For 'tis a woman's way to delight in present misfortunes even to keeping them always on her tongue and lips.
Herein lies love's only charm: 'tis not beFor 'tis a woman's way to delight in present misfortunes even to keeping them always on her tongue and lips.
Herein lies love's only charm: 'tis not beauty, lady, but virtuous acts that win our husbands' hearts.
No man ever yet hath discovered aught to cure a woman's venom, which is far worse than viper's sting or scorching flame; so terrible a curse are we to mankind....more
Thou drawest breath even now, long past thy portioned hour of death. By murdering her... And blamest my faint heart, coward, who hast let a woman playThou drawest breath even now, long past thy portioned hour of death. By murdering her... And blamest my faint heart, coward, who hast let a woman play thy part and die to save her pretty soldier.
Life is not life, but just unhappiness.
This he who lives in shame because he dared not die! He gave instead the woman whom he loved, and so is fled from death. He counts himself a man withal! And seeing his parents died not at his call he hates them, when himself he dared not die.
Thy fate I praise not. Yet, what gift soe'er God giveth, man must steel himself and bear. ...more
Evil has changed sides; he who was erst a mighty king is now turning his life backward into the road to Hades.
Nor shall ocean with its moaning waves, Evil has changed sides; he who was erst a mighty king is now turning his life backward into the road to Hades.
Nor shall ocean with its moaning waves, nor the earthquake, nor the thunderbolt with blast of agony be half so furious as the headlong rush I will make into the breast of Herakles; through his roof will I burst my way and swoop upon his house.
Now to one who was erst called happy, such changes are a grievous thing; though he who is always unfortunate feels no such pain, for sorrow is his birthright.
Such a tragic story but I enjoyed reading it very much....more
If you try to cure evil with evil you will add more pain to your fate.
I loved the Iliad so I always enjoy reading about the characters in that story. TIf you try to cure evil with evil you will add more pain to your fate.
I loved the Iliad so I always enjoy reading about the characters in that story. The only flaw I can point is that it felt too short, but that's not really a flaw. It just means it was good enough for me to want to read more....more
Unfortunately, my sister, who gave this 1 star, wanted me to read this and I obliged. Just so that I could share the burden with her, I suppose. And aUnfortunately, my sister, who gave this 1 star, wanted me to read this and I obliged. Just so that I could share the burden with her, I suppose. And although I was expecting this to suck, it still managed to surprise me negatively. That's how bad this is.
While I was reading Beautiful Disaster I felt like I was sorting through a pile of trash, trying to find something good but always coming up empty. It was truly mentally exhausting. Why do people read books? To either learn something, or find some sort of happiness in a story or just to entertain themselves. Also, so that they can relate... but surely not to get frustrated and angry and exasperated. I read this book in three days and on those two nights I didn't sleep well and woke up several times thinking about how this book is just plain wrong!!! That had never happened to me before. This book haunts me. I hope that after I write this review, I can finally have some peace of mind. This book makes you believe that drama equals love. That a person doesn't love you unless they're throwing temper tantrums or punching someone in the face or getting angry about the littlest thing. Travis is not only abusive, he also gives me stalker vibes and has control issues. You know when you watch a good movie or read a good book and you know someone cares about a person by the way they look at them, or how they act different, smile more or just touch each other more often and tell each other stuff they haven't told anyone? This is how you make the spectator or reader believe that those people care for one another. That's how you develop a relationship. This book had none of those things. I'm not exaggerating! This book in 90 per cent dialogue. And poor dialogue, at that! I only read a few decent descriptions in the end, and by then it was too late. As if the author only realized that a book is also made of descriptions when she was almost done with it. There are basically no descriptions of places, people or of the general atmosphere in any given situation. The characters have absolutely no depth to them. There's not a single thing I could tell you about any of them, except for Travis and Abby. I'm serious. And even their personalities weren’t developed enough. The author only gave us a couple of details about their past so that she could move the story forward. This felt more like a reality show, where you never get to see what people are thinking, or how they are feeling or even what makes them who they are. All you see is the conversations between them and the majority of those conversations is meaningless and doesn't add up to anything. And the author had several opportunities to develop the relationships and personalities of the characters but decided to pass them up. The two weeks that supposedly cemented the relationship between them and the feelings they have for each other was spoken of in passing. Literally, in passing. I'm not kidding. She could've shown us those moments that made them fall in love with one another and how they act around each other when they're not fighting, which is always, and instead she decided to throw away the opportunity. She summarized those two weeks in tree lines or less. It's baffling really, how someone can write a book and decide to deprive the reader of every single meaningful thing.
