found Elektra (the character) interesting, I didn’t like her at all. The book could have been called “Women of the Trojan War” or something instead.
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book was brilliant but it didn’t grip me as much as Ariadne did.
(3.5) I am always excited to read a Greek mythology retelling, especially one that centers women, but I've mostly found Jennifer Saint's books to be boring. She also heavily focuses on the relationships between mothers and daughters, which is not my favorite literary subject. Her books are so pretty, but I'm not sure if they're for me.
I’ve always loved Greek mythology and their stupidity (it cracks me up each time). But what loved about this novel was how the author portrayed grief. It’s different stages, how death is viewed from different eyes and perspectives. How easy it is to get absorbed into the madness happening around you without even realizing the absurdities of the situation. How dismissive people can be of other’s opinions. And above all to have 10 yrs worth of war for a stupid woman