I wasn’t too familiar with the myth of Oedipus or the plays by Sophocles. I knew the basics (and after a quick Google search to confirm): he (Oedipus) unwittingly kills his father, marries his mother, and brings about the destruction of the city of Thebes.

So that’s kind of a lot.

And what Natalie Haynes does is she takes this very heavily male dominated cast of characters and sets them in the background, liberating the women in the story, who, in many Greek Myths, are left to wail silently in the footnotes or not bothered to be mentioned at all.

Haynes writing is vivid and lush, setting an intriguing balance between mother and child. Weaving an intricate story of love and loss, the bonds of family, and the domino effect caused by acts of betrayal that sets this story into motion, pulling readers in, holding us captive until the very end.

First I want to thank Net Galley for approving me to read this ARC.

I had previous experience with Natalie Haynes as an author, I read One Thousand Ships, and I enjoyed it. This book however did not hit the mark with me. I think part of my issue was I knew the Oedipus story, and this retelling skewed that mythology in a way that I did not enjoy.
Had I no prior knowledge of that mythology, I think I would have enjoyed this more. The writing is lovely, but the book drones on a bit. I found myself very distracted and bored in the beginning of the book.
I will try another book of hers if she writes one, but this wasnt for me.
Thank you

Natalie Haynes' writing is top-notch. Her ability to bring Thebes to life was enchanting. I also loved how she modernized the tale in subtle ways that still felt like Ancient Greece but were infinitely more relatable to a contemporary audience. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!

A lot of reviews criticize Haynes' interpretation of the infamous Oedipus/Antigone plays. Most of her adjustments were warranted and made sense as told through the lens of classically sidelined characters. HOWEVER, I did struggle with the omission of a particular detail. The message of the Oedipus and Antigone tradegies were that fate could not be thwarted. This theme was completely missing from the retelling. In addition, while Jocasta is worthy of female main character energy, Haynes' choice to silence Jocasta in the final scenes is disappointing. It was odd to read from her perspective for the entire book, and at the most pivotal moment, she becomes second fiddle to her own demise. I think the book would be better advertised as "inspired by" instead of a retelling.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for an ARC!

I normally love feminist Greek retellings and while this isn’t a bad book in any way I just couldn’t get into the story though I do see the potential in the book. The writing didn’t suck me in and I think this author it not for me but I think she would be great for others

I was not a fan of this work. I understand it was a reimagined version of basically the plays Oedipus and Antigone, but the basic structure wasn’t there. How can you write a book involving Oedipus without him marrying his mother? In this book it was essentially a rumor meted out by a disgruntled housekeeper they had fired years before. The only prophecy we hear about is that King Laius will be killed by his son, except he prefers the company of men and wants his wife to get pregnant by someone else he’ll claim as his son. For the Antigone part of the story, we see everything through the youngest sister’s (Isy’s) eyes. She takes up the role Antigone does in the play. They also change the roles of the brothers from the play as hero and villain, which I didn’t understand. What was the reasoning for that.

If you aren’t a Greek Mythology or play fan, then maybe you’ll enjoy this book, but I couldn’t.

As someone who loves reading Greek mythology and used to be wary of retellings, lest I get confused about the actual story, Natalie Haynes’ writing has made me realize that my apprehension doesn’t apply to mythology. Stories always have versions and sticking to one only limits the perspectives that one can have about the situation. It’s a myth after all.
That said, knowing the most popular version certainly helped me recognize and appreciate the variations. An enjoyable read as always!

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for this ARC.

Always obsessed with the beautiful mythical world she weaves... retelling with feminist views at the forefront

An utter amazing and enthralling story based on Sophocles’s plays. I enjoyed every minute and found it hard to put down, but I did notice some things the author and the editor might want to look at - a carriage in Ancient Greece? And Sophon the book-seller instead of Sophon the scroll-seller?

This book was so good. I have read a couple of Natalie Haynes books in the past, but this was definitely my favorite. I loved the way the story goes back and forth between Jocasta and Ismene’s perspectives. I love the twists and turns in the story and the slow build-up of drama. I also appreciate the slight changes to the original stories, which helps keel the reader guessing. It was a beautifully written tragic tale that would appeal to any fan of Greek retellings. I would definitely recommend this book.

Natalie Haynes's "The Children of Jocasta" is a modern retelling of Sophocles' famous tragedies of Oedipus and his daughter Antigone.

Like Haynes' previous bestsellers, "A Thousand Ships" and "Stone Blind," the author provides a fresh perspective by portraying the overlooked women of myth. In this case, she brings Jocasta and Ismene to the forefront through two intertwined vivid storylines recounting one family's great misfortune.

I strongly recommend this book as it has a gripping narrative that evokes the relevance of contemporary issues, including political discord, power dynamics, reproductive rights, and the repercussions of a pandemic mirroring present struggles. Once you start reading, you won't be able to put it down! A huge thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the ARC.

Natalie Haynes is a master storyteller, and I love how she re-weaves mythology to be told from the female perspective. It's such a refreshing take on old classics.

Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks, for a copy of The Children of Jocasta in exchange for an honest review.

3.5
I will read anything Natalie Haynes writes but even so I was a little hesitant about this novel. I am familiar with the story from Greek mythology but its maybe my least favorite of the Greek myths. I also haven't read the play by Sophocles so maybe I am the wrong person to be reviewing this - however I was pleasantly surprised on how much I enjoyed this novel.

The Children of Jocasta is told from two different pov's and in two different times. In alternating chapters the readers learn about Jocasta as a young bride to her eventual rise as queen and in the other chapters we learn about Ismene, Jocasta and Oedipus's daughter navigating life in the years after her parents deaths.

Haynes really fleshes out these two (minor in the source work) characters making them both realistic, occasionally annoying, and sympathetic.

My one issue (and vaguely spoilers) is I felt like Ismene didn't get a chance to grieve for her brothers because she was too worried about her sister and about Thebes. Ismene is very strong and independent throughout the book so I think giving her that chance to not be strong would have been interesting. This is a very minor issue and didn't take away from my enjoyment at all.

There is also a twist in the final climax that I didn't see coming until the very end.

Overall I enjoyed this book and will definitely be scouring NetGalley for the next arc by Natalie Haynes.

I was provided a free copy of this book through NetGalley.

Natalie Haynes is an auto read/ auto buy author for me. I LOVE everything they write. I was gripped from start to finish, Natalie Hayes’ characters are always so fully formed and exciting to read. I’m a big fan.

I'm a sucker for anything ancient Greece related so this book pulled me in right away. I liked it a lot and thought it was a good book.