Member Reviews
I almost couldn’t finish this book, and I’m almost sad I did make myself finish it. While there were great lines and a hope for a powerful feminist retelling of Ariadne’s story, there was such a lack of depth to the storytelling and relationships that I simply couldn’t get engaged. I did appreciate the thoughtful nature and one liners quipped to acknowledge the role women have played in Greek mythology and I’m sure it’s hard as a writer to stay true to the myth and rewrite a character at the same time, but in the end I just couldn’t empathize or attach myself to Ariadne or Phaedra when, as readers, we never saw much detail in their stories. This was a nice try but it’s a novel I just can’t quite recommend. Thanks to NetGalley for access to the digital ARC of this book.
Similar in tone and subject to Madeline Miller's Circe and The Song of Achilles, Ariadne recounts the story of the princess of Crete Ariadne, best known in Greek mythology for playing a role in the slaying of the Minotaur. I came into this book with little knowledge of Ariadne other than a few very basic details, and I really enjoyed the pace and voice of the story. The story is definitely, well, a bummer, but this is a beautiful retelling of the tale.
A beautiful, yet tragic (it's based on Greek mythology, what did you expect?) story about the heroine Ariadne and how her life changes after helping Theseus slay the Minotaur. I found the writing to be lovely and to capture the struggles and joys that she experienced, while also showing the hardships of being a woman during this time. Recommended for anyone who likes Greek mythology.
I do not know why I read these updated novel versions of classical mythology when they are always ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE TO WOMEN. Ariadne (and the other women in her life) are consistently ignored, abused, seduced, abandoned, and murdered by men and gods alike. This is a retelling of the myth of Ariadne helping Theseus kill her brother, The Minotaur, and all the fallout from that decision. The difference is that this time, much of the story is told from the perspective of Ariadne and her sister Phaedra. There are explicit reflections on the fact that the world is unkind/terrible to women, which is an improvement over the original, but I guess I'm just tired of reading about the brutal outcomes of misogyny.
Epic, full of emotion, and the perfect retelling of the myth. Beautifully written to give voice to Ariadne, often forgotten among more well known tales. Saint’s debut is a success. I can’t wait to handsell!
Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
4 stars
Ariadne is a great retelling the story of Ariadne, Princess of Crete and sister to the Minotaur. Ariadne helps Theseus kill the Minotaur thinking she will then marry Theseus and leave her cruel father. Fate has a very different life planned out for her.
This is a well written and engrossing story, especially for fans of Madeline Miller's Circe and Songs of Achilles. You do have to love that Greek Mythology that if anyone does does bad things (adultery, murder, etc), you can just say a god tricked you and it wasn't really your fault.
I think Circe changed my life, and this book was in the same spirit. That's to say, I loved it! I was a Classics minor in college, so this was always going to be right up my alley, and I'm happy to say it exceeded my expectations.
Jennifer Saint’s Ariadne is a retelling of the story of the Cretan princess Ariadne, a well-known figure from the Greek myths. If you are familiar with the ancient Greek myths and legends, you might know Ariadne as the traitorous daughter of King Minos who betrayed her family and kingdom, and helped the Athenian prince Theseus kill the Minotaur, a monster who was her own brother. In her feminist reimagining of Ariadne’s tale, Saint hands over narrative agency to princess Ariadne and her sister Phaedra, instead of the better known heroes like Theseus and the god Dionysus whose lives got intertwined with those of the two sisters’. Saint’s mesmerisingly beautiful prose makes Ariadne a fascinating read, even though it doesn’t quite live up to the standards set by other feminist Greek myth retellings like Madeline Miller’s Circe, and ultimately doesn’t really stand out amongst the many mythological reimaginings we’ve been getting over the past few years.
Ariadne, the eldest princess of Crete, still remembers the time before her monstrous brother Asterion’s birth, when her mother used to smile and dance with her and tell her the stories of gods and heroes and monsters. But since he’s been born, her mother seems to get more and more distant with every passing day, as the half-bull child grows into a nightmarish creature whom Minos renames the Minotaur after himself, and who needs to be trapped in a labyrinth running underneath the king’s palace. When Minos’ eldest son Androgeos gets trampled to death by a rampaging bull on an Athenian hillside, Minos wages war on Athens and returns victorious, and as payment for his son’s lost life, he demands fourteen Athenian children be sent every year to Crete to sate the Minotaur’s appetite.
In the third year since Minos’ war against Athens, the Athenian prince Theseus arrives at Crete with thirteen other Athenian children to conquer the Minotaur. Ariadne is drawn to him almost immediately upon his arrival, and she decides to help the hero kill her brother, defying the gods and deceiving her father. In the world of gods and heroes where even the divine women are nothing but assets and pawns belonging to the men, Ariadne sets out to find her happy ending, and her rightful place in a hero’s glorious tale.
