Showing posts with label retelling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label retelling. Show all posts

4 May 2020

Review - The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

    Title: The Silence of the Girls

    Author: Pat Barker

    Synopsis:

When her city falls to the Greeks, Briseis's old life is shattered. She goes from queen to captive, from free woman to slave, awarded to the godlike warrior Achilles as a prize of battle. She's not alone. On the same day, and on many others in the course of a long, bitter war, innumerable women have been wrested from their homes and flung to the fighters.

As told in The Iliad, the Trojan War was a quarrel between men. But what of the women in this story, silenced by their fates? What words did the speak when alone with each other, in the laundry, at the loom, when laying out the dead?

In this magnificent novel of the Trojan War, Pat Barker summons the voices of Briseis and her fellow women to tell this mythic story anew, foregrounding their experiences against the backdrop of savage battle between men. One of the contemporary writers on war and its collateral damage, here Pat Barker reimagines the most famous of all wars in literature, charting one woman's journey throught it, as she struggles to free herself and to become the author of her own story.

My Thoughts:

This is the story of the Invisible, the story of the Oppressed. Of the ones who the songs barely mentioned despite their courage which often was greater than the fighting men's. The ladies who suffered and were forced to endure the dire consequences of the bloody war under the walls of Troy are often but a footnote in books that retell the events of the Iliad. Pat Barker decided to honour them at last. 


The Silence of the Girls starts with the sack of Lyrnessus and the capturing of its women. The first half of the events are told from Briseis' point of view who's given to Achilles as a war prize. In Lyrnessus she was a princess, now she's a slave. At home she wasn't allowed to walk the streets unveiled, now all she owns are rags and she's subject to the obtrusive leer of the Greek fighters.

One of the most shocking issue that this novel deals with is how the women were objectified. None of the men (except for Patroclus) treated them as human beings. The humiliation was sometimes hard to read and made me extremely angry. 

Achilles wasn't depicted as the great hero in this novel. The author focused on how he had been abandoned by his mother Thetis and because of this he grew up to be a miserable man-child. He was cruel and cold, but he did go through some development in the novel which was interesting to observe (some parts are told in the third person following Achilles).

There's a tension you feel throughout the book that's generated by the fact the women don't speak up for themselves. Because they can't, if they want to survive they can't. Some choose to speak with action, like Briseis' cousin who throws herself off the wall of the city right before they are captured. Some resist by not resisting, like young Polyxena who holds her head high while she's taken away to be executed. Some pray wordlessly, hard and long for vengeance and get it, like Briseis. You see all these silent battles, but never a loud confrontation, because it's impossible. It's dreadful to realize they don't have a choice.

Pat Barker included all the themes Iliad works with and more. There's Achilles' grief for Patroclus, but there is the mothers' grief for their murdered babies, sisters' anguish over the loss of their brothers. There are musings about whether a person's memory lives on, but also how the memory of a community survives. The question is asked: can there be friendship between enemies? and so on...

If you're looking for long descriptions about the heat of the battles don't look here. The whole book is set in the background, at the camps. But there's plenty of pressure behind closed doors and consequences of the fighting always touch the women's lives. They are strong and enduring, they are women to look up to; Briseis, Arianna, Helen, Chryseis, Hecamede, Hecuba, Polyxena, and I could go on... these are names to remember.

I'm always looking for works that present Iliad from a new angle; Pat Barker's book is not one that I'll soon forget, I'm sure.


21 Dec 2018

Review - I, Guinevere by -C.K. Brooke


Title: I, Guinevere

Author: C.K. Brooke

Publication Date: October 14, 2018

Synopsis:

Your legends have it wrong. Arthur never pulled that sword out of the stone. I did. I, Guinevere.

On the winter solstice, a mysterious sword in a stone appears in the churchyard. Not even the mightiest of the village men can remove it, until fifteen-year-old Guinevere gives a try. The sword heeds the unsuspecting maiden, proclaiming the unthinkable: she is the blood of Pendrakon, heir to the vacant throne of Camylot.

