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Otherwise: Five Myths of Transformation Told in Verse Through the Voices of Women
In this original and compelling collection, Nicoletta Arbia summons the voices of five classical women to recount their intimate stories, charting each woman’s journey of renewal and personal growth. In retelling the stories of Persephone, Eurydice, Ariadne, Cassandra and Psyche, Arbia invites us to explore the puzzle of relationships and the pitfalls of vocation. Drawing on her long-standing interest in psychology, dreams, alchemy and spirituality, we hear each woman’s story from her own point of view. We are taken on a passionate adventure in search of evolving consciousness, encompassing struggles with hidden Gods and the ravages of war; the resilience of the soul and the teachings of death; the challenges of coming of age and the lifelong task of balancing the feminine and masculine sides of our nature. This is a voice of wisdom that speaks vividly to us during difficult, transitional times. ‘Quirky, original and drawn from a deep well of intuition and compassion.’ John Glenday
193 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 24, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 15, 2021
Review to come!
December 28, 2020
▪️RESUMEN / BOOK DESCRIPTION
En este libro escrito en verso nos sumergimos en la reinterpretación de cinco mitos griegos desde las perspectivas de Perséfone, Eurídice, Ariadne, Casandra y Psique, que los hacen aún más únicos y todo un descubrimiento para los amantes de la mitología griega.
***
In this book we follow the perspectives of Persephone, Eurydice, Ariadne, Cassandra and Psyque, and through them we get to dive into the reinterpretation of five greek myths in a really unique way that greek myth lovers will enjoy for sure.
▪️VALORACIÓN PERSONAL / REVIEW
Otherwise es un libro muy especial, tanto por el estilo de narración como por los puntos de vista representados. La autora consigue que comprendas perfectamente los pensamientos y emociones de cada personaje y los dota a todos de una profundidad y trasfondo increíbles. Logré empatizar con todas las protagonistas y me gustó mucho que al inicio de cada mito te presente un resumen del mismo junto con todos los personajes que saldrán y quién es cada uno. Nicoletta refleja en sus historias temas como el descubrimiento personal, buscar tu lugar en el mundo, saber abrazar el dolor, tomar las riendas de tu vida, cualidades masculinas y femeninas, la pérdida, el sufrimiento, la honestidad, el coraje y los estándares sociales entre otros. He aprendido mucho con este libro y a su vez también me ha hecho sentir. Creo que no se puede pedir más. Me ha encantado.
***
Otherwise is a really special book, both for the style and for the points of view that are represented. The author gets you to fully understand the thoughts and emotions of each character, which have really complex backgrounds. I empathized with all the main characters and I really liked that at the beginning of each chapter the author introduces you the myth along with all the characters that will appear. Nicoletta reflects in her stories topics such as personal discovery, finding your place in the world, how to embrace pain, taking control of your life, masculine and feminine qualities, loss, suffering, honesty, courage and social standards among others. I have learned a lot from this book and it has also made me feel. I think I couldn’t ask for more. I loved it.
▪️PUNTUACIÓN / RATING
A continuación os dejo las puntuaciones que le he otorgado a cada aspecto que he tenido en cuenta a la hora de valorarlo:
***
Here you have the ratings I gave to all the elements:
Personajes / Characters: 9
Ambientación / Atmosphere: 10
Pluma / Writing style: 8
Argumento / Plot: 8
Intriga / Intrigue: 9
Coherencia / Logic: 8
Disfrute / Enjoyment: 9
Total: 8,7 | 4,5⭐️
En este libro escrito en verso nos sumergimos en la reinterpretación de cinco mitos griegos desde las perspectivas de Perséfone, Eurídice, Ariadne, Casandra y Psique, que los hacen aún más únicos y todo un descubrimiento para los amantes de la mitología griega.
***
In this book we follow the perspectives of Persephone, Eurydice, Ariadne, Cassandra and Psyque, and through them we get to dive into the reinterpretation of five greek myths in a really unique way that greek myth lovers will enjoy for sure.
▪️VALORACIÓN PERSONAL / REVIEW
Otherwise es un libro muy especial, tanto por el estilo de narración como por los puntos de vista representados. La autora consigue que comprendas perfectamente los pensamientos y emociones de cada personaje y los dota a todos de una profundidad y trasfondo increíbles. Logré empatizar con todas las protagonistas y me gustó mucho que al inicio de cada mito te presente un resumen del mismo junto con todos los personajes que saldrán y quién es cada uno. Nicoletta refleja en sus historias temas como el descubrimiento personal, buscar tu lugar en el mundo, saber abrazar el dolor, tomar las riendas de tu vida, cualidades masculinas y femeninas, la pérdida, el sufrimiento, la honestidad, el coraje y los estándares sociales entre otros. He aprendido mucho con este libro y a su vez también me ha hecho sentir. Creo que no se puede pedir más. Me ha encantado.
***
Otherwise is a really special book, both for the style and for the points of view that are represented. The author gets you to fully understand the thoughts and emotions of each character, which have really complex backgrounds. I empathized with all the main characters and I really liked that at the beginning of each chapter the author introduces you the myth along with all the characters that will appear. Nicoletta reflects in her stories topics such as personal discovery, finding your place in the world, how to embrace pain, taking control of your life, masculine and feminine qualities, loss, suffering, honesty, courage and social standards among others. I have learned a lot from this book and it has also made me feel. I think I couldn’t ask for more. I loved it.
