I Never Liked You Anyway

by Jordan Kurella

Eurydice is dead, and there's no rest in the Afterlife. The place is a college filled with classes like Hauntings, Controlled Baking Disasters, and Threads of Fate. When Eurydice was alive, she tried to find her voice in her music, in romance, and in her friends. While creating a suite of destruction that eventually led her to, well, being dead. Now, here among the shades (and newer, more ghostly, friends), Eurydice has to come to terms with the life she left mostly in the enfant terrible boyfriend who put her here. The infamous Orpheus. Clever and brutal and hilarious, Jordan Kurella's novella is a mythic read.

Genres: Fantasy, Novella, LGBT, Retellings, Science Fiction, Queer, Fiction

116 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 15, 2022

About the author

Jordan Kurella has lived all over the world (including Moscow and Manhattan).

In his past lives, he was a photographer, radio DJ, and social worker. His work has been nominated for the Nebula Award and long-listed for the British Science Fantasy Award. He is the author of the fantasy novella, I NEVER LIKED YOU ANYWAY, the short story collection, WHEN I WAS LOST, and the climate fiction novella, THE DEATH OF MOUNTAINS. Jordan lives in limbo with his perfect dog and practical cat.

Reviews

[Shannara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I should premise this with, I love retellings, lgbtqia+ lit, and mythology. So this book had a leg up before I even started reading. I mean, if it had sucked I would have no qualms in saying so, but I adored this one!! Eurydice is such an intriguing character and I related to her quite a bit. Orpheus is not my favorite character, but he was interesting too. I thought Andi was cool as well as obviously Hades and Persephone. And there’s a love square?!?! Yeah, that’s right, a love square!!

Then there’s the drama, add in some gods, love, comedy, and death. We can’t forget the death… But basically there’s a lot of awesome going on. It’s quirky, fun, and so damn entertaining!! I had trouble putting this one down once I really started reading it.

I recommend this to those who enjoy mythological retellings with lgbtqia+ lovin!! Such a great read!! Do watch out for the triggers though, there’s suicide in this one.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Vernacular Books, and Jordan Kurella for the opportunity to read this for my honest opinion!!

[Richard Derus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real Rating: 4.5* of five

The Publisher Says: Eurydice is dead, and hell is a school. She has to learn Hauntings, Baking Disasters, Threads of Fate, and all the other classes a newly dead soul needs to master before they're ready for what comes next. Eurydice is still processing the disastrous relationship that sent her into the land of the dead almost as soon as she was married to the brilliant love of her life, Orpheus.

She'll tell you how he swept her off her feet, and how their polyamorous group swept each other up in music and art and art theory and a life of creation from destruction, but mostly just destruction. But, this isn't their story. Eurydice is dead, and failing all her classes, and she knows Orpheus is coming to get her out. Not that he cares, but that's not what she wants. And, she's the only one who truly knows how Orpheus and Eurydice's story ends.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.

My Review: The term "disaster bisexual" gets a lot of airplay in this retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice. It very much fits. Everyone.

That's it. That's the review. In spirit, anyway.

I've heard many times over the years, "why can't They just leave {cultural shibboleth} alone? Why do They need to make it about Them?" Because it is about them, and if changing skin colors, genders, clothes, languages makes it more about them in ways they want it to, so be it. The only They who want things to be "left alone" are the "They" who want closet doors swung shut, schools to lead prayer circles, and women to admit they liked it.

This wildly 21st-century setting for the timeless myth of complicated love and its pangs, pains, and consequences, suits the spirit of the Archaic original in exploring the ways communication and courage fail in tandem. It brings the idea of The Grand Passion, The Noble Sacrifice, The Fame of Great and Good Men into sharp, pitiless relief when it's shorn of its togas and chitons, vivified out of its marmoreal bloodless heft into lively, real banter and passionate, full-throated desire.

Is this the best example of a queer myth retelling I've ever read? That would be Patroclus retelling the Iliad. But it is very funny, fun to read, and more like the way I suspect the mythcrafters intended the entire enterprise to play out in the original Bronze-Age dialect. Thev fussy, sexually neutered Myth we're accustomed to, the one They want us to leave alone, was...I promise you this...not the way it was first told.

So revel in this big, bold, bawdy recovery, this excavation of the graveyard of Literature, and drink the cold refreshment of a real, honest, genuinely felt myth for the first time in millennia.

[Ladz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read an eARC from the publisher
Content warning: death, discussion of suicide, abusive relationships

Orpheus and Eurydice get the CW treatment in this retelling that puts the tragic couple in college. Both are music majors, and both have different goals for their relationship as well as their musical careers. A litany of questionable choices follow, told in the past in the music program and present in the Afterlife.

Really fun with delightfully messy relationships and excellent use of music references to move the story along.

The prose is very assertive, having great command of both the “teen drama tone” while also honoring the source story. It’s a mix that works incredibly, even if the mash-up if unconventional. Kurella does a great job with characterization, with specific details that really make the characters stand out and keep them discrete even though the messiness of their relationships want to have everyone believing otherwise. Queerness is at the forefront, and calling everyone a “disaster bisexual” is only the tip of that iceberg.

