Sappho: The Tenth Muse

by Nancy Freedman

In this finely drawn portrait, Sappho of Lesbos narrates her extraordinary life, from her childhood in war-torn Mitylene to her later relentless search for passionate love. Driven by the all-consuming fever of her Muse-inspired poetic gift, Sappho leads the reader on a journey that is at once turbulent and divine, desperate and sensuous. With breathtaking lucidity and great leaps of imagination, Nancy Freedman shows us a Sappho we have never known -- and one we will never forget. The toast of kings for her verse, Sappho was also a shrewd businesswoman, an educator, an advocate of women's equality, and a rebel who was banished from her island home. Remembering her solely as a lesbian icon reveals only one aspect of her multifaceted personality. Here, finally, Nancy Freedman gives us the complete Sappho. She was arguably the most accomplished lyric poet of the ancient world, but her writing was all but destroyed by the early Church. Only in this century have fragments been uncovered, so that we too may glimpse the force of this strangely enigmatic woman. Contradictory in nature, she inspired equally passionate adoration and loathing; her fame brought her a series of obsessive loves. Her relations with women are well known, but it was for the love of a man that she set sail to face her destiny.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Mythology, Literature, Greece, LGBT

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 15, 1998

About the author

Nancy Lois Mars Freedman, born in Chicago in 1920, was a professional dancer by the age of seven. She later became an actress, but her career was cut short by a heart condition. She married Benedict Freedman in 1941, just shy of her twenty-first birthday. They collaborated on Mrs. Mike while still in their twenties. Each would write a section and critique the other’s work. (In a previous discussion, June 2007, we learned that this is the method used by the mother and daughter team that makes up P. J. Tracy.) Nancy and Benedict did not write the sequels to Mrs. Mike (The Search for Joyful and Kathy Little Bird) until 2002 and 2004! Nancy authored several other books in the intervening years.

Reviews

[makenna ༄ · Rating 5 out of 5]

the greeks were some crazy mfs!!!!! for a book about sappho there sure were a lot of men, hm? also i think it’s so funny that the people from the isle of lesbos were called lesbians that cracked me up every time i read it, “…Thanks to the gods I am Lesbian born. I shall take my customs with me.” (p. 97) like YES GO GIRL GO!!! overall this was a truly decadent read, and though i expected to relate to sappho, for obvious reasons, i didn’t realise just how much we’d have in common. this book was a true work of art!!

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75* Lovely language and story-telling. I wish I could have liked Sappho (the character) more, but she was often so self-destructive and hurt those she claimed to love.

[Redfox5 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before reading this book, I had never heard of Sappho, the Greek poet. Obviously this is a fictional novel about her life and mostly imaged by the author. I had mixed feelings about her as a person. She was very forward thinking and feminist for her time, which I liked. But I also thought she was incredibly selfish.

She used girls and then discarded them when another had taken her fancy. That's also before you take into account that she set up a school for young ladies, it never states how old these girls are, I was hoping they were in their late teens but I'm not sure, horrible feeling they were much younger than that. She's in charge of these girls, in a position of power and sleeps with most of them. She can't even leave her daughters friend alone and then is surprised when her daughter runs away. That whole part didn't sit right with me. Though I realise I'm looking at this with present day eyes and sleeping with people much younger was more accepted back then.

Not to mention the way she treats the only brother who still speaks to her, after he decides to marry a slave.

But in general her life was pretty interesting so it does make a good read. The book was scattered with Sappho's poems which were not to my taste, I had a hard time seeing how she would sing these to people and they are basically two lines.

[Rem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possibly one of the best historical fiction novels I have ever read. As a queer person, I could identify with Sappho on some levels. Not fully since I'm not female. However, I feel like she exhibits qualities of a Gemini personality, and that constant inner struggle, as if there are 2 of you inside,is what I could identify with the most.

"Desire? Desire for what?"... "The question was troubling. And she had been troubled by it...When happiness and sadness intertwine, then great confusion occurs." pg. 70

"It seemed odd to her that her freedom should go hand in hand with slavery. Yet, unless one bound oneself to a man, one was regarded with suspicion. With no protector, one's name could be bandied without impunity." pg. 116

"Had she wanted unreasonably? Desired too much?...She believed to be bonded to another was the highest good a human can known and if one encounters the perfect mate, it is the ultimate. Many times with her many lovers she had glimpsed the ultimate." pg. 290

"There is no reason in love--do not look for reason. It is a holy gift." pg. 315

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a very lyrical read. I liked the writing style and the story itself was engaging. That being said some of this stuff was just woof and I didn't like Sappho very much. I love me a strong woman who does what she wants. But she also never considers anyone else. Also she's a massive predator. I know that attitudes were different back then but that doesn't change how she uses and manipulates the people in her care

Also if you are triggered by young adolescents in sexual situations, stay far away from this book because yikes.

And, I mean, I get it. Historical context and all that. But still. Yikes.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this a few years ago, but was obliquely reminded of it today. I loved this when I read it. Really made Sappho come to life -- and I've been a fan of her poetry for many years.


In the book there's one death scene that I found rather disturbing, and it should have been avoidable, but isn't. And the book is basically a tragedy; I don't much like tragedy, so it's all bittersweet.

[Shelley Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Clever if lurid. Nice interweaving of fragments of Sappho's poetry in this reconstruction of her life, but...

[Tamilyn White · Rating 3 out of 5]

took me many months to read. just couldn't get into it. more accurately, i'd get into it then it fizzled out. way better if you skip to the middle and the steamy sections.

[Kelly Boville · Rating 3 out of 5]

a little long but overall a good read

[K.A. Masters · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is voyeuristic nonsense. There is a streak of sadism in this book that makes it unreadable. The author peppers her pages with random and horrific events of sexual violence that serve no function to the plot, but are added to entice the reader. The added layer of homophobia does not help. For a better book about Sappho, try Caroline Gage's play "Sappho in Love."