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A review by storykath
Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
I was underwhelmed with this novel compared to other literary adaptations of Greek myths (*cough* Madeline Miller *cough*). I didn't find that this interpretation added anything noteworthy to the stories of Ariadne and Phaedra. The reflections on the roles of women in Ancient Greece were relevant, but came across as surface-level and lost their appeal after the umpteenth repetition of the same thoughts. Other works examine the role of women in myth/history in a more interesting way.
The writing itself didn't draw me in either. It seemed arbitrary which scenes were given detail and focus and which were glossed over. I was jarred the first time the POV shifted because we were already a fair way into the novel by then. There was also a single chapter written in present tense, and whatever effect was intended by that change was lost on me because I was just so aware of that shift. In the scenes where Ariadne was present to witness something outside of her "original myth", I was disappointed because it felt contrived in order to include as many different stories as possible - Ariadne never had any actual impact in those scenes, she just witnessed them occurring so they could be included in the novel.
There were portions of the story that were beautifully written, with attention given to historical accuracy and detail, but in others the writing felt almost lazy, with modern turns of phrase and minimal effort to immerse the reader in the ancient world. I was surprised to reach the end and discover that the author has a degree in classics (if I recall correctly), which would have led me to expect more emphasis on Ancient Greek history, culture, etc.
Altogether, I was disappointed by the execution of the story. As a casual read, or if you want to familiarize yourself with Greek myths in an accessible way, Ariadne fits the bill, but it didn't live up to my expectations.
The writing itself didn't draw me in either. It seemed arbitrary which scenes were given detail and focus and which were glossed over. I was jarred the first time the POV shifted because we were already a fair way into the novel by then. There was also a single chapter written in present tense, and whatever effect was intended by that change was lost on me because I was just so aware of that shift. In the scenes where Ariadne was present to witness something outside of her "original myth", I was disappointed because it felt contrived in order to include as many different stories as possible - Ariadne never had any actual impact in those scenes, she just witnessed them occurring so they could be included in the novel.
There were portions of the story that were beautifully written, with attention given to historical accuracy and detail, but in others the writing felt almost lazy, with modern turns of phrase and minimal effort to immerse the reader in the ancient world. I was surprised to reach the end and discover that the author has a degree in classics (if I recall correctly), which would have led me to expect more emphasis on Ancient Greek history, culture, etc.
Altogether, I was disappointed by the execution of the story. As a casual read, or if you want to familiarize yourself with Greek myths in an accessible way, Ariadne fits the bill, but it didn't live up to my expectations.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Suicide, Blood, Death, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Child death, Alcohol, and Death of parent
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Sexism, and Gore
Minor: Violence and Infidelity