Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - Ariadne

An interesting concept, but falls flat in some ways for me. Lots of repeated phrases about dancing, bellowing, rotten chamber, women are the ones who suffer for men's actions, etc.

My largest struggle with the book is that the main women in it feel very passive. At times, Ariadne comes across as unrealistically naive in a way that the author justifies due to large passages of time that the reader has not been present for. There were times where I felt like both sisters had been portrayed as smarter earlier in the book, only to have their words and actions later greatly discredit their intelligence, life experiences, and their prior characterization!

This book made me appreciate Clytmenestra more as a novel that truly gave its main female character agency and intellect while still operating within the limits of myth. This wasn't quite it for me, but I did finish it in one sitting.

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bellerina2000's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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colorcrystals's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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lilybarna's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional reflective sad medium-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? Yes

4.25

Love this realm, reading this on the tail of finishing Circe by Madeline Miller. Love how each expert digs into the myths and their implications. Ariadne is strong. Phaedra is strong. I was worried at the start when describing Pasiphae the women would all be victims here (which I mean, they all are) but without reprieve or justice or complexity. They have complexity and pride and courage and are also victims of the vanity of men, that is the duality of women.

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kylosten's review against another edition

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emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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amandatheactivist's review against another edition

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slow-paced

Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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misplacedselchie's review against another edition

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Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Ariadne is the daughter of Minos and Pasiphaë who helps Theseus defeat the Minotaur by providing him with string to find his way through the labyrinth. Both her and her sister Phaedra are instantly smitten with the Athenian hero when they see him.

After his escape, Ariadne flees with him and he leaves her stranded to die in Naxos, whereupon Dionysus finds her. They end up falling in love and getting married. Slowly she finds him becoming more like the Olympians he had previously mocked and it puts a strain on their relationship.

Phaedra ends up being sent to Athens to create peace between their kingdoms and she married Theseus. She, however, has no trust of the hero. Slowly she inserts herself into the politics of the day and helps to make Athens great.

Both sisters find themselves in strained relationships as they get to make their way in a world that doesn't always allow women to take any sort of lead. And as Phaedra becomes more frustrated with Theseus and Dionysus more obsessed with his cult and argument with his brother Perseus, both groups are on a trajectory for pain.

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