Now let’s analyze some lines that really rubbed me off the wrong way.
I don’t know what’s going on with you and Travis, but I know that he’s going to do something stupid to piss you off. It’s a tic he has. He doesn’t get close with anyone very often, and for whatever reason he’s let you in. But you have to overlook his demons. It’s the only way he’ll know. First of all, you don’t have to overlook anyone’s demons. That’s a recipe for disaster. We have to face things, not lie to ourselves and only look at the parts that are convenient to us and to what we want. If we face the truth right away, we are better equipped to make a choice about that person. And we’re also able to draw boundaries in case we decide we want that person in our lives. We can’t just ignore a person’s faults until it’s too late and then expect the person to change later if we didn’t put our foot down at the first instance.
If you sleep with him, I don’t wanna know about it. I’ll go to prison for a long time if I find out he...just don’t tell me. Excuse me? So you don’t respect her enough to allow her to make her own choices? And how is this even acceptable behaviour? You don’t just go around throwing punches whenever things don’t go as planned.
Travis threw you that party, Abby, and you go off and make out with Parker. And you wonder why everyone is talking about you! So she owes him something because he threw her a party?? Besides, he knew beforehand that she was dating Parker. I mean, what logic is this?
Give me a break, Abby! You talk about how perfect Parker is, you go on these amazing dates with him, talk to him for hours on the phone, and then you lay next to Travis every night. Do you see what’s wrong with this situation?” I do. And it’s ridiculous.
The phone calls began at eight in the morning, and then every five minutes for an hour. “(…) It wasn’t until I heard the banging on the door that I realized I wouldn’t be allowed to spend the day holed-up in my room as planned. Kara yanked on the knob. “What?” America pushed past her, and stood beside my bed. “What in the hell is going on?” she yelled. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she was still in her pajamas. I sat up. “What, Mare?” “Travis is a fucking wreck! He won’t talk to us, he’s trashed the apartment (…) He ripped his sheets off the bed, and threw them away, threw his pillows away, shattered his mirror with his fist, kicked his door…broke it from the hinges! It was the scariest thing I’ve ever seen in my life!”. Toxic and scary. That’s what this is. This sort of behavior is not ok. And you shouldn’t date someone like this. You should get them help and get them to see that this is not acceptable. Don’t just look at a situation like this and be happy because you think that means that he loves you. His feelings at this point don’t matter and neither do yours. What matters is not letting behaviours like this go unnoticed and untreated. Which is what happens in this book a lot. Abby knows about situations like this and is even present in some of them and never has a serious talk with Travis about how he has to change. Sometimes she gets mad at him and breaks up with him, yes. But then she comes back to him and everything is fine. And that clearly isn’t helpful at all.
I reached my hand across the table, sliding my fingers into his. “You meant what you said last night, didn’t you?” He began to speak, but Chris’ laughter filled the cafeteria. “Holy God! Travis Maddox is whipped?” “Did you mean it when you said you didn’t want me to change?” he asked, squeezing my hand. I looked down at Chris laughing to his teammates, and then turned to Travis. “Absolutely. Teach that asshole some manners.” She’s an enabler, my dear friends. And if that doesn’t tell you everything about their relationship I don’t know what will. No only doesn’t she help him be a better person and talk to him about situations that are not ok, she also further encourages said toxic behaviours.
