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madsleeps's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
northernfleabag's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
helenggvv's review against another edition
5.0
Simply stunning. Claire North's prose and storytelling skills have enthralled me deeply.
I read a lot of Greek mythology retellings, It's my favourite thing in the world, and I just love to be currently living in the greek myth literature hype. Yet sometimes I find that only the same myths and stories get told over and over with different voices or POV. So how wonderfully refreshing has been to come across Claire North's Ithaca, which explores a story we are all familiar with but from a completely new perspective: the sociopolitical and economic situation of Ithaca that takes place while Odysseus is away. With an unexpected narrator and the involvement of so many ignored characters, Ithaca summons a powerful and tense storytelling (that reminded me of Game of Thrones) and takes us through an untold journey of power, vengeance, betrayal and resilience. 10 out of 10. I can't wait to read the following instalments.
I read a lot of Greek mythology retellings, It's my favourite thing in the world, and I just love to be currently living in the greek myth literature hype. Yet sometimes I find that only the same myths and stories get told over and over with different voices or POV. So how wonderfully refreshing has been to come across Claire North's Ithaca, which explores a story we are all familiar with but from a completely new perspective: the sociopolitical and economic situation of Ithaca that takes place while Odysseus is away. With an unexpected narrator and the involvement of so many ignored characters, Ithaca summons a powerful and tense storytelling (that reminded me of Game of Thrones) and takes us through an untold journey of power, vengeance, betrayal and resilience. 10 out of 10. I can't wait to read the following instalments.
ashlo26's review against another edition
3.75
This was just a beautiful audio book to listen to. Do i understand everything that happened? Nah. But thats not the books fault
thaumata's review against another edition
5.0
I wish I could read this again for the first time. Claire North is a new author to me but I feel pretty sure I will read her entire catalog in 2024.
tierneyreads's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
4.0
indyjg's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-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
3.5
Howdy, all! I’m not dead; I’ve just been in the deep crevasse of a reading slump, which I think I have now bested (mostly.) Anyway! It may have taken me 2+ months to finish this book, but I am glad I did! Ithaca is a study of the Odyssey through the eyes of Hera, which is such an interesting concept. Hera concerns herself with the people most often forgotten about in these great epic stories: the women. Not just Queens like Clytemnestra and Penelope but servants and slaves. And boy, do they see and have quite an impact on the goings on of Ithaca.
The story dragged a bit for me in the middle, which is only somewhat to blame for me taking 2+ months to finish it (life, ya know?) Also, since it is from the perspective of Hera, as a reader, you're left feeling somewhat removed from Penelope's emotions. But, the ending has me excited to see how Penelope’s story will tie up. We all know how Odysseus returns home and how *that* ends, but I am intrigued to see more of Penelope’s reaction to the homecoming. So while I enjoyed the end, some of the characters were left feeling two-dimensional and not fleshed out.
Overall, Ithaca by Claire North gets 3.5/5 stars from me. Rounded down to 3 stars for Goodreads.
The story dragged a bit for me in the middle, which is only somewhat to blame for me taking 2+ months to finish it (life, ya know?) Also, since it is from the perspective of Hera, as a reader, you're left feeling somewhat removed from Penelope's emotions. But, the ending has me excited to see how Penelope’s story will tie up. We all know how Odysseus returns home and how *that* ends, but I am intrigued to see more of Penelope’s reaction to the homecoming. So while I enjoyed the end, some of the characters were left feeling two-dimensional and not fleshed out.
Overall, Ithaca by Claire North gets 3.5/5 stars from me. Rounded down to 3 stars for Goodreads.
bookwhisperercat's review
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
mkzwren's review against another edition
5.0
There's so much I could say about this book, but my takeaways are 1) Hera is a delightful and unusual treasure of a narrator who won me over completely and 2) I must read every book Claire North has ever written.