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tashtasher's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Animal death and Alcohol
galexy_brain's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Confinement, Infidelity, Vomit, Cannibalism, Abortion, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Pandemic/Epidemic
icarusandthesun's review against another edition
- 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
2.5
i found it really hard to enjoy this one. as someone who's read quite a few mythology retellings, surprsingly little was new to me, and even though it's advertised as very feminist and "epic", it didn't feel revolutionary at all.
i love that haynes introduced me to a couple of women and aspects in greek mythology that i hadn't previously heard of, but the stories themselves were a little, hm, flat maybe? i found myself unable to feel for the characters sometimes.
part of it's probably because of the amount of information in this book. haynes tried to fit the whole iliad (and odyssey) into 350 pages and all of it, all of the things that happened (though retold from the women's perspectives) felt textbook-dry.
i expected something emotional and fiercely feminist, but it ended up being unexciting and not entirely feminist either i feel like??? because though penelope wrote those letters, they were basically just retellings of the odyssey, of odysseus' adventures. we got the occasional "it's very lonely without you and there are suitors who invade our home", but other than that she was just retelling her husband's stories. idk.
i appreciate this book as a means to aquire knowledge (i learned many women's names that i've never even heard of), but as a novel it was mediocre at best.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Infidelity and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Rape, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
sareidle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Child death, Death, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and War
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Kidnapping
Minor: Sexual content
lizziea229's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Grief, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
allie2ley's review against another edition
- 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? N/A
5.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and War
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Rape, Sexual violence, and Slavery
rosehw's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Death, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and War
dniespal's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Deportation, and Pandemic/Epidemic
miaaa_lenaaa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Penelopes buts were the best
Odysseus is not like other men😏
‘Who could love a coward… someone for whom the alternative is loving a corpse.’
‘That is what it means to refuse a god. It is to be driven mad.’
‘Waiting is the cruelest thing i have ever endured.’
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Genocide, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and War
natashaball's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Slavery, Grief, and War