I could think of only one thing to do to stop him. I scrambled off the steps, wheeling around, directly in his path. I jumped on him, wrapping my legs around his waist, and he gripped my thighs as I grabbed each side of his face, planting a long, deep kiss on his mouth. I could feel his anger melt away as he kissed me, and when I pulled away, I knew I had won. I’ll be honest with you. I threw up a bit in my mouth when I read that. Cringeworthy.
Parker eyed Travis, and then returned his attention to me, determined. “I just heard what happened in the cafeteria. I don’t think you realize what you’re getting yourself into. Travis is bad news, Abby. Everyone knows it. “Do you know what co-dependency is, Abby? Your boyfriend is a prime example, which is creepy considering he went from having no respect for women at all to thinking he needs you to breathe.” Parker and Kara seem to be the only people in this book whose brain cells are intact.
…one of the twins said. I couldn’t tell which was which; they were carbon copies of each other, even their tattoos matched. Seriously? Their tattoos matched? Seriously?
He pulled the bandage back and I gasped at the simple black script tattooed across the underside of his wrist, the skin around it red and shiny from the antibiotic he had smeared on. I shook my head in disbelief as I read the word. Pigeon. One moment of silence, please.
Jesus Christ, Travis,” she muttered under her breath. I turned to see him running at full speed behind us, vanishing and reappearing between the lights and shadows of the street lamps. After he reached the end of the block, he turned in the opposite direction, sprinting to the apartment. “He’s going back to get his bike. He’s gonna follow us to Morgan and cause a huge scene. Again, this is not ok. But it’s just one more of those moments that are never addressed. So he just keeps doing stuff like this as is if it’s fine and totally normal.
Pidge? Open the fucking door, dammit! I’m not leaving until you talk to me! Pigeon!” he yelled, banging on the door so loudly the entire building could have heard. Do I need to say anything?
He was kicked out of History today. When you didn’t show, he kicked over both of your desks. Picture me unimpressed.
I know it’s hard not to blame him, but you have to love him, anyway, Abby. You’re the only woman he’s loved besides his mother. I don’t know what it’ll do to him if you left him, too. Maybe it’d do him some good. Maybe he’d think about his actions and work on himself. I don’t know… Maybe. And it goes without saying that you don’t have to love anyone. It’s not your job.
You’re not going to say hi to Thomas?” I whispered. He didn’t look at me when he spoke, watching his family hug and laugh. “I got one night with you. I’m not going to waste a second of it.” Just stop breathing down her neck, dude. Jesus.
My insides wrenched at his words, and I was surprised at the overpowering pain I felt. He was giving me an out, and it was exactly when I didn’t want it. I could have told him that I had changed my mind and he would take back everything he’d just said, but I knew that it wasn’t fair to either of us to hold on just when he had let go. I smiled to fight the tears. “Fifty bucks says you’ll be thanking me for this when you meet your future wife.” She just keeps playing games… And it’s annoying.
It didn’t take me long to figure out what was going on: they had been yanking the guys that were dancing with us off the dance floor and threatening them to stay away from us. For fuck’s sake.
“Are you serious?” he said, his eyebrows shooting up. “You’re just going to leave in the middle of dinner?” “You can still call Brad, right?” I asked, standing up. So disrespectful.
Travis’ voice was controlled, but frightening. “Do it, Donnie, or I’ll shove my fist through the back of your head, I swear to God.” Donnie pulled away from the curb and I lunged for the door handle. “I’m not going to your apartment!” Travis grabbed one of my wrists and then the other. I leaned down to bite his arm. He closed his eyes, and then a low grunt escaped through his clenched jaw as my teeth sunk into his flesh. “Do your worst, Pidge. I’m tired of your shit. Would you look at that? Seems like a kidnapping is taking place.