I won’t spoil who the POV narrators are, but the switching between past and present is so effective. Seeing Eurydice through her own eyes and from outside is such a fascinating character exercise. We see her at all stages of her arc, which moved me in particular. The way this story captures the mess that comes with dating in college, especially dating among creatives, is unmatched. Are they dating? Are they open or committed? Does it matter if one person has an ego that’s behaves like a black hole? The narrative itself doesn’t give clear answers until the very end.

If you want something fairly light-hearted with a conclusion that makes you scream, “Hell yes,” definitely give this one a read.

[Beth Cato · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this novella as part of the Nebula finalist packet--and it's one I've been wanting to read, anyway, as Kurella is a fantastic author! This is a retelling of the myth of Eurydice and Orpheus, but largely set in the afterlife. Really, this is a deep dive into Eurydice's relatable and nuanced character. The whole thing sparkles with originality, which is hard to manage with often re-hashed myths.

[Sam S · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I really liked this! A modernized retelling of Eurydice and Orpheus. I liked the style, the voice of the characters, and the familiar story becoming something new.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Admittedly, I wasn’t too familiar with tale of Orpheus and Eurydice from Greek mythology, but I did enjoy going back to reference it after reading “I Never Liked you Anyway” to compare and contrast some of the storylines.

Set in modern times, Eurydice is a piano prodigy who gets swept up by fellow student, Orpheus. While their relationship becomes one of passion, they become codependent which takes a destructive path. Told from Eurydice’s perspective, we start with her in the afterlife as she learns the tasks of being a ghost. From there, the story bounces between flashbacks to current events where we learn the ups and downs of the couple’s polyamorous relationship and the events leading up to her eventual death.

Because the chapters are so fast, it took me a second to get used to the back and forth timelines and narratives. But once it was established who was telling what, it was smooth sailing from there. I thought it was fun, and I really enjoyed Eurydice and Orpheus’s other partners as they both pulled the characters in different directions which added to the chaos of their relationship.

Even if you have zero reference of the original story, you’ll be able to follow along quite easily!

I received an early eARC of this title from the publisher, however, these opinions are my own.

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[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read an advance copy sent to me by the publisher, and this retelling is clever and inspired. Eurydice is relatable as hell

[Shrike · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a retelling of Eurydice and Orpheus as queer, polyamorous college students. I enjoyed the LGBTQ+ and alt rep throughout.

I found some of the backstory difficult to follow as the book assumes readers are familiar with Greek myths. I would definitely appreciate more context, particularly for the Odyssey references.

There are also many, many musician name-drops. A few would be fine, but they are so frequent that I felt alienated when I kept having to look up references.

The characters did not resonate with me. In my opinion, the college-aged characters are immature, with almost middle-school-level reasoning. I would love to see Eurydice mature, especially in the Afterlife. When she "has done nothing but the correct things" and just happens to be "a special case," it feels like she takes a passive role instead of actively growing as a person.

Kurella has promising and creative ideas in this book that could shine with more workshopping. As is, this book was not a hit for me.

Thank you so much to Lethe Press for the chance to read this book for free. I'm leaving this review of my own accord.

[Betsy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is intended to be a modern telling of the Eurydice/Orpheus myth. Actually it is a sophomoric (almost literally) story of college drama. It is mostly a lot of sex among a group of students with bi-sexual orientation and various different pronouns. Also a lot of smoking, drinking and teenaged/young adult drama. There isn't much story here and what exists is repetitive and boring. I did manage to finish it but only because, at 116 pages, it didn't take to long.

[V · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting retelling of the Eurydice and Orpheus myth. I loved the worldbuilding and the take on Hades and Persephone. The recontextualization of Eurydice and Orpheus to a modern setting and situation wasn't one I was expecting, but I definitely enjoyed the ride - particularly the "present day" parts. A very interesting novella that I would definitely recommend to fans of remixed mythology.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this. It’s an engaging story filled with interesting characters and great musical references.

[Emily ~ emhoardsbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

I couldn't put down this unique Eurydice and Orpheus retelling. I really enjoyed the short chapters that alternated between third/first person POV and different timelines. The overall voice of the storytelling had just the right amount of humor as well. There was also so much queer rep!

The only drawback for me was that sometimes I noticed a few inconsistencies and a lot of weird spelling errors. I know the book is being redistributed by a new publisher so I wonder if they'll have fixed those errors before publication. Overall it wasn't enough to detract too much from my enjoyment of the story and I'd still recommend this to anyone interesting in mythology retellings.

[Mary Soon Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novella is one of five nominated for this year's Nebula Award. It's a modern-day queer reworking of Orpheus and Eurydice that alternates between Eurydice's narration and Hades's. The updating of the myth is cleverly done and I enjoyed Hades. Yet I didn't find this compelling.

Perhaps the Nebula nomination worked against it in this instance, setting my hopes too high? While I liked Eurydice and wished things would end well for her, I didn't feel drawn to the story. Orpheus and Aristaeus were intentionally unlikable, which made scenes with them somewhat unpleasant reading for me. Here's to all the good guys: Andi, Penelope, Hector, Eurydice.

