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A review by kazuchuu
Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
emotional
sad
fast-paced
4.0
“What I did not know was that I had hit upon a truth of womanhood: however blameless a life we led, the passions and the greed of men could bring us to ruin, and there was nothing we could do.”
There is something about this book that had me breezing through its pages; I simply could not put it down. I have always loved Greek myth retellings, and this one, too, drew me in (and refused to let go until I had finished it.) I loved the writing in particular. It was emotive and expressive, so much so that Ariadne’s grief, rage, and happiness were almost palpable.
This is her story, but it is also the story of her sister, Phaedra. I personally enjoyed the differing POVs, and the stark contrast they revealed between the two sisters. Cautious, sensitive Ariadne, and bold, unwavering Phaedra. Two girls, raised under the same roof, and yet so different—the trajectory of their lives, even more so. I especially enjoyed the contrast between their experiences with motherhood and how it changed them forever. It was heartbreaking, but it was a great read.
Still, the pacing of this story surprised me a bit. The more famous myth of Theseus and the Minotaur is over within, like, ten chapters (of forty!), so I grew a little worried about what the rest of the book would cover. Sure enough, after being abandoned on Naxos and meeting Dionysus, the story of Ariadne slows drastically. I think it would have been better if the author had stretched out the major events a bit more, given each of them more time to develop. Or, alternatively, she could have expanded more on other events that took place during Ariadne’s adjustment in Naxos. It would have made for a better balance in the story.
But I think my biggest wish for this novel isfor the ending to have been different. This is a story filled with suffering, with strife. Ariadne hardly knows a moment of peace before the next disaster strikes. Even with this, there are versions of her myth where she lives and is granted immortality. So why did she have to be killed in this retelling? What’s the message in that? That women are doomed, no matter what? That rightful defiance can yield nothing but tragedy? The ending seemed to undermine the overall message of the book, especially one that promotes itself as a feminist retelling. There is simply no joy in watching a character die after they’d endured so much in their life. Ariadne deserved to live, especially since, in some myths, she does. The ending felt a bit sudden, too, like the author had a limited number of words left to tie up loose ends.
Nevertheless, I can’t say I didn’t enjoy this story; I kept coming back to it until it was over. You can even see how the author references the ancient oral tradition with her writing style. For lovers of Circe, this can be another great read, especially for Greek mythology enthusiasts.
There is something about this book that had me breezing through its pages; I simply could not put it down. I have always loved Greek myth retellings, and this one, too, drew me in (and refused to let go until I had finished it.) I loved the writing in particular. It was emotive and expressive, so much so that Ariadne’s grief, rage, and happiness were almost palpable.
This is her story, but it is also the story of her sister, Phaedra. I personally enjoyed the differing POVs, and the stark contrast they revealed between the two sisters. Cautious, sensitive Ariadne, and bold, unwavering Phaedra. Two girls, raised under the same roof, and yet so different—the trajectory of their lives, even more so. I especially enjoyed the contrast between their experiences with motherhood and how it changed them forever. It was heartbreaking, but it was a great read.
Still, the pacing of this story surprised me a bit. The more famous myth of Theseus and the Minotaur is over within, like, ten chapters (of forty!), so I grew a little worried about what the rest of the book would cover. Sure enough, after being abandoned on Naxos and meeting Dionysus, the story of Ariadne slows drastically. I think it would have been better if the author had stretched out the major events a bit more, given each of them more time to develop. Or, alternatively, she could have expanded more on other events that took place during Ariadne’s adjustment in Naxos. It would have made for a better balance in the story.
But I think my biggest wish for this novel is
Nevertheless, I can’t say I didn’t enjoy this story; I kept coming back to it until it was over. You can even see how the author references the ancient oral tradition with her writing style. For lovers of Circe, this can be another great read, especially for Greek mythology enthusiasts.