Guinevere never dreamed she was born royalty. Now, between apprenticing the eccentric wizard, Merlyn; swordplay lessons with an abrasive—albeit, attractive—boy named Lance; and clandestine, magical meetings with the formidable High Priestess of Avalon, Guinevere is swept up in a whirlwind of training and preparation for her monumental new role as future queen. But invasions by the barbarous Saxyns and visitations from mysterious dark forces constantly warn that she may be in over her head. Can Guinevere defend the kingdom from the darkness and deception that threaten to seize it? Despite her doubts and the sinister forces working against her, can she harness the power to wield Exkalibur and rule the realm? Or is Camylot already destined to fall? 



My Thoughts:

I, Guinevere is a short retelling of the Arthurian legend, that turns the original story upside down, since yes! Arthur is barely in it (don't worry, you won't miss him at all).

If you like YA retellings that take a female side-character from the original tale and build up the well-known story around her, this novel is definitely for you.

Merlin, Lancelot, Morgan, Mordred – all the familiar characters are here, but Arthur is no king. C.K. Brooke wanted to give Guinevere a chance to shine making her Queen of Camelot (here Camylot). However, as all rulers she has to learn how to lead her people and through this book we are shown how she grows into a woman who believes in herself as well as in her country.

I enjoyed reading about the magic, obviously it added a little fairy-tale vibe to the whole affair. It was great Guinevere had the ambition to learn magic, because by it and with it she became a figure of connection between Camylot and Avalon.

The settings were enchanting, they had this old-world feeling; Avalon, the lake, castles, misty-foggy landscapes – they were magnificent.

Altogether, the book wasn't extremely action-packed, except for the end that I was very satisfied with (plot twist hey ho...).

Beware, this is YA so except some teenage drama (I, again, realized I'm too old for that uhh), but this can be overlooked if you are not into it, because the book really goes back to and draws much from the original Arthurian legend.

Once again, if YA is something you read a lot of and you also like retellings, you might want to give this novel a try.




About the Author:

C.K. Brooke is an award-winning indie author of over a dozen romance and fantasy novels. Her debut novel, THE DUCHESS QUEST (48fourteen, 2014), was selected by Shelf Unbound Magazine as a Top 100 Notable Indie Book of 2015, and her YA novel, SECRETS OF ARTEMIS, received the Indie B.R.A.G. Medallion Award in 2017. She is also the author of THE WRONG PRINCE, a Readers Favorite five star recipient and Global EBook Award Honorable Mention title, as well as the historical romance, CAPTURING THE CAPTAIN (Limitless, 2016), which was a RONE Award Nominee and a Finalist in the MMRWA Best Banter Contest. She lives in Michigan with her husband and son. Visit her at www.CKBrooke.com




Author Links:

Website: https://www.ckbrooke.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/ckbrooke
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ck.brooke
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/+ckbrooke
Subscribe to Newsletter, get a Free eBook: https://www.ckbrooke.com/subscribe
Join ARC Review Team: https://ckbrooke.com/street-team/


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3 Apr 2017

Goodreads Monday #4

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren @ Lauren’s Page Turners. To participate, choose a random book from your TBR and show it off! Don’t forget to link back to Lauren’s Page Turners and link up to the inlinkz so others can see what you picked!

Sorry I've been off for a few days, I went to London for a long weekend but now I'm back and the posts will be coming! :)

Since it's Monday again, let me introduce you to another book from my TBR. 

I watched Disney's Beauty and the Beast (1991) for the first time two days ago (I know, I know... what have I done with my life so far??) and I can't wait to check out the movie. 

On the book front I'm yearning to read this retelling, because Juliet Marillier's writing style is something else.

by Juliet Marillier


 Synopsis:

Whistling Tor is a place of secrets and mystery. Surrounded by a wooded hill, and unknown presences, the crumbling fortress is owned by a chieftain whose name is spoken throughout the district in tones of revulsion and bitterness. A curse lies over Anluan's family and his people; those woods hold a perilous force whose every whisper threatens doom.

For young scribe Caitrin it is a safe haven. This place where nobody else is prepared to go seems exactly what she needs, for Caitrin is fleeing her own demons. As Caitrin comes to know Anluan and his home in more depth she realizes that it is only through her love and determination that the curse can be broken and Anluan and his people set free.
  
What is on your radar this week? Please share your GM posts with me! :)

Happy reading!