Three out of five stygian stars.

About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).

[Geoffreyjen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the first half of this book so much, and then I found I needed to stop. Not because there was anything wrong, quite the contrary. The concert and its aftermath were somehow too important to read through casually. I needed to be prepared, to prepare myself. In fact, I am in a very odd state of emotion today, not quite myself, and not quite not myself too. A good day to read this.

I have lways been fascinated by the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, just as with the story of Hades and Persephone. Like the author of this book, it is Eurydice who has always inspired me more. Orpheus is a study in opposites, well handled here.

This story is about love, and about friendships, but neither of these are quite where you think they are. Ultimately, it is the love between Eurydice and Penelope that speaks the loudest, and perhaps also been Hades and Persephone. The other relationships are all tainted in some way, but so are our friendships and relationships in life. This story changed me, in ways I don't fully understand yet. For me, that is writing at its most powerful. How, you may ask? How did it change me? It made me more conscious of how relationships are gendered in complex ways.

Lovely surprise at the end. Worth the path to get there. Still need to work that through.

[Rachel Allen · Rating 1 out of 5]

1/5

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 12%

Some books just don’t do it for everyone and there are books that some readers don’t click with. I didn’t click with this book.

I could have continued to read it if it was just about Eurydice’s experiences in the afterlife, but I didn’t like the chapters about her memories, especially because it was in first person which I have trouble reading on it’s own but I got whiplash from going from third person to first person every chapter.

I may try to pick this up again someday, but for now I’ll leave it alone.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rock-and-roll retelling of Eurydice from the point of view of the kids who were much cooler than you in college, with an underworld that is also rather like college and a very laid-back Hades who has a strong relationship with Persephone. Glad those two kids worked it out.

[Abigail Pankau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eurydice is learning how to be a ghost in the afterlife, but she doesn’t quite have the knack for it. She’s still thinking about her relationship with Orpheus, and how she ended up dead. She met Orpheus is the practice rooms at college and thought his music was lightyears beyond everyone else. But as they formed poly relationships with others, Eurydice started to see what Orpheus was taking from her. Even now that she’s dead, she knows that Orpheus still won’t let her go, but she wants to write her own ending to this story.

This was an interesting re-imagining of the Eurydice story with a different view on Orpheus. While I liked the idea of the story, it was a little rough in the telling. Sometimes it’s overwhelmed by purple prose, and it drags at the beginning. But once the story gets going it’s compelling. 3.5 stars rounded up.

[Eilish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this overall, some of the writing felt like it was trying a little too hard to be like young and hip but overall it was a fun read, and it was funny and upsetting, and it had good Polyam, LGBTQ+ and NB rep!
The characters were a bit underdeveloped but that feels like it may be because they’re characters from myth so it’s assumed we have some assumptions about their basic character and personality already


Summary for future self-

https://docs.google.com/document/d/19...

[Kim Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Between a 3.5 and 4 rating. Modern retelling of the story of Eurydice and Orpheus. In this version they are in music school together. Both are talented musicians. The characters Andromeda and Aristaeus are also central to that part of the story. The story goes back and forth from memories (music school) and present day (the Afterlife). In the Afterlife Eurydice is friends with Penelope. There is also interaction with Hades and Penelope. Good retelling and slight twist to the original story. Recommend for those who like mythology.

[karenbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Look, those stars are for the story as much as they're for the fun I had highlighting sentences that didn't make sense. I would LOVE to read this story after some good editing (and proofreading). And there are so many references to all types of musicians and at least half of the time they meant nothing to me.

Still compelling enough that I bought the ebook after my Kindle Unlimited subscription ended TWENTY PAGES FROM THE END.


(three and a half stars)

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a retelling of the story of Eurydice and Orpheus, and it has a clear sense of place, voice and character. Unfortunately, it wasn't my cup of tea, but I think that comes down to personal taste. I also appreciated how the story included queer and poly characters and tackled unhealthy relationships.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 75%.

I tried to like this book, but I just could not get into it. The story of Orpheus and Eurydice is one that I've always loved from Greek mythology and this just made it into an incredibly boring school romance. I've never been unable to finish a book that was under 200 pages, but I felt miserable every time I picked it up, so I'm just done.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A witty and scathingly brilliant remix of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth.

[Emmalyn Renato · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the novellas nominated for the Nebula award this year. It's a modern day queer retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth.

[Marissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite my thing but I'm glad that people who do like it have been loving it. Plenty of queer poly representation here, done well, even with deeply unlikeable characters.

[Kristin Boes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the story and the new setting was creative and interesting. I just had issues with sooooo many typographical errors. I'm not normally a stickler but it got a little distracting.

[Jaśmina Różańska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute for its queerness but dragged a bit towards the end

[Emily]

the word swagger was used three times in one page, what year is it

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good idea. Meh execution.

[Venneh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic novella that takes Orpheus and Eurydice and puts them into a college conservatory setting, makes it clear what a fuckboi Odysseus is, and actually gets to dive into Eurydice coming into her own voice. Great time, absolutely interested in more from Kurella.