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hanryclay's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
my god this knocked me out
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Incest
dragonlilly's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
3.0
Anne Carson's poem was interesting, and consistently embedded with a sorrowful and lonely feeling. There's no doubt that there was meaning to each chapter, but for some reason it did not feel as compelling as I had hoped. Herackles became more irritating over time, which I suppose was the point, and even seemed to further Geryon's trauma. Ancash is the best and most reasonable character, even wanting to help Geryon, while at the same time it seems like Ancash is a bit jealous of Geryon's past relationship with Herakles. The choice of setting surprised me, but I understand it and thought it was used well. For a moment I did not like the way Carson's verse story ended, mainly because it felt sudden, but I do see it as somewhat hopeful.
Overall, I liked Anne Carson's sort of semi-retelling of another work that retells a story from another perspective. However, I preferred her translation of the poet Stesichorus' poem Geryoneis to her own work, as I just found it to affect me so much more, and felt even more tragic yet beautiful. Anne Carson does discuss Stesichorus' use of description and adjectives, and she replicates it very well in her story. However, nothing in this story affected me more than Stesichorus' last chapter (which I am sure Carson made it sound more beautiful and I heavily credit her with that):
XVI. Geryon's End
The red world And corresponding red breezes
Went on Geryon did not
Overall, I liked Anne Carson's sort of semi-retelling of another work that retells a story from another perspective. However, I preferred her translation of the poet Stesichorus' poem Geryoneis to her own work, as I just found it to affect me so much more, and felt even more tragic yet beautiful. Anne Carson does discuss Stesichorus' use of description and adjectives, and she replicates it very well in her story. However, nothing in this story affected me more than Stesichorus' last chapter (which I am sure Carson made it sound more beautiful and I heavily credit her with that):
XVI. Geryon's End
The red world And corresponding red breezes
Went on Geryon did not
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Sexual assault
charrlee's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Anne Carson, the prose that you are. Hills, distances, time, captivation, light, beluga whales, and a little red dog will serve to haunt my memories. Oh red, how you are a color of much weight. When do the cameras stop developing their photos? What image is that?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Violence, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Body shaming, and Ableism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Homophobia, and Sexual assault
waterbear0821's review against another edition
3.0
Well that sure happened. But why?
I enjoyed the poetry and the premise but not the story.
I liked the very Anne-Carson-y “if…then…” poem at the beginning. I liked the descriptions of the places and weather and voices and feelings. But I could not have cared less about the story and that feels like a failure.
Maybe I’ll have to try again.
I did like how it made my brain function.
I enjoyed the poetry and the premise but not the story.
I liked the very Anne-Carson-y “if…then…” poem at the beginning. I liked the descriptions of the places and weather and voices and feelings. But I could not have cared less about the story and that feels like a failure.
Maybe I’ll have to try again.
I did like how it made my brain function.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Incest
lavalierre's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Sexual assault
meganb392b0's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Need to reread to fully appreciate. I feel like I only scratched the surface. Note: get physical book to reread not digital.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
msprufrock's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Incest and Sexual assault
readingbrb's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest and Sexual assault
elderwoodreads's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-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
4.0
I definitely need to reread this on paper to fully absorb the story, and honestly will probably rate it higher once I do. I loved the vibes of this book and the scenes I felt I fully understood were beautifully written. I am very interested in reading more of the author's works.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Incest, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Drug use
emmleo's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.0
Vanskelig bok å få grep om. Kan hende det lå mer på meg, men lange perioder av boken hvor jeg ikke skjønte hva som foregikk og kjedet meg veldig. Jeg har lest myten om Herakles nylig, men følte ikke det hjalp så veldig. Kanskje hvis jeg hadde visst mer om konteksten og det Carson referer til. Skjønte litt mer da jeg leste oversetterens etterord. Likte allikevel slutten på boken. Likte dynamikken mellom Geryon og Ancash. Forholdet mellom Geryon og Herakles var noe komplekst. Likte slutten med Geryon som endelig bruker vingene sine igjen. Geryon var en karakter jeg likte å lese om på tross av alt. Poetisk, fint språk.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Incest, and Child abuse
Moderate: Sexual content