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#argonauts
review
Robotswithpersonality
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Panpan

Mostly mourning the lost potential in the premise.
Despite the extensive amount of the story delivered by an unlikeable narrator, I can see so much here that would have really worked for me if handled differently.
The author writes well, but seems to often choose to write in an attempt to shock the reader, but in ways I've encountered before, that only leave a bad taste in my mouth. 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? Opening with post-WW2 tensions: white supremacy and eugenics still viable ideas to some people, so many who have suffered violence and trauma in war, the 'place of women'.
Then the story within the story of a second mate ostensibly transported from a place and time where he had a past serving aboard the Argo with Jason, in recounting his tale focusing on the Lemnos incident, parallels the fact that he and the listening passengers and crew are
(edited) 6d
Robotswithpersonality 3/? aboard a ship in the 1940s unexpectedly paused in its own journey.
One more layer is apparent in a Nordic tale recounted that foreshadows Jason and Medea's own dark endings, told both to the Argonauts and the 40s listeners.
The unlikeable narrator has the potential for farce, because he appears to have a Polonius/Mr. Collins level of clueless chatter that sucks up to his benefactor, and tells people things for their own good and criticizes
(edited) 6d
Robotswithpersonality 4/? everyone in the least tolerant manner possible.
There's also a strong theme of sexual violence against women and seeing women only as insatiable sexual objects, which is disturbing in itself, but also because it never really feels like the author did the work to explain the linkage between the problems with the latter and the perpetration of the former.
(edited) 6d
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Robotswithpersonality 5/? Perhaps the idea was that with such an unlikeable narrator, anything he said you'd understand to be distasteful and not an attitude the reader should take forward, but it's all the messier when Caeneus, the second mate, acting as the narrator for the story within the story is at once catering to the needs of a good portion of the women of Lemnos without valuing them beyond sexual desire, and recounting his own assault at the hands of Poseidon (edited) 6d
Robotswithpersonality 6/? when he was a woman who wished to become a man after this ordeal.
There's a single page that suggests a sci-fi/fantasy element that might explain why Caeneus from ancient mythic Greece is in the 20th century, but for the most part this is a bizarre mashup of historical and myth-retelling.
(edited) 6d
Robotswithpersonality 7/? It ends much too quickly for my taste plot-wise, with no real resolution, but too slowly considering some of the uglier discussion topics, and worse, the detestable narrator appears in better state than he started. Again, I've read books where these writing choices are made, before, and I remain baffled as to what the point was. I'm afraid my brain is pretty good at dumping the junk when it's in the realm of fiction, so if the idea was to make (edited) 6d
Robotswithpersonality 7/7 it memorable because it pushed buttons, it failed there too. 🤷🏼‍♂️

⚠️Racism, xenophobia, misogyny, dismemberment, SA, child death
6d
3 likes7 comments
review
Roary47
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Panpan

1✨ There is something in me that really wants to like mythology, but I constantly just can‘t seem to be engaged. I enjoyed some of this book, but I wasn‘t able to get my head around all the characters. To the give away pile it goes.

review
RamsFan1963
Quantum Predation | Isaac Hooke
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Pickpick

88/150 Another day, another bug hunt! Thing start out differently this time for Rade and the Argonauts, as their opponents are humans who have captured them because their colony is revolting for independence. That quickly goes out the door as giant space spiders (Arachnauts?) invade the colony. This book is here solely for the action and bug smashing, don't come looking for character development. Good mindless fun. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

RamsFan1963 4th and final book for #20in4 @Andrew65 14th book for #BigJuneReadathon @Clwojick 3y
Andrew65 Well done 👏👏👏 3y
43 likes2 comments
review
RamsFan1963
Alien Empress | Isaac Hooke
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Pickpick

86/150 I thought I might be getting tired of this series by now, but it keeps up the breakneck run and gun action, the breathless escapes, crude humor and slight romance that I've enjoyed so far. This time, our heroes are helping their allies, the Greens, against another race, the Hydras. I like the story has begun to add some moral ambiguity to the Phants actions, how they control other races even if they are "the good guys". 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Clwojick Woohoo! 3y
Andrew65 Looks great. Well done 👏👏👏 3y
46 likes1 stack add3 comments
quote
vivastory
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Having just returned from the theaters where I saw The Northman, I thought now is a good time to repost the picture of my signed Sjón book. Author of strange & wonderful novellas & screenwriter of 2 strange & wonderful movies. Also, an early fan of Backlisted!