…or if they simply noticed the ridiculous grin on Travis’ face, a stark contrast from his shaved head, inked arms and bulging muscles. Uh, excuse me?
This book is indeed a disaster but there's nothing beautiful about it. I mean what's the point of this story exactly? Yes, there are people like this but those people need HELP! Don't romanticize unhealthy behaviors. Young girls are going to read this book and they're probably going to think that this sort of behavior equals love. And it doesn't! This book could've made it about finding help and getting better and working on oneself and instead it romanticized situations and behaviors that are not okay, without any sort of consequence. This book doesn't teach you anything good. It's completely toxic from beginning to end and it's disgusting. There are so many things wrong with this book... I can't believe it has a 4-star rating on goodreads. This is so toxic, so damaging to a person's wellbeing. The number of times Travis apologizes after doing some stupid shit is ridiculous. Don't be sorry be better. If you actually want to show character growth than make him stop himself before doing something shitty. Let him be better. And let’s not forget that he apologizes but later says that he'd do it again. It’s ridiculous. And the story is such a mess. So contradictory at all times. And Abby is so dense… pretending she doesn’t know Travis likes her. She also blames a lot of things on Travis when she’s the one who made those choices in the first place. And let's not forget, they way women are portrayed in this book is awful. The misogyny is so clear…...more
I loved the beginning. It seemed promising and mysterious. But then it dragged a bit towards the middle. Although I really liked how it ended I still I loved the beginning. It seemed promising and mysterious. But then it dragged a bit towards the middle. Although I really liked how it ended I still feel like it needed more depth overall. It's a simple story. Not much happens but it never feels boring because it keeps you interested in finding out what really happened. If not for the ending, I would have given it only two stars because I found it very lacking in terms of action and depth.
Character arc: 3 Character development: 2 Worldbuilding: 3 Plot: 3.5 Pace: 3 Descriptions: 3 Writing: 3.5 Execution: 3
It's a shame that the complete poems didn't survive and all we have left are fragments. But even so, we still get glimpses of the brilliance of SapphoIt's a shame that the complete poems didn't survive and all we have left are fragments. But even so, we still get glimpses of the brilliance of Sappho and how beautifully she could convey sentiments.
Love shook my senses, like wind crashing on mountain oaks.
And you, Dika, wrap lovely garlands round your hair, weaving together sprigs of dill with delicate hands: the blessed Graces see a girl decked in flowers, but turn away from those who wear no crown.
I say someone in another time will remember us.
The moon and Pleiades have set - half the night is gone Time passes I sleep alone...more
The story is interesting enough but is told in a rather simplistic way. There was not enough depth for me to connect with the characters. And althoughThe story is interesting enough but is told in a rather simplistic way. There was not enough depth for me to connect with the characters. And although the writing is very fluid and easy to follow, I felt it lacked the necessary complexity for it to seem like a real story....more
I enjoyed the writing and tone in these stories. It's really beautiful and I recommend it to everyone, but especially to those of you who already knowI enjoyed the writing and tone in these stories. It's really beautiful and I recommend it to everyone, but especially to those of you who already know the basics of Greek Mythology so that you may have a better understanding of what the author is talking about.
And the Muse never leaves that land. For this is their life. Everywhere the girls are dancing. And the sound of the harps is loud and the noise of the flutes. They bind their hair with bay leaves of gold. They feast and are glad.
Now he dwells at the side of the Aegis-holder in bliss most beautiful. The Undying Ones have honoured him as one whom they love, and Youth is his bride; He dwells, a prince, in golden halls.
