Ariadne: The Mesmerising Sunday Times Bestselling Retelling of Ancient Greek Myth

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Ariadne is horrified by the bloody rites she witnesses between Dionysus, the Maenads, and the resurrected goat. In attempting to understand the Maenads' participation, she reflects: "The ritual gave fearful shape to the anger and the grief that had driven so many of them here in the first place; they screamed and danced in their blood-soaked frenzy by night so that they could live serenely in the sunlight."Does this explanation make sense to you? Can you think of rituals or activities in our culture today that might fill a similar role? Does that justify them? Ariadne says of her sons, "They have gone on to lead quiet, unremarkable lives—the greatest gift that they could have been given." What does she mean?

Before Ariadne runs away with Theseus: "Today I would seize my destiny for myself ... My story would not be one of death and suffering and sacrifice." Phaedra, Ariadne’s younger sister, was also given a perspective throughout the novel and explored her life.... and you’d never guess how that ends *heavy sarcastic tone and pointed look* Unlike Ariadne, Phaedra doesn't remember a time before the Minotaur: "I had always known that monsters existed. I could not fear the destruction of all that was good because everything had been ruined before I could remember and I had grown up in the tattered, stained remnants of my sister's golden days. She knew what it was to lose everything but I had nothing to begin with." How do the sisters' differentchildhoods change their outlooks on life? Compare and contrast their personalities

Media Reviews

Having said that, I did like Ariadne as a character. Not every character has to be a feminist icon. I enjoyed her gentleness and her capacity for forgiveness. I also enjoyed reading Phaedra’s perspective, despite finding her infuriating at times.

These stories are falling into the hands of a very diverse array of authors at the moment, and that’s giving them a new life, ” agreed Jeffs, pointing to books from Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad to more recent works by Madeline Miller, Monique Roffey and Natalie Haynes. “And maybe in difficult times, that freshness and that inspiration, and just a really good story, is something we yearn for.” Were you more drawn to Ariadne's or Phaedra's chapters? Why do you think the author chose to include both of their perspectives? The Roman author Hyginus identified Ariadne as the Roman Libera, bride to Liber. [35] [36] Festivals [ edit ] What I did not know was that I had hit upon a truth of womanhood: However blameless the life we lead, the passions and the greed of men could bring us to ruin, and there was nothing we could do.” “It was the women, always the women, be they helpless serving girls or princesses, who paid the price.”The Vatican Sleeping Ariadne, long erroneously identified as Cleopatra, a Roman marble in late Hellenistic style Barry B. Powell, Classical Myth, 2nd ed., with new translations of ancient texts by Herbert M. Howe, Upper Saddle River, NJ, USA, Prentice-Hall, 1998, p. 368.

No longer was my world one of brave heroes; I was learning all too swiftly the women's pain that throbbed unspoken through the tales of their feats."

Reading Paulette Jiles' revenge western Chenneville, it's easy to remember she's a poet. She plays ... Another issue I had: with the timeline of other heroes, speaking of Heracles in Theseus’ past because he was Theseus’ mentor, and then later introducing Perseus, who was not described as old as far as I can remember, knowing Perseus is actually Heracles’ GREAT GRANDFATHER doesn’t make any sense. It’s Ancient Greece so I’m going to assume that Perseus should be dead if Heracles was in his prime before Theseus even met Ariadne (so probably like 15+ years in the past at that point) I really just want an adult (big) book about Medusa and the Minataur. I want some long drawn out story. I agree with much which has already been written. None of the men in the story would be considered role models with the possible exception of Daedalus. Private, quiet lives would be the best she could wish for her own sons. - patriciag