The book follows the life of the daughters, under the rule of their father, the tyrannical King Minos of Crete, living under the scandal and stigma of their mother, Pasiphae, and growing up with the monstrosity of having the Minotaur as a brother, then falling under the spell of Theseus and helping him to defeat the Minotaur and escape Daedalus' maze, and what happened afterwards. Two sisters living in a patriarchal world of Gods and men, that even with being part of the royal household, still struggle to be heard and visible.
Ariadne and Phaedra, usually relegated to the background in Greek myth, are given the main stage, and are front and centre in Jennifer's tale, vividly brought to life in all their tragic grandeur. They go through so many emotions, both positive and negative, touching on the many facets of feminine life that still echo today, it was heartbreaking at times. Elegantly done, and in a thought provoking and detailed way that it gave me the sense of really seeing and living their world through their eyes.
I had to mention the superb UK cover art by Micaela Alcaino as well, which makes it worth owning the hardcover edition on it's own! I love it! Beautifully rendered and certainly fits with the story inside the cover!
I found 'Ariadne' to be an enjoyable read, adding a more than welcome feminine flavour to the mythic story. Focusing more on character than story, and bringing emotion and complexity to the sisters and their persepectives of their eventual sorrowful fate, it still flows in an elegant and lyrical fashion, immersing you in a narrative that is familiar and of course tragic - as Greek myths tend to be, but at the same time, still adds something different to what you might have expected, if being a bit overhyped at the book's initial release. I've been loving some of the reimaginings of some myths and legend recently, and 'Ariadne' is another to add to that list. Recommended.
Available from:
No comments:
Post a Comment