I suffered grief not to be spoken of. But now the Earth-Holder has granted me calm after the storm. I shall fasten garlands on my hair and sing, and may the envy of Immortals not trouble me....more
I probably shouldn't like this as much as I did because it wasn't perfect and the author really walked a fine line between an interesting plot and comI probably shouldn't like this as much as I did because it wasn't perfect and the author really walked a fine line between an interesting plot and complete disaster. But I think she pulled it off. It was highly entertaining. At times I thought it would go in a way I didn't want it to but then it didn't. As if the writer was toying with me. And I enjoyed it. Because it kept me on my toes. I never knew how it would all play out and that's why this is so good. It's not predictable at all. And I get it. Prince Casteel is not Prince Charming but he feels real. His story is believable. And for a second there I thought it wouldn't be and that I wouldn't like the story because I couldn't see how he could find redemption and how Penelaphe would be able to forgive him and trust him again but the writer was able to accomplish that and make it feel as if it really happened and wasn't just a sorry excuse to make things go as she wanted them to. I truly feel like Jennifer L. Armentrout put a lot of thought into these characters and this story and how she wanted it all to go down. And I have to congratulate her for a job well done. As for the characters: Penelaphe: I love her. She's strong and smart and curious and relentless. And the more I find out about who she is and what she can do the more I like her. Casteel: I thought I wouldn't like him after everything but I understand now. And I like his character. I just wish I could see more of his relationship with Kieran and how they became such good friends but hopefully we'll see that in the next book. Kieran: I'm really fond of him. Such an interesting character with a fun personality. He made me laugh a couple of times with his dry humor and unimpressed mood. And I adored his relationship with Penelaphe. Well done.
Character arc: 4 Character development: 3.5 Worldbuilding: 4 Plot: 4 Pace: 5 Descriptions: 4 Writing: 4 Execution: 4 ~4.06
I can't believe I have to wait until April to get the next book... And I'd love it if the author wrote a book just for Kieran. I think he deserves that....more
What I loved The writing: very fluid and articulate. Very descriptive. The author successfully made me feel emerged in the story. Good descriptions of What I loved The writing: very fluid and articulate. Very descriptive. The author successfully made me feel emerged in the story. Good descriptions of places and mythology. The story is not predictable, at least no to me. And that's way I was so engaged, turning page after page, really wanting to find out how it all would play out in the end. The characters were well written. I felt the author took her time with them and really wanted them to feel real.
The main character, Poppy: very relatable. A strong character with a strong will. Despite her lack of freedom she manages to always find a way to live for herself and do what she feels is right. The writer did a good job. I never found her boring or annoying. I rooted for her and adored all the ways in which she surprised me.
Hawke: he didn't come off as cheesy at all and I liked his personality.
The romance: again, not cheesy and not cliché. I loved the banter between them and, especially, the way Poppy didn't let her feelings turn her into a complete different person.
Plot: it was interesting. When I read the synopsis I got the feeling it wouldn't be anything new. But I feel like the author did a really good job and found a way to make it feel different and refreshing.
Things I didn't like as much Hawke's attitude when a certain revelation is made I felt he was kind of tactless. I didn't expect that. But maybe there's a reason for it? But I won't get much into it because I don't want to spoil anything.
The last scene of the book. For someone who knew what Poppy had to go through her whole life, how little choice she had in everything she did and the life she wanted to live, it felt wrong to make a decision that impacted both of them without asking for her opinion.
The last part of the book. It felt slightly rushed. I think the characters needed a little more time to process all the events. Poppy was too quick to forgive, in my opinion. Or was she?
The truth is I believe these things I didn't like or agree with as much have a reason to be. It remind me a little of what Sarah J. Maas did with ACOTAR.
And so what I want to see in the next book is Poppy being a complete badass and taking hold of her life.
Before you read this let me warn you: I do not hate this book. I hate how much I was kept from loving it thanks to all the flaws I found in it and couBefore you read this let me warn you: I do not hate this book. I hate how much I was kept from loving it thanks to all the flaws I found in it and couldn't get past.