17 Mar 2017

Review – The Lady and the Highlander by Lecia Cornwall

Title: The Lady and the Highlander
      
Author: Lecia Cornwall

Rating: 4/5 stars

Synopsis: Laire MacLeod’s father has married a mysterious widow who is a vain beauty that deals with potions and spells. Laire does not drink them with the rest of her family and is the only one who could see through her stepmother’s games. When Laire flees to find help from her Uncle the Lady’s huntsman follows her with orders to kill. Laire must survive in a dangerous new city and find the antidote to a poisonous potion before it is too late.

Iain Lindsay is cursed. He is bound for seven years to be the hunter of a Lady who uses him to bring back birds to use in her potions. When Laire MacLeod escapes the Lady’s nets, Iain tracks her to Edinburgh, where she’s found shelter with an unusual band of thieves, but he cannot bring himself to harm her. Instead, he finds himself falling in love with the MacLeod beauty.
But a Highlander’s oath is his bond, and the price for helping her is death, both his own, and of those he loves.

I received a free ebook copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My Thoughts:

The Lady and the Highlander is a clever Snow White retelling with a Scottish twist that lends new charm to the well-known tale.

I’m not very keen on fairy tales in general, but the change of the setting really made a difference in this case. Part of the story takes place in Edinburgh, Laire runs that far from home to escape the Sealgair – aka the huntsman – and she goes through all kinds of adventure in the city while she tries to save her family from afar. Compared to the original fairy tale there is a variety of settings here, not only the forest and that’s an improvement, I think.

The book keeps the eerily dark undertone of the Grimm tale – who wants a cup of fresh bird blood? :) – and at the same time adds a romance that is much better developed than ‘the Prince sees the girl, they kiss and decide to marry’ script. I mean, in the first half of the novel Iain, the Sealgair, is out on a mission to kill Laire. From this alone you can see that their romance is a tiny bit problematic and that’s what makes it interesting.

They have the spark from the beginning, but there are reasons why Iain can’t just give up his task easily. I loved how it all started with desire and then Iain slowly began to feel protective of Laire. The fine mix of want and worry made the romance very real to me.

As you read Lecia Cronwell’s words you can sometimes forget you’re reading a fairy tale retelling, because it is a tale that can stand on its own with its many details and lovely characters. When you remember for a moment that it is a retelling after all, you can be surprised by the parallels. At least that’s what happened to me.

I think it dawned on me a little late that Laire’s new friends in the city are the dwarfs to Laire’s Snow White, but when it did, it made so much sense! It was a great idea to include The Clan of Thieves in the story. Little, innocent Wee Kipper was my favourite, I guess he was Dopey’s alter ego and he was a sweet one.

The Queen was scary enough with her bird and blood mania and she also had a crush on Iain, which made me uncomfortable. Iain had quite a lot of secrets only the Queen knew about. That made it difficult for him to break loose and follow his heart and I sympathized with him.

As you see, I enjoyed The Lady and the Highlander very much. Why didn’t I mark it a 5-star read then? I have two reasons:

Unfortunately some of the erotic parts didn’t live up to my expectations. I haven’t read many books in the genre, but I think it is a common thing that sometimes the foreplay goes out the window. I’m not happy for that, ‘couse foreplay is important y’all.

Another thing that bothered me a bit was that the writer used the word ‘sex’ to refer to sexual intercourse. It was stated in the Author’s Note that the story was set in 1809. Now, I made a quick research on the internet about the etymology of the word sex and I found that it didn’t take on the meaning ‘sexual intercourse’ until D. H. Lawrence started using it with that meaning in his novels. It felt out of place to me, that’s why I had to check.

Reading the Author’s Note it is obvious that Lecia Cornwall had made her research before she wrote her book and I’m not writing all this down to contradict her, my point is that I would have preferred to see synonyms of ‘sex’ that fit the time period better (love-making, carnal pleasures etc…)

Despite these two tiny bumps on the road, I loved the experience pretty much and I would recommend The Lady and the Highlander to everyone who loves fairy tales or Scottish tales. This story is truly worth your time.

Goodreads | Amazon

13 Mar 2017

Goodreads Monday #1

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren @ Lauren’s Page Turners. To participate, choose a random book from your TBR and show it off! Don’t forget to link back to Lauren’s Page Turners and link up to the inlinkz so others can see what you picked!

