I listened to Ariadne and would have enjoyed it more if I’d read it. The narrator, Barrie Kreinik, was very talented but didn’t suit my idea of the characters. Her narration has a crisp and upright British accent that made me think of someone in their 30s or older, not a young woman in her teens or twenties. It sounded like there was too much emphasis on mundane things, and the characters always sounded like they were in crisis, jubilation, or rage. No shade on the narrator, though. The narration style chosen didn’t work for these characters and this story, and who knows how much input she had into it. I’d have loved this style of narration for a historical romance.
Book Information
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
First Published: May 3 2021
Format: audiobook
Narrator: Barrie Kreinik
Source: Library
Genre: Fantasy
Ariadne doesn’t re-write the mythology. The expected milestone events occur, and the tragedies stay intact. I’m pleased Jennifer Saint kept to the Greek myths instead of only loosely basing the story on them. It’s lovely to think about how many times storytellers have shared these stories over the ages. I appreciate that the entire myth is told in Ariadne, though the ending was a bit rushed.
I didn’t like the book. Ariadne and Phaedra are annoying and one-dimensional. Yes, they’re young. Of course, teenagers will be angsty and self-absorbed, but it doesn’t change as Ariadne and Phaedra grow up, either. Working within the limits of the mythology, Ariadne could have lamented being unable to reach out to her sister instead of contentedly raising children. The narration style affected how I felt about the characters. Sometimes, I get accustomed to it and can move past the narration to fall into the story, but not this time. I didn’t feel like Ariadne was a woman to look up to nor would I characterize her as strong. Ariadne and Phaedra take two different paths, but neither of them actually got to make a choice in how they lead their lives, the men did. It’s more like they made the best of what they had but I don’t think being resigned to your fate is something women should admire.
If I add Jennifer Saint’s other Greek mythology re-tellings to my TBR, I will read them with my eyes rather than listening. I don’t want to judge her retelling capabilities based on this experience as I feel it’s unfair to her. I strongly recommend reading Ariadne as an e-book or physical copy rather than the audiobook. I’m disappointed that the audio didn’t work out for me, and I may return to Ariadne as an e-book in a few years.
Links
thestorygraph
Jennifer Saint’s Website
Other Retellings:
Dating Dr. Dil by Nisha Sharma – loosely based on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew
The Arthur Trilogy by Harper Fox – Camelot/King Arthur, Arthur falls in love with Lancelot