I actually liked this more than I liked the Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black which suffers from the same problems this book does. but since Cast in Firelight still manages to be somewhat enjoyable I thought I would at least give it 3 stars but now that I've finished it and given it some thought I cannot give it more than 2 stars. And it started out good. That's the truth. But by the middle I was already getting frustrated with the lack of depth and in the end I was fuming because it felt rushed and not explored to the fullest.
I thought it was an interesting story, different from what I'm used to and original. But it went downhill from there. And it annoyed me to no end because I felt like it was going to be so good and then it fell apart. If the author had just worked on it a little more it would have been amazing. Because the truth is that the plot is interesting but the characters never get developed, the relationships between all of them are never explored and it all just feels shallow. It needed more depth. The concept was good. Two people destined to marry who dislike each other thanks to what happened when they met too long ago. Years later when they finally meet again and don't recognize each other they both pretend they are someone else and end up being good friends. And then, surprise, surprise. They are happy to find out they're each other's betrothed. Good concept, indeed. But bad execution. The amount of cardboard characters in this book is alarming. Basically all we see is about the two main characters but every now and then, whenever it is convenient, a cardboard character comes along. There's absolutely no worldbuilding and it's a shame. The different cultures should have been more explored so that we had more context, so that we know why things happened and why the characters were driven to do the things they did. But that never happens. They entire book is non stop action. And it all happens too fast, so fast we don't even have time to process what happened. Before we can even blink there's already something big happening again. Why not stop in between all that action and give us moments where we can see the relationships they have with each other? Because that's the problem. We never see how they get along with one another. We are TOLD, never SHOWN. There were several moments when I rolled my eyes to such an extent that I thought I'd see my brain. It's so annoying when you just want to enjoy the story but you simply can't because there's no excuse for characters and relationships that don't feel real because we NEVER see what they are made of. They appear out of thin air. They say things that don't feel heartfelt and all because there's no interaction between them to justify those feelings or the relationships altogether. And can someone explain to me how their own guards not only are younger than them but also completely suck at their job? How is that believable given they will one day they rule? So much wasted potential on this story simply because the author couldn't take the time to work on the characters and develop them. And I'm not even going to talk about the dialogue. It was so bad! The character arcs are weak. I saw no transformation from beginning to end. The character development is just as weak. We never get to see why a character acts the way they do, or what made them who they are. Or any depth at all to be honest. The plot was actually good, simply badly executed. The pace was too fast as I've said before. There was no time to process the events and develop characters and relationships in between those events. The text lacked descriptions. There was no the description of the cultures, of the places they visited, or anything really. The writing was nothing special. And it was a failed execution because none of the events seemed plausible given the lack of context and development of the characters and their motivations.
Character arc: 1 Character development: 1 Worldbuilding: 1 Plot: 4 Pace: 2 Descriptions: 1 Writing: 2 Execution: 3 ~1,63...more
“Be thankful we only want equality, and not payback.”
What a delightful book. And so well written, so easy to understand and hard to put down. If you l“Be thankful we only want equality, and not payback.”
What a delightful book. And so well written, so easy to understand and hard to put down. If you like the Greek classics and have already noticed how those stories are so focused on men and want to know more about the women, then you should definitely read this.
"The guiding principle when searching for the cause of everything wrong in the world has been, all too often: cherchez la femme."
It stars by telling us the story of Pandora and how she's been portrayed as bad throughout the ages for letting out all sorts of evil into the world and keeping hope in the jar (not box!). And while that word as a positive meaning for us, back then that was not the case, necessarily. It meant an anticipation of something, be it good or bad. But most importantly, we've been told the story of Pandora through a misogynistic view. Pandora is just a pawn, created for the sole purpose of revenge. She didn't have a choice. And still, she's the one who carries the blame. She's a scapegoat.
"We could translate the phrase the other way around: rather than being a beautiful evil, Pandora could be an ugly good."
It goes on to talk about Jocasta and how she's forgotten between the lines of Oedipus story. But it is her story too.