In her retelling of Ariadne’s story, Saint stays true to the original Greek myths, and stitches together elements from the many different versions of the tale of Ariadne. Despite Saint’s captivating writing, Ariadne’s narrative voice wasn’t one I particularly enjoyed; there was little dialogue, and too many instances of Ariadne monologuing about her problems and not actually doing anything to solve them, which got monotonous after a while. Indeed, Ariadne as a protagonist is quite indolent, her life too sheltered and stagnant for a reader to truly be interested in her story. Only when the story is almost at its end does she finally, truly decide to take her fate into her own hands and do what is right, but by then, it’s too late.
As for Phaedra, I found her chapters to be infinitely more absorbing when compared to those of Ariadne’s. Phaedra, whom I hadn’t known much about before reading this book, is almost a villain in the Greek myths she’s a part of, branded a conniving seductress. However, we first see Phaedra in Saint’s writing as a charming, witty, effervescent girl, and I enjoyed reading about how she slowly made her place among the men involved in Athens’ city governance. As for the other people in the book, while the Olympian Dionysus and the famous hero Theseus both play significant roles here, the ones who truly shined were the minor characters, like the inventor Daedalus and Theseus’ son Hippolytus. Even though both these characters get very little page time, they manage to leave their marks on you, and when tragedy strikes them both, it truly is almost unbearable, unlike Ariadne, with whom I failed to form an emotional connection in Saint’s story.
If you are interested in the Greek myths and enjoy retellings, you might find Ariadne to be a good read. While Madeline Miller’s Circe is still in a class all by itself, you’d want to give Saint’s novel a try if you liked some of the recent women-centric mythological retellings, like The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker, A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes, or The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec.
Thank you, NetGalley, Flatiron Books, and Jennifer Saint for the opportunity to read this book!
“The gods do not know love, because they cannot imagine an end to anything they enjoy.”
ARIADNE
Circe, Song of Achilles, Silence of the Girls, A Thousand Ships…Obviously, I am going to read this mythology retelling, Ariadne by Jennifer Saint which released on May 4th. Ariadne is a Princess of Crete. Her father is the cruel and terrible King Minos. After displeasing the gods, they send madness on Ariadne’s mother, Pasiphae who gives birth to a half-beast, half-human, called the Minotaur. King Minos then punishes the Athenians by having them sacrifice 14 young Athenians to be forced into the labyrinth and hunted down and eaten by The Minotaur. Ariadne hates the barbarity but then enters Theseus. She is captivated by his “selfless courage.” She decides to help him escape the labyrinth. After Theseus kills her brother, they flee Crete, but Ariadne is abandoned on an island. She is once again a pawn in the world of men and gods.
Ariadne is a very emotional read. As much as I love the heroines that are fierce and unapologetically themselves, I did love Ariadne’s character. Her story is one that is often overlooked in the myths of men and heroes. I am so glad that she finally gets her voice. One of my favorite aspects is her complex relationship with the Minotaur. While everyone sees him as just a beast, she can’t help but see the half-human side and the fact that he is also a victim of the god’s wrath. Speaking of other victims, I love how Medusa’s story is brought in and makes a full circle at the end. Ariadne also has a complex relationship with her sister, Phaedra and it is completely relatable. They love each other, but also see each other’s faults and try to help one another.
As I said, it is a very emotional read. No spoilers, but if you are familiar with the myth then you know that the ending is heartbreaking. It is a bit sudden, but the emotion is there. And as I think about it, maybe the abrupt ending actually makes it more emotional. One of the things that the author does really well is familiarize readers with the other myths that are linked to Ariadne’s story. Everything is linked and those who have read other retellings will recognize those links as well. Overall, I enjoyed this book immensely and rate this book 4 out of 5 stars!
I was given an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Ohmygosh I cannot put into words how much i loved this book!! One of my favorites all year, maybe ever. The storytelling was so beautiful and captivating it drew me in from the first page. I didn't know much about Ariadne before reading this but I adored this take on her myth and the voice it gave her. So often women take a backseat to the heroes, or they become the villains and monsters for the heroes to further build their legacies, but Ariadne forged her own destiny in this book. I loved the perspective of both sisters and their different paths in life, each influenced by the same man. This book was a beautiful emotional ride. I wish it had never ended. It was so perfectly written, so wonderfully told. I loved it so, so much!
