I absolutely adored this book and am encouraging everyone I know to buy a copy.’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ READER REVIEW An adaptation of the narrative of Ariadne appears in the novel Death in the Andes by Mario Vargas Llosa. But everything changes when she leaves with Theseus and he betrays her by abandoning her on an island to die. But Ariadne’s story does not end here.

Beautifully written and nuanced, Ariadne explores the bonds between women and their epic quest for agency in patriarchal Greek society. It's not the sort of retelling that requires knowledge of the original myth beforehand - in fact, everything you might possibly need to know is handed to you. If anything, I would say that readers who are already familiar with the myths surrounding Ariadne may find a lot of the story to be one they've heard before. One thing I did note was how often the dialogue would slip into storytimes from myth - so many myths were woven in, but to a point where I kind of hoped for more, just slightly. We started off really well, with Ariadne's perspective providing more insight to situations and adding her vice very distinctly to the story...but we did lose that a touch in the middle because of the continuous recounting from other characters. That being said, I didn't dislike it. It was just something I was actively looking for when reading these myths specifically from someone else's perspective, one we haven't heard before. However, once the story got going, my hesitation and reserves went out the window. With stunning prose, Saint brings these characters (male, female, gods and beasts) to life in a way that I’ve only ever seen done in Circe. Not only Ariadne, but her sister Phaedra and many other forgotten women from these myths are brought to life in nuanced, complex and emotionally profound ways that will hit home to many of us, even centuries later. Ariadne is associated with mazes and labyrinths because of her involvement in the myths of Theseus and the Minotaur. When Ariadne has spent a decade (!) with Dionysus: "I had been trusting and obedient. I had thought that was the right way to be--the path to peace and happiness."This book especially focused on the women in Greek mythology, and so many parallels and foreshadowing was told throughout this book; through Scylla, Medusa and Pasiphae’s stories. This book explored how both of the sisters survived in circumstances that they weren’t prepared for, how they are treated as a commodity, and punished for men’s actions. This book emphasised how women have been silenced in myths and the unfairness of women’s positions in societies, but it also highlights how these women find strength, in solitude or through power, or with other women. In Hesiod and in most other versions, Theseus abandoned Ariadne sleeping on Naxos, and Dionysus rediscovered and wedded her. In a few versions of the myth, [21] Dionysus appeared to Theseus as they sailed from Crete, saying that he had chosen Ariadne as his wife and demanding that Theseus leave her on Naxos for him; this had the effect of absolving the Athenian cultural hero of desertion. [20] The vase painters of Athens often depicted Athena leading Theseus from the sleeping Ariadne to his ship. [ citation needed]

Ron Rash is renowned for his writing about Appalachia, but his latest book, The Caretaker, begins ... This critically acclaimed novel is a retelling of Homer’s Iliad, told from the perspective of Briseis, a Trojan queen who is captured and forced to become the concubine of Achilles. It is a brave, powerful story about survival and resilience, which in no way shies away from the horrors of war and the cruelty women suffered at the hands of their enslavers. There are harrowing scenes including child murder, gang rape and suicide making it a ruthless story, but one that should not be ignored. There are also festivals held in Cyprus and Naxos in Ariadne's honor. [3] [4] Etymology [ edit ] Bacchus and Ariadne by Titian: Dionysus discovers Ariadne on the shore of Naxos. The painting also depicts the constellation named after Ariadne. [5]With Ariadne, Jennifer Saint gives voice to the titular princess of Crete, known mostly as a side character in the story of Theseus and the Minotaur, placing her at the centre of her own story for once. The concept has been trialled and tested in Circe, The Silence of the Girls and A Thousand Ships, but Ariadne’s story is one that lends itself perfectly to the same treatment, as even in her original story she’s a female character with a lot of agency. As the brains behind Theseus heroic rescue operation, Ariadne dares to spin the threads of her own faith and stand strong and tall in a world ruled by man, Gods and monsters. You also find yourself in a world where problems are solved,” the debut novelist added. “You’ve got a puzzle, and you’ve got the solution. And in real life it’s not quite that simple. So it’s quite a comfy world”. Ariadne gives a voice to the forgotten women of one of the most famous Greek myths, and speaks to their strength in the face of angry, petulant Gods. Beautifully written and completely immersive, this is an exceptional debut novel.

American composer Irwin Fischer composed "Ariadne Abandoned" in 1938, a short piece scored for solo piano or orchestra. [44] I also felt that Hera's presence in the novel was in some ways a missed opportunity. She's always there as Araidne's enemy by proxy but we never really explore how the white-armed goddess (not the greatest of epithets) of marriage and birth, the protector of women, and the queen of all gods could have it in for these poor women, exploited by her King of the Gods husband, her Olympian brothers and their children. Instead as Ariadne points out.

Madeline Miller's Circe meets Cersei Lannister in a stunning debut following Clytemnestra, the most notorious heroine of the ancient world and the events that forged her into the legendary queen.