"She's the cleverest person in the room and we hardly notice it because we're too busy concentrating on Oedipus."
She had a tragic life all thanks to men's actions and in the end it's still the stories of those men we are told and we never get to know what it was like for her.
"And that is the core of Jocasta, although some writers and artists have chosen not to see her. She is a woman of sexual potency who transforms from total passivity at the hands of Laius in her youth to something far more complicated, far harder to categorize, as she ages."
And then we have Helen. The infamous woman who caused a ten-year-long war, who is responsible for so many deaths and so much destruction. Or was she? She didn't seem to have a say in the matter. Maybe if Tyndareus (or Odysseus) hadn't had the brilliant idea of having all her suitors swear an oath that they'd help return Helen to her husband in case of abduction, then perhaps the casualties wouldn't have been so great. But once again, we have a woman caught in the traps of men. And she's still the one to blame for all the misery. But the truth is that she was being fought over by men, whether she liked it or not. And it was men who caused the whole thing. Not her.
“If we keep following the causation of the war back, step by step, we eventually find ourselves here: the war is caused by Paris taking Helen from Menelaus, but Helen is promised to Paris by Aphrodite in exchange for the golden apple, and the apple is put in among the goddesses by Eris, and she gets it from where? We’re told in the lost epic poem Cypria that Themis (the goddess of Order) and Zeus planned the Trojan War between them.”
And what about Medusa? Her life was even more tragic. After being “seduced” by Poseidon she ends up being punished and turned into a monster. One could argue than Athene only turned her into a monster so that she wouldn’t be a victim of sexual assault again. But even so, she had no choice in what happened to her. Once again, it is women who have to take steps to be safe instead of men being respectful and holding themselves accountable.
“We’re encouraged to imagine Midas’ story from his point of view. What must it be like, we imagine, as we follow his experiences in the Metamorphoses, to have everything we touch turn to gold? How would it feel to crack our teeth on golden bread? How would it taste to have liquid gold in our throats? We imagine the experience from the inside out. But with Medusa, we’re encouraged to see her from the outside: how do we attack her? How do we avoid her gaze? How can we use her decapitated head?”
“To some people, a woman with power and a voice is always a monster. And for some of these people, death and disfigurement are an appropriate response to such women.”
And after Medusa, the author goes on to talk about the Amazons. And how the translators across the years have tried to diminish their power and importance. Hippolyta’s girdle, for example, is actually a war belt. And the word used to describe her belt is the same used to describe a man’s war belt. So that was a deliberate choice to change the meaning of the word and our perception of women in History. There are several situations in which women are described in a way so opposite to men even though it’s the same exact situation, that one can’t help but notice the misogyny.
“It is an enormous pity to see Hippolyta distorted and diminished by this linguistic shift.”
The author doesn’t fail to mention Clytemnestra, whose story I really enjoy. A woman who avenges her loved ones and is still hated, but Agamemnon who killed their daughter still, somehow, ends up being seen as the unfortunate victim of a woman’s wrath.
“Whichever version of Clytemnestra’s story men read, or saw, or heard, they came across the same troubling phenomenon: a woman who did not know her place.”
And Eurydice’s story is also mentioned. A woman who has been portrayed almost as a mute. No one ever gets to know what she thinks of the whole thing. But she’s there. Unfortunately, we never get to see her side of the story. She’s just one more pawn in a man’s narrative.
“Orpheus’ problem is not that he loves Eurydice so much he can’t help but break the restriction and look back at her. His problem is that he doesn’t love her enough to have died of it.”
And Phaedra, who’s a bit of a controversial figure in Greek myth thanks to her lies, also has her special place in this book. And it’s nice to see her in a new light and how she’s also a victim of Aphrodite’s schemes. But despite her misfortune, she still tries to fight her curse and not act upon it.
“In this second version, he paints a far more sympathetic picture of a woman tormented by an affliction she did nothing to deserve.”