My Review:⭐️⭐⭐️⭐⭐ / 5 stars
I loved Circe - so when I saw Ariadne - I was excited to read this. And I was not disappointed in the least. Jennifer Saint writes with such captivating detail, in a non-intimidating way for you to be enthralled by the Ancient Greek Gods and their mythology. Particularly focusing on Ariadne and Phaedra, sisters and daughters to King Minos and Pasiphae of Crete. The book is a duo POV - from both Ariadne & Phaedra. Every year, Athenians have to sacrifice their 14 young sons and daughters to the labyrinth and the Minotaur on Crete, as a punishment for losing their war with Crete a few years before. Backstory: The minotaur is son to Queen Pasiphae who laid with a sacred bull years ago. Theseus arrives with the sacrificed children from Athens - who Ariadne helps in the maze and she quickly lusts after thinking they will be married when he takes her back to Athens. In a constant theme in this world of mythology, women are blamed and cast aside, treated as objects even though they themselves are heroes. Theseus leaves her exiled on the island of Naxos alone for years - where she meets Dionysus, a god of wine and drink.
I loved this book! I was not familiar with the tale of Ariadne so glad to dive in without any bias. At first, I thought her to be just a bored princess, wanting to do something, anything to cause excitement like falling in “love” with Theseus after meeting him for 5 minutes, and leaving her whole family and homeland for a stranger. However, her real tale starts on the island of Naxos through her pain and finding love/ trust in someone else she should not be. Also, the tale of Phaedra and her story was heartbreaking, a great addition to the story of Ariadne. I highly recommend it for anyone that loves Circe and interested in ancient Greek mythology.
Thank you to Flatiron books and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
Ariadne by Jennifer Saints is a retelling from Greek mythology about Ariadne, the woman who helps Theseus triumph over the Minotaur, and her sister Phaedra who later marries him.
Saint’s novel restores Ariadne and Phaedra’s voices while also calling on the reader to challenge what they know about Greek mythology. Even the gods are not above reproach. Where the myths relegate would label Ariadne and Phaedra as “women scorned” and exalt the “heroes”, Saint dives deeper to bring these women to life with their own motivations and complexities. Essentially this novel forces us to ask ourselves, who are the real monsters and heroes? Why do the innocent suffer for another’s greed and pride? There are so many nuances to this book, especially as it pertains to the lives of women, that it makes me wish I was still in grad school so I could discuss it in a seminar.
I still have a few pages left, but I can definitely say that this novel will be among my recommendations. Saint’s writing reminded me a lot of Jean Rhys’s in Wide Sargasso Sea, especially in part one when Ariadne is looking back on how she got to where she is. It was reminiscent of the way Antoinette narrated her own story leading up to her arrival in England. I also really enjoyed how, despite the title, Saint focused on both Ariadne and Phaedra’s lives. They’re very much two sides of the same coin, with Ariadne being the quiet calm to Phaedra’s vibrant fire. It makes the ending all the more powerful for both.
I was really looking forward to this novel since I enjoyed "Circe" by Madeline Miller so much. I understand why this novel is being compared to Miller's work because it is a similar feminist retelling of Greek myth, but with less definitive and clear storytelling. The plot, while complex enough to intrigue the reader, ultimately falls flat. It's not that I expected Ariadne to have a happy ending per say, but I didn't understand the author's choice to alter the happy marriage Ariadne supposedly had with Dionysus in the original myths. After all, after having her so tragically abandoned by Theseus, it felt strange that Ariadne never had a moment's happiness. While the feminist undertones in this novel were clear, they felt out of place considering how helpless Ariadne and her sister's plights were. Sadly, there weren't enough worthwhile moments in this book to show why Ariadne wanted to go on living, as is her conundrum throughout the story.
“Now...Theseus lolled with impunity on royal couches, admired by all for his bravery, his noble and heroic exploits - and like a thousand women before me, I would pay the price of what we had done together.” If you love Greek mythology, this book is for you. It uses everything we hate about the gods (their capriciousness and arrogance, their worship of so-called heroes, their utter lack of morals) and spins these character traits into an eye opening tale of not only Ariadne, but so many others of Greek fame. If you know your myths, you know that it was Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos of Crete, who aided Theseus in defeating the Minotaur. But author Jennifer Saint takes this little tale and spins it into so much more as we see the entire life of Ariadne, not just her one moment of infamy. Ariadne is a novel that makes us things about heroes...what makes one heroic, how deep do we look into our hero’s motivations, can heroes be authentic humans, and are they truly worthy of our worship? It spins history on its head, placing the men who have always been the headliners back at the end of the line, allowing the women to take their lead. “I would not let a man who knew the value of nothing make me doubt the value of myself.”
