Reviews with content warning for Vomit - The Harpy

Megan Hunter writes absolutely beautiful and compelling prose. All two and a half stars belong to the high quality of Hunter's words. Also, the concept of this book? So enticing. If I see the words "dark fairytale" and "female rage" used to describe a book, it's an insta-read. Unfortunately, though, the execution of The Harpy let me down. There is a whole lot of build-up in this book, all working towards an ending that I found frankly disappointing. Without spoiling too much, Lucy only rarely harnesses her rage. Not only that, but magical realism is another insta-read descriptor of mine that was used by reviewers to describe The Harpy. Honestly, I would barely categorize this as magical realism. There is literally ONE scene that could be described in that way.

How would I summarize this book? Beautifully written but ultimately a lackluster portrait of a sad woman in a sad marriage.

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conflictheory's review against another edition

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reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
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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definebookish's review against another edition

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challenging dark medium-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

3.75

Trigger warnings for my review, let alone the book itself: violence, abuse, blood, vomit.

A deep purple bruise of a book. Lucy’s husband Jake has an affair with a colleague. In the aftermath, he offers her a means of retribution: she can hurt him three times, physically or otherwise. Obsessed with the harpies of Greek mythology since childhood, Lucy agrees.

I knew this would be an intense read, but I wasn’t quite prepared for its viscerality. Hunter’s prose skates the edge of poetry, sparse and specific and seething. It reminded me a little of Michele Roberts; the blend of contemporary and mythology, the blood-red tang of it, the rustlike aftertaste.

We know from the first chapter that Jake’s third punishment will involve cutting. The first two are equally disturbing, in different ways. So much made me furious on Lucy’s behalf – the way the humiliation of Jake’s infidelity is set at her feet rather than his, the way he makes it clear she’s powerless to make him feel the kind of betrayal he’s inflicted upon her. He’s a smug, casually cruel character, but there’s no satisfaction in seeing him made victim. At times I couldn’t bear reading about it.

The word ‘recommend’ seems irrelevant here. Also the word ‘enjoy’. Writing my thoughts down feels like reviewing the snails at a Michelin-starred restaurant, or the jellied pigeon – they may be objectively exquisite, but I tasted bile. The ending is a little too open for my taste; it felt like petering out, but the rest of it is powerful and intimate and painful. It is exquisite. I didn’t enjoy it. I’d recommend that you make your own mind up.

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cheye13's review against another edition

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dark reflective fast-paced

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

3.0

This is written beautifully. The harpy metaphor is visceral and very relatable. I personally just feel like something's missing, something didn't push far enough.

Stories about "monstrous" women always leave me with this same feeling; "but he cheated on her." And what's worse, the men usually never truly understand the impact of what they've done. Yes, women in revenge narratives often go too far or truly become violent or cruel, but that's what I'm looking for in my revenge fiction – the satisfaction that real life lacks.

I did not expect this to focus so much on their children and in turn on the larger concept of the women's roles in society and in turn again on the concept of self. I expected a deeper interrogation of a single relationship, and perhaps that's where my own expectations let me down.

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becandbooks's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense slow-paced

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This book has a lot of things that I love in a story. An overarching dark, consuming atmosphere. Morally grey characters. References to mythology and magical realism components. But despite all this, it just didn't really hit the mark for me personally.

The pacing of the story felt odd and inconsistent. For such a small story, this book definitely felt dragged out in places.

It did something, that I typically love in weird, dark books - focuses in on small mundane moments and makes them into something engaging and tangible. And yet, this style of writing mixed with a more domestic plot-line was just not something for me. Instead of getting wrapped into these moments, I simply did not care.

I also struggled with understanding the intent of the story. Our main character is grappling with marriage issues and motherhood. And yet the sadistic nature of the character's actions just left me feeling confused.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the audiobook. This does not impact my opinions, whatsoever

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