Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes

16 reviews

tieflingmom's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Sexual harassment, Grief, Blood, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Colonisation, Rape, Toxic relationship, War, Genocide, Abandonment, and Sexual assault

galexy_brain's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I found it incredibly realistic that the women in this novel didn't necessarily realize that some of their thoughts and belief patterns about themselves and about other women were because of the patriarchy they are under.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Classism, Death, Slavery, Gore, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Death of parent, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Violence, and War

Moderate: Grief, Trafficking, Blood, Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, Alcohol, Animal death, Confinement, Vomit, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Abortion, Cannibalism, and Infidelity

sareidle's review against another edition

adventurous challenging sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

It took a little while to get into the structure of the book - the chapters switch between different women affected by the Trojan War - but it built momentum by the halfway point. There are moments of humor to lighten the tragedies described.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Death, Sexual violence, Violence, Abandonment, Murder, Child death, War, Rape, and Suicide

Moderate: Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, and Kidnapping

Minor: Sexual content

dniespal's review against another edition

emotional 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Violence, Grief, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Deportation, Kidnapping, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Classism, Genocide, Death of parent, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Slavery, War, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse

nialiversuch's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Blood, Slavery, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Abandonment, Suicide attempt, Violence, War, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Body horror, Child death, Genocide, Grief, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexism, Alcoholism, and Emotional abuse

annasbookreviews's review

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Grief, Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Pregnancy, War, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Suicide, Trafficking, Medical content, Self harm, Vomit, and Violence

solaris_zip's review against another edition

slow-paced

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

4.0

The book is quite slow, at least for me. The first half of the book is very entertaining, it make you want to read more and more. The last couple of chapters are a bit slower and i didn’t really fancy to read them. For example, I found Penelope’s chapters to be the most boring ones, especially at the end. The book is complex and it narrates the story of women during the Troy war (Greek/Troy women). It shows the two side of the coins, the privilege some of them had and/or how some of them got their privileges revoked. It’s a very good book, it screams female range and definitely worth a reading.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Rape, Abandonment, Slavery, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Violence, and Murder

withlivjones's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

“A war does not ignore half the people whose lives it touches. So why do we?” 

THIS is how you do a retelling. Natalie Haynes expertly weaves together a tapestry of narratives to provide us with a detailed picture of the Trojan War from the perspective of the women who were affected by it. And it is commendable how many women she includes, from the well-known Cassandra to the more obscure Laodamia and Oenone. I would recommend prior knowledge of the Trojan Cycle in order to get the most out of this book, just because of the amount of detail Haynes has managed to pack in, but the novel still feels accessible enough that one would probably still understand it with minimal knowledge. 

There are so many fantastic lines throughout that really pack a punch, and the novel discusses the different things that can define womanhood, what it means to be a hero (because the heroes of the Trojan War weren’t just the ones fighting), and the lasting effects of war. Haynes draws from a wide range of ancient sources, and I particularly enjoy the inspiration from Ovid’s Heroides in Penelope’s letters to Odysseus that gradually get more and more impatient and sarcastic. My favourite parts by far, though, are Calliope’s chapters that suddenly become rather meta, as if she is wrenching control of the story from the male poet who is entreating her in a display of feminine solidarity - in order to give her fellow women the spotlight. I sometimes feel like Haynes is speaking directly to female readers through these characters who are suffering at the hands of the patriarchy and saying ‘I see you, and you are not alone’. It’s enough to inspire a bit of female rage in all of us. 

There are a few other perspectives I would have loved to see: Helen’s, for example, since I still believe she is grossly misrepresented in many interpretations of the Trojan Cycle. Haynes also expresses a wish that she could have included a chapter on Dido, which I also would have thoroughly enjoyed. But if anything, this is just a sign that I wish the book were longer! 

Overall, this is definitely going to the top of my list of favourite Greek mythology retellings, and in the future I will be recommending it to anyone who expresses an interest in the Iliad. Why read the Catalogue of Ships when you can read a catalogue of reasons why men suck? (jk jk…) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Grief, Violence, Death, Child death, Rape, Slavery, War, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Alcohol, Animal death, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail

dummehure's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

As always an amazing take of a story of greek mythology that has been told countless times. What I appreciate most about Madeline Miller's retellings is the freedom she gives herself to fill in the gabs and create a story that feels real and thought out from beginning to end. 
What I especially loved about this one, aside from the authors note at the end, was the language. She has such a beautiful writing style that completely contracts the horrific content of the story and she uses that contrast to shock the readers. 
I will be rereading this book whenever I get the opportunity in the future. 
Again, thank you for this masterpiece!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Medical trauma, Medical content, and Death

ashleycmms's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Grief, Pregnancy, Rape, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, and War