What readers think of Ariadne, plus links to write your own review.

If you grew up as I did, long after it was considered necessary to learn Greek and Latin to be well educated, you might think, as I did, that you missed out on a huge bit of Western literary background, and feel ill equipped to follow an obscure aside regarding Greeks and gifts, Pandora's box, or the touch of King Midas. On the other hand, all those wars…boring, right? Well it's a new day in the Classics, and the women are taking center stage and redressing their bad reputations. Circe was redeemed by Madeline Miller, the women of Troy by Pat Barker, and now, Ariadne, by Jennifer Saint. You will get the inside story of how, Ariadne, daughter of King Minos of Crete, helped Theseus kill her brother, the Minotaur and, well, look it up if you want the whole story before you read the novel. You'll get to know Theseus: a hero or a jerk? And you'll find out why there are so many paintings of her lying on the beach, alone, or with Dionysus looking lovingly over her. Ever heard of Phaedra? She's Ariadne's brave sister, and you won't believe where she ended up. The book is written formally, as if it were a Greek chorus, telling of wise and wonderful things.

You know the stories and yet — from this female perspective — you don't, so this re-imagining of Greek myths grips you and you eagerly turn the pages. You know some of the names of the gods, demi-gods, and mortals (the men: Minos, Theseus, Dionysus); vaguely remember others (the women: Ariadne, Phaedra, Medusa); and still others are completely unknown or long forgotten (Pasiphae). Familiar gods make cameo appearances and minor characters in the myths take center stage. The title is "Ariadne," but some of the story belongs to her mother and even more to her sister. Women's plight, women's power (or lack thereof), women's cunning, women's heroism, women's solidarity, women's woes, childbirth, wifedom, motherhood — this book contains them all and puts women in the forefront of the stories we thought we knew but now know we don't. Fans of "Circe" by Madeline Miller will find this a worthy companion, and book clubs will find much to discuss here.

Jennifer Saint has created a fresh and thought provoking take on the myths and heroes we normally see only from the male perspective. Her characters were well rounded and much more three dimensional than the original mythological figures. While the "heroes" were shown to be less than heroic (Theseus, I'm looking at you), the heroines were also shown to have very human flaws that made them more relatable. In particular, the contrast between Phaedra's struggles with motherhood and Ariadne's absorption by it and how both were influenced by their differing experiences of their own mother was exceedingly well drawn. Overall, a well written, well researched, highly enjoyable read.

An imaginative retelling of the myth of Ariadne. The sisters Ariadne and Phaedra are the children of Minos and Pasiphae. Their half-brother is the dreaded Minotaur who lives in a complicated labyrinth constructed by Daedalus. Each year grisly human sacrifices are made to the Minotaur and Ariadne can no longer bear it. She aids Theseus in killing the Minotaur. This is where the story begins.

The story is told from the perspective of the two sisters. It is safe to say that in this world, women get screwed---literally and figuratively. However, Saint does a good job making Adriadne and Phaedra show some determination.

Saint tells this story so well and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were times where I thought more detail would have enriched the story. I would have liked to know more about the initial attraction between Ariadne and Theseus. Was it really just his green eyes? Also, the part about Icarus and Daedalus could have been expanded because that myth alone is fascinating.

The pace and detail of the book got better after Part 1 and then it was a page-turner for me. Along with Madeline Miller's Circe, these re-telling of myths are wonderful. So many primal emotions---jealousy, revenge, lust, love. It's all there.

Ariadne is a retelling of a Greek myth. Her father is King Minos and her brother the Minotaur. This retelling is from the perspective of King Minos's two daughters, Ariadne and Phaedra. The consequences the women bear due to the actions and whims of the Olympian Gods, their father the king, and the choices they believed they had to make.

Jennifer Saint makes the retelling easy to follow even if you are not familiar with the original myth. I enjoy Greek mythology and read this book in one day as I didn't want to put it down.

In Jennifer Saint’s novel we learn that Ariadne, the princess of Crete, grew up with a ruthless, greedy father, King Minos, with stories of vengeful gods who punish women for the sins of the men in their lives and with her half-brother, the Minotaur, the monster who roams the Labyrinth under their palace of Knossos, feeding yearly on human sacrifice from the defeated city of Athens. Her only solace is her younger sister, Phaedra, a far more rebellious and fearless nature than herself, who still needs to wait for the right moment to escape the paternal grip.
The choice Ariadne makes when the prince of Athens, Theseus, comes to Crete to kill the Minotaur will set her life on a course undoubtedly different from what her father had decided for her. Her choice will also change the life of her sister, and their destines will unwind parallel to each other until a dramatic later encounter. But while Greek mythology glorifies the accomplishments of the man hero Theseus, Saint spins the narrative from the point of view of the heroines, with Ariadne actively seeking her place in this story of heroism and refusing as much as possible to be controlled by the men around her.
Also, halfway through the novel, Saint highlights Phaedra as a mighty heroine in her own right, giving her first-person narrator privileges. Phaedra’s story re-intersects with Ariadne’s at a key moment to reflect on how momentary loss can turn into long-term gain and unforeseen success can prove to be draining and only deceptively satisfying.
Just like Miller in Circe, because of the nature of the material she works with, Saint frequently reflects through her characters on destiny, divinity and human agency, but she adds insightful reflections on the immortality of art and the heroes and values immortalized. Saint questions traditional characters, values and the patriarchal society which nurtured them, offering a subversive narrative which brings to the front alternative, sounder values and heroines. Ariadne is merciless of the way patriarchal families and societies work and in its exploration of the multifaceted women roles and relationships hints at a better world governed by matriarchal values. Unfortunately, it is crushed by the order in place, leaving us wonder at how different or not the transformations in gender roles and relationships are in today’s society, so many years later.
The book has a brilliant motto and prologue, a solid and enticing narrative structure based substantially on the interweaving of first-person narrators. Saint uses an appropriately ornate style, brimming with introspective questions and complex noun-phrases, with imagery perfectly reflective of the age it describes. It is a great novel to read and reflect upon.

The minute I opened this book, I was drawn into one of my most favorite myths ... and from a woman's point of view. Author Jennifer Saint took a brave chance for a first-time novelist -- retelling an ancient myth has been done so many times by authors far more famous and with long track records -- Hawthorne, Renault, and more recently, Madeline Miller (not to mention the originals, Homer, Ovid, and Virgil). That said, she did a credible job, in that I and others, I gather, are still engaged. Haven't finished the book yet, but intend to. I can't help notice, however, that Renault and Miller are far better at retelling myths. They have developed special styles that are really fabulous at enveloping you into the world of magic-realism. Saint tends to rely on overwriting (what else can you do when describing gods?) and often falls into cliche. Nevertheless a great tale is just that, and Saint should be commended.

With lilting fairy tale language the author re introduces us to the folklore and mythology of Greece, which is only vaguely familiar to me. In juxtaposing the lives of the sisters, Ariadne and Phaedra, the author illuminates sibling love and rivalry in a beautiful way. The sisters, each strong-willed in her unique manner, chart their passages through a world controlled by men, with unpredictable machinations of the gods as a bonus. The story is filled with love and hate, vengeance and revenge, drama and tragedy, as we can only wish from the Greeks. Not a gentle tale, in the end, but one which reinvigorates their mythology. Recommended.