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thecandiegirl's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
4.5
Moderate: Ableism, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Incest, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic
emmonsannae's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A really nice collection of myths. C.H. doesn't glamorize or soften any of the original content (which inevitably forces the reader to ask why these stories are worth preserving, and what they say about us who came up with or reread them). I think this is a great read because it challenges an optimistic anthropology and forces uncomfortable questions about humans/nature/history/culture. It is a feminist retelling, to the extent that it centralizes women's experiences and imagines their desires and opinions. Women here aren't one-line tragedies of rape, abandonment, grief, or faithless gods while heroes galavant through their brave deeds. C.H. puts the women and their tragedies at the forefront while the heroes are peripheral, with the effect that the heroes' carelessness and disregard add to the womens' tragedies rather than enhancing the heroes’ fame. C.H. frames the story through a series of described tapestries, giving her Greek women an agency and a voice which historically was theirs in order to tell stories that historically weren't. That framing is beautifully done, too. (The book also has an excellent notes section which doubles as a classics text resource.)
Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and War
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