Medea, who we all know is a powerful witch, has not always been represented as such. When she appears in stories about other heroes, she suddenly is not all that powerful and is a little more helpless. But the truth is that she is all too capable of defeating monsters without any help. She is betrayed by Jason, after everything she’s done for him. And that’s how she gets known, by contriving an ingenious plan to take revenge on him and making him suffer for what he’s done to her.
“She is not just an innocent, but also a formidable witch.”
It ends with Penelope’s story, who has been seen has the epitome of loyalty and dedication. While Odysseus is off on his adventures, having affairs with other women, Penelope is at home waiting for her husband and scheming in order not to have to marry again. And why is she such a good wife? She barely had time to be a wife before Odysseus had to leave to fight in the war. Maybe because she doesn’t complain, doesn’t do anything other than be a faithful wife. But there are other versions in which Penelope is not that perfect. Sadly, the version in which she never complains was the preferred version.
“And this is the great difficulty in finding Penelope among the praise heaped upon her by men. Are they describing her, or merely describing their idealized conception of what a wife should be?”
I think everyone should read this book. It’s an eye-opener. We need to see women’s perspective of these stories because they are their stories as well. It’s not just the male perspective that matters. Women have a voice too, and that voice has been hushed far too many times throughout history....more
I almost feel bad about only giving this 3★, given the fact that I really liked Sky in the Deep, and absolutely enjoy Adrienne Young's writing and setI almost feel bad about only giving this 3★, given the fact that I really liked Sky in the Deep, and absolutely enjoy Adrienne Young's writing and settings. However, I feel like the book should have been longer, just so that the ending didn't feel so rushed. I enjoyed the flashbacks and I think they gave much needed depth to the main characters. Unfortunately, the rest of the characters lacked that depth and felt one dimensional. I truly enjoyed the idea of the book but it feels like it could have been better executed and the world better explored. The story is too focused on the action sequences and not enough on motivation, beliefs and relationships. The main character, Tova, has a weak personality and even with the flashbacks, felt a bit like a stranger.
The worldbuilding was weak, specially when it comes to the Kyrr people and their beliefs and way of living. The writing is definitely what saved this book, otherwise it would have been a complete disaster.
I will, nonetheless, keep reading Adrienne Young's books because I think she's an amazing writer and simply should have given The Girl The Sea GAve Back a litlle bit more thought and attention.
I'm going to leave some quotes below that I really liked.
"A spider. Walking the web of fate." His voice softened. "That's what the Spinners carved into the Tree of Urðr the moment you were born."
"I couldn't summon the faces of my Kyrr family or our home to me. They were like snowflakes, melting before they touched the ground."
"He still didn't fear the web of fate the way I did. He still couldn't feel the power it held over te days ahead. Even then, I could sense it shifting, its threads unwinding and then weaving into new patterns. It was in the feel of the wind. The silence of the frost. The Spinners were at work and I was the only one who could see it."
"There were too many unspoken words between them - Bekan, Jorrund, Vigdis and Siv. They were like steam trapped in a kettle, the lid rattling."
"I dreamed of the water. The slice of cold against my skin and twingling light, dancing on the surface far above me. Slowly, it pulled farther away, growing smaller and the darkness spreading wider as I sank into the depths of the sea. And there, the woman's song found me, the lilt of a quiet, gentle hum in the emptiness."
Character arc: 2★ Character development: 2.5★ Worldbuilding: 2★ Plot: 3★ Pace: 3★ Descriptions: 5★ Writing: 5★ Execution: 3★
I enjoyed this story. It's a bit too short but I understand why. It's just an episode in the Darkling's life that probably represents a turning point I enjoyed this story. It's a bit too short but I understand why. It's just an episode in the Darkling's life that probably represents a turning point and also a loss of innocence and hope for the future.
Amazingly written, as always. Leigh Bardugo doesn't disappoint...more
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