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A review by kaatiba
Blood and Circuses by Kerry Greenwood
4.0
None of these are exactly light books, but this one felt darker and more adult. I enjoyed it but it's a harsh look at circus life, which is only fitting. also loved literally every character, they're all so interesting.
Edit: surprised to see some of the scathing reviews lol. sure Phryne comes across as extremely privileged but....like. she is??? super privileged? she's aware of it and sort of rueful about it but—in a way that i felt was wonderfully refreshing—she was allowed to honestly express even to herself that she misses her luxury. where to others this may have seemed to be cringey and make it hard to sympathize with her, i just read it as a traumatic return to a self she doesn't want to be again, to a life she doesn't want to relive–one of hardship and difficulty and loneliness.
it might seem like her 'oh woe is me i can't safely be my vivacious provocative self and get people to like me' is eye-rolling nonsense, but i thought that just fleshed her out more. she loves attention, she thrives on it. when she didn't have much she could manage people and people's reaction to her, could use the force of her personality to get what she wanted. there's a whole section on her thinking this explicitly. and she loves being rich and wealthy enough to be free with herself, and why would you begrudge her that?
i mean, wouldn't you feel the same way? and for a person who grew up lonely and poor and knew the danger of being provocative but couldn't squash that since its a huge part of her identity, it would be really upsetting. Phryne is a bit child-like and sometimes childish, but i really enjoy that. she's an interesting, vibrant character, and this book made her a little more. human? with human foils and foibles. anyway /end rant i guess ^^'
Edit: surprised to see some of the scathing reviews lol. sure Phryne comes across as extremely privileged but....like. she is??? super privileged? she's aware of it and sort of rueful about it but—in a way that i felt was wonderfully refreshing—she was allowed to honestly express even to herself that she misses her luxury. where to others this may have seemed to be cringey and make it hard to sympathize with her, i just read it as a traumatic return to a self she doesn't want to be again, to a life she doesn't want to relive–one of hardship and difficulty and loneliness.
it might seem like her 'oh woe is me i can't safely be my vivacious provocative self and get people to like me' is eye-rolling nonsense, but i thought that just fleshed her out more. she loves attention, she thrives on it. when she didn't have much she could manage people and people's reaction to her, could use the force of her personality to get what she wanted. there's a whole section on her thinking this explicitly. and she loves being rich and wealthy enough to be free with herself, and why would you begrudge her that?
i mean, wouldn't you feel the same way? and for a person who grew up lonely and poor and knew the danger of being provocative but couldn't squash that since its a huge part of her identity, it would be really upsetting. Phryne is a bit child-like and sometimes childish, but i really enjoy that. she's an interesting, vibrant character, and this book made her a little more. human? with human foils and foibles. anyway /end rant i guess ^^'