wanderinglynn What did you think of The Northman? I‘ve seen a lot of ads for it & it looks interesting, but maybe a bit violent? 3y
vivastory @wanderinglynn I will need to sit with it for a bit, but I really appreciate the commitment to the worldview they tried to portray & I think that Eggers & his team succeeded. It is pretty violent, but the violence is never gratuitous. They show you what you need to know on the screen & then cut away. It earns it's R rating but it doesn't wallow in it either, if that makes sense. 3y
persephone1408 Is it Eric before the vampirism??? Lol 3y
65 likes3 comments
blurb
vivastory
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Since the new movie “Lamb“ (the AV Club said of it, “as much a strange domestic drama as an A24 horror movie“) is released this week, I thought this as good of a time as any to post a picture of my signed copy of Sjón's The Whispering Muse. Sjón is one of the screenwriters for Lamb. Trailer below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnEwJKVWjFM&t=37s

Reggie Yeah, I don‘t know. You gonna go watch it, then? 4y
wanderinglynn I‘m not sure what I just watched. 🤔😆 4y
vivastory @Reggie I am. I'm going to try to see it this weekend. 4y
Megabooks Interesting. I‘d like to see this. 4y
58 likes1 stack add4 comments
review
JanuarieTimewalker13
Mehso-so

To get an idea about the book, Michel Faber‘s review in The Guardian is much better than I could ever give. 22June2012
I almost bailed, but Caeneus kept me reading. I enjoyed Moonstone much more. #Iceland

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StephanieP1
Tempted | Elisabeth Naughton
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Ok, this series has BEAUTIFUL layering! I love how seamless each book is into the next. Romance is not my usual genre, but I am loving this series. Halfway through the series now! If you love Greek mythology this is something I‘d recommend picking up. It‘s super spicy, but I feel still has so much character development and storyline that it‘s not the focus.

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StephanieP1
Tempted | Elisabeth Naughton
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I can‘t wait to see where this story goes!!! 😳😍

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Sophoclessweetheart
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The pink theme wasn‘t working for me. Hopefully this slightly changed theme will work better and inspire some creativity and enjoyment to post. I‘m feeling really emotional and down today, I‘ve heard some things that have upset me and broken my heart because they mean that there is no hope here for such matters and that is painful to swallow. Hope you‘re all having a better day. 🖤🌻 #bookblog #bookworm #booklover #greekmythology #classicist

TrishB Hope you‘re day improves 💕 7y
Bronte_Chintz Sorry you‘re having a rough time. Hope you feel better soon ducky! I have a present to post out to you ASAP! 💖 7y
Andrew65 Sending best wishes and positive thoughts. (edited) 7y
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Rudis Sending warm thoughts your way! 7y
wanderinglynn 💜 {hugs} I hope things gets better. Sending you hope & warm thoughts. 7y
Jerdencon Hugs! 💜 7y
jfalkens *big hugs * 7y
DivineDiana Sending love. 💗 7y
CatLass007 Love and hugs! 7y
Sophoclessweetheart @CatLass007 @DivineDiana @jfalkens @Jerdencon @MommyWantsToReadHerBook @wanderinglynn @Rudis @Andrew65 @TrishB Thank you all so so much 🖤🖤🖤😭😭😭😭 Hugs for all! I‘m blessed to be part of this community! 7y
Sophoclessweetheart @Bronte_Chintz Thank you Darling. 🖤🖤 I‘m hoping Pratchett will help. Or at least bury it for a while. And thank you! That‘s so sweet 🖤🖤 7y
Bronte_Chintz @Sorceryandswords Pratchett is always a good start! 💖 7y
Sophoclessweetheart @Bronte_Chintz And retail therapy is a great one too 😹🖤 7y
Bronte_Chintz @Sorceryandswords exactly. That tends to be when I buy books or bookish things 😂🙈 like, I have an excuse, I‘m sad, I need them. 😂😂😂 7y
Sophoclessweetheart @Bronte_Chintz I can‘t think of a better reason 🤷🏼‍♀️😹 7y
68 likes16 comments