Greek Mythology is one of my favourite topics to read. When I was given Ariadne I couldn't wait to dive into her world.
I enjoyed the way Jennifer told the story of "angry gods" and the women that paid the price for their anger. It is always refreshing to read of Medusa and Pasiphae in ways that portray them as what they were, women in the middle of men and gods disputes, how their lives got destroyed by those fighting for pride and "honour".
Reading about Ariadne and Phaedra from their childhood was something that I really appreciated, it gave me the possibility to understand and sympathized with Ariadne, without it she would have felt a bit like a Disney princess that falls in love with the first boy that crosses her path, but a lot of her story was surrounding the males in her life, her father, her brothers, Theseus, her husband and then her kids... it was hard for me to see between the lines, and understand that she didn't needed those surrounding her, she gave them strength and a purpose, even to Daedalus, the inventor.
When we talk about feminism , sometimes we forget to include the women that enjoy their house, their motherhood and their kids, but this book reminded me that women like Ariadne are as strong as the ones like Phaedra , her sister that enjoyed partaking in governmental meetings or where more conniving. I just wish I could have had a bit more of Ariadne's personality shown during the book, since it felt like she was merely the reflection of the other peoples and gods actions, except at the end where we were able to actually see her.
Ariadne's and Phaedra's stories were filled with sorrow, struggle, shame but both were able to find solace in their own ways.
I enjoyed the book, I will think of Ariadne in a different way now, and for the gods and the men, it is always interesting to read about them, their whims, tantrums and consequences, either for them or the women surrounding them.
"A fallen woman is the sweetest entertainment they know. I saw it before, on Crete. I will not let it happen to me."
Jennifer Saint is an author I now intend to follow. What she did here was pick some myths (there are several) associated with Ariadne and wove them into a living, breathing world. Each character leapt off the page and the way the myths were all entangled was spectacular to read!
I particularly loved what she did with Phaedra's storyline. It was a lovely melding of the stories out there. The whole thing was, really. You get a glimpse into the lives of Dionysus, the Minotaur, the heroes Theseus and Hippolytus, Daedalus and Icarus and many more. This is how you write a story based on Greek Mythology.
I would recommend this to anyone who swooned over Madeline Miller's Song of Achilles.
"The price we paid for the resentment, the lust and the greed of arrogant men was our pain, shining and bright like the blade of a newly honed knife."
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
Ariadne is a feminist take on the story of Theseus and the minotaur. The sort itself is both captivating and sad as you follow both Ariadne and her sister Phaedra while the traverse the perilous path of being a woman in a world where men and their whims rule all.
I found most of the characters including Ariadne, Phaedra and Dionysus’ to be strong and well developed. Their relationships complex, weaving together a solid plot that kept the reader engaged. I loved the sisters bond and while it pained me to read about what they were going through I couldn’t put this book down; a credit to Jennifer Saint. As I found her writing to be both engaging and also simplistically assessable to any reader.
My only criticism with this book is in regards to the ending. The pacing seemed off, like Saint had written herself into a corner and couldn’t figure out how to end her novel, so she just ended it rather abruptly.
Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the E-arc in exchange for an honest review.
“I would not let a man who knew the value of nothing make me doubt the value of myself.”
The Gist: Ariadne and Phaedra, daughters of King Minos and sisters of the Minotaur, tell their side of the story.
My Thoughts: Ariadne’s story has always been one of my favorite Greek myths. Imagine getting revenge on the boy who left you stranded after saving his life by hooking up with the god of wine and parties!!
For the most part, I really enjoyed this retelling. The writing isn’t quite as lovely as Madeline Miller’s, particularly with the dialogue, but it flowed nicely and I was engaged with it throughout. Ariadne’s choices sometimes irritated me, but I felt like I understood them, at least. I really liked Phaedra’s chapters, and even knowing how tragic her story ends, it still gutted me when it finally happened.
The ending of this book was a bit shocking and I’m still deciding whether I love it or hate it, haha. Would love to discuss it with people.
Anyway, Theseus can go fuck off forever.
I love any book with Greek Mythology, so I was very excited for this one. I was not super familiar with the Ariadne outside of her relationship with the Minotaur. This book does a great job of expanding Ariadne's story and making her feel so real.
Anyone who loved Madeline Miller's Circe or Song of Achilles will love this book as well.
Ariadne is my favorite ARC I've ever received. It's well-written, compelling, and I love the retelling/plot. I was captivated from pretty much the first chapter. The characters are thoughtfully reimagined and I loved all the ties to other Greek myths mentioned in the narrative. I truly could not stop reading this one and really liked where the author took the story. I will highly recommend this book to friends, family, and on my Bookstagram.