There are 309 books on my Goodreads TBR. Oops. The thing is, I can't stop adding new titles, I think you fellow bookworms understand this urge...

Anyway, I have a wide range of books to choose from, but today this post will feature a retelling, because I was reading a fairy tale retelling in the second half of last week (The Lady and the Highlander by Lecia Cornwall) and I think it's a good idea to keep this theme going today.

I picked the following book because I'm extremely fond of Shakespeare and I have already read one Shakespeare retelling from this author that I loved dearly (read my review of Ophelia by Lisa Klein here).

So on to the book:

Lisa M. Klein


Synopsis:

Albia has grown up with no knowledge of her mother of her father, the powerful Macbeth. Instead she knows the dark lure of the Wychelm Wood and the moors, where she's been raised by three strange sisters. It's only when the ambitious Macbeth seeks out the sisters to foretell his fate that Albia's life becomes tangled with the man who leaves nothing but bloodshed in his wake. She even falls in love with Fleance, Macbeth's rival for the throne. Yet when Albia learns that she has the second sight, she must decide whether to ignore the terrible future she foresees—or to change it. Will she be able to save the man she loves from her murderous father? And can she forgive her parents their wrongs, or must she destroy them to save Scotland from tyranny?

Recently I had a few 'encounters' with Macbeth the play and the story; I was lucky enough to see a midnight performance of it in Shakespeare's Globe and I also saw the movie with Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard, which I enjoyed a lot too. I can't wait to put my hands on this book!

Do you like retellings? Which one is your favourite?

21 Dec 2014

Review - Ophelia by Lisa Klein



Title: Ophelia

Author: Lisa Klein

Rating: 4/5 stars

Synopsis:  

He is Hamlet, Prince of Denmark; she is simply Ophelia. If you think you know their story, think again.

In this reimagining of Shakespeare's famous tragedy, it is Ophelia who takes center stage. A rowdy, motherless girl, she grows up at Elsinore Castle to become the queen's most trusted lady-in-waiting.  Ambitious for knowledge and witty as well as beautiful, Ophelia learns the ways of power in a court where nothing is as it seems. When she catches the attention of the captivating, dark-haired Prince Hamlet, their love blossoms in secret. But bloody deeds soon turn Denmark into a place of madness, and Ophelia's happiness is shattered. Ultimately, she must choose between her love for Hamlet and her own life. In desperation, Ophelia devises a treacherous plan to escape from Elsinore forever . . . with one very dangerous secret.

My thoughts: 

Everybody knows the woeful story of the Prince of Denmark, but let’s face it: Ophelia has little role in Shakespeare’s original tragedy. It was great to read a retelling that focuses entirely on her, that has a brand new take on Ophelia. The character gets her well-deserved depth in Lisa Klein’s novel.

I didn’t give this book five stars only because I liked the third part a little less than the first two. In the beginning you read about Ophelia’s childhood, how she struggles to find her place at court, how her relationship deepens with Hamlet. The second part contains the play’s plot, the third takes place far away from Elsinore and gives Ophelia’s story an unexpected end. All three parts are well-thought-out, although the last one was a bit slow for my liking.

The witty conversations between the prince and Ophelia made me smile many times. I love a female protagonist who is always ready to spar and can come up with ripostes that make the reader proud of her. Ophelia is certainly independent in her thinking, if not otherwise.

Looking at Hamlet’s ordeal from a different angle was pure joy, although he wasn’t that lovable a guy in this book as he was in the tragedy, but that’s understandable – he obviously concentrates on his revenge after the murder and thus neglects Ophelia. Hamlet is not a love story in the first place and so isn’t this novel.

Horatio, that dear, loyal fellow plays almost as big a part in Ophelia’s story as he does in Hamlet’s. If you liked him in the play, you’ll love him in this book, I guarantee it.

I think the ending was fine, but I can see why some reviewers wrote they hated it. It’s not a fate that many would imagine for Ophelia if she lived, but everyone can’t be satisfied, right? I was though, and therefore I can whole-heartedly recommend Ophelia to everyone who likes Shakespeare’s Hamlet.