▪️PUNTUACIÓN / RATING
A continuación os dejo las puntuaciones que le he otorgado a cada aspecto que he tenido en cuenta a la hora de valorarlo:
***
Here you have the ratings I gave to all the elements:
Personajes / Characters: 9
Ambientación / Atmosphere: 10
Pluma / Writing style: 8
Argumento / Plot: 8
Intriga / Intrigue: 9
Coherencia / Logic: 8
Disfrute / Enjoyment: 9
Total: 8,7 | 4,5⭐️
February 26, 2021
This volume of narrative poetry is inspired by Greek mythology, adding a new voice to five classical myths – a woman's voice. The author beautifully brings to life each myth, echoing the thoughts, musing and struggles of Persephone, Eurydice, Ariadne, Cassandra and Psyche, in their own words. Each poem is introduced with a synopsis of the myth, which is especially useful if you are unfamiliar with the stories.
Hearing the voices of these Greek goddesses and fabled heroines empowered in verse is hypnotic. This felt like a poetry collection that needed to be spoken aloud and performed theatrically, as if on the stage. The crux of each story was so eloquently encapsulated in so few words, with the poetry tumbling over lines as that of one's inner thoughts. These internal monologues felt both steeped in the past and yet still relevant now; the focus on female possession, a patriarchal society and the act of personal discovery concurrently flowed through each tale.
If you like reading Greek mythology and/or retellings of classic myths and fables, I would recommend this collection. This is a whole new format and style that accompanies the likes of The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood, Circe by Madeline Miller, and The Silence of Girls by Pat Barker.
*I was kindly gifted this book by the author, but all thoughts are my own.
Hearing the voices of these Greek goddesses and fabled heroines empowered in verse is hypnotic. This felt like a poetry collection that needed to be spoken aloud and performed theatrically, as if on the stage. The crux of each story was so eloquently encapsulated in so few words, with the poetry tumbling over lines as that of one's inner thoughts. These internal monologues felt both steeped in the past and yet still relevant now; the focus on female possession, a patriarchal society and the act of personal discovery concurrently flowed through each tale.
If you like reading Greek mythology and/or retellings of classic myths and fables, I would recommend this collection. This is a whole new format and style that accompanies the likes of The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood, Circe by Madeline Miller, and The Silence of Girls by Pat Barker.
*I was kindly gifted this book by the author, but all thoughts are my own.
July 23, 2021
Otherwise is a poetry collection centering around 5 women from classical mythology: Persephone, Eurydice, Ariadne, Cassandra, and Psyche. Arbia focuses on the psychological state of each woman at a pivotal moment in her story, a point of crisis and transformation, from which there is no return: Persephone’s abduction to the underworld, Eurydice’s death, Ariadne’s abandonment, Cassandra’s divine possession, enslavement and murder, Psyche’s labours. Each long narrative poem gives voice to the woman’s inner thoughts as she grapples with and navigates her way through her personal crisis.
Through her suffering each woman gains insight and understanding, comes to know herself and her place in the world (knowledge through suffering & knowing thyself: both of those are very Greek ideas). But to know herself, she first has to lose herself: to surrender herself to all the uncertainties and contradictions of the world and her soul, to descend to the Underworld, literally and metaphorically - it is only through death that she can be reborn. That liminal space, the boundary between life and death, is the crux of all things - the crucible of knowledge, the point of creation.
For poetry, I found his fast-paced and easy to read, full of beautiful, flowing language and imagery. Arbia draws on her background in psychology to put a unique spin on some well known myths and tropes. It is a different and interesting format of myth retelling, and Arbia pulls it off well.
I was however a little bit dubious about some of the underlying psychological theories explained in the introduction, particularly the need to balance the masculine and feminine sides of our nature - I’m generally quite skeptical of anything that labels certain qualities as “masculine” or “feminine”, and I probably don’t have enough knowledge of various psychological theories to appreciate Arbia’s use of them. However, I still enjoyed the poems overall.
Through her suffering each woman gains insight and understanding, comes to know herself and her place in the world (knowledge through suffering & knowing thyself: both of those are very Greek ideas). But to know herself, she first has to lose herself: to surrender herself to all the uncertainties and contradictions of the world and her soul, to descend to the Underworld, literally and metaphorically - it is only through death that she can be reborn. That liminal space, the boundary between life and death, is the crux of all things - the crucible of knowledge, the point of creation.
For poetry, I found his fast-paced and easy to read, full of beautiful, flowing language and imagery. Arbia draws on her background in psychology to put a unique spin on some well known myths and tropes. It is a different and interesting format of myth retelling, and Arbia pulls it off well.
I was however a little bit dubious about some of the underlying psychological theories explained in the introduction, particularly the need to balance the masculine and feminine sides of our nature - I’m generally quite skeptical of anything that labels certain qualities as “masculine” or “feminine”, and I probably don’t have enough knowledge of various psychological theories to appreciate Arbia’s use of them. However, I still enjoyed the poems overall.
June 23, 2021
"Come my Soul,
let's not stand still
in joy,
let's not stand still
in pain,
let's move,
let's walk,
let's experience,
let's change."
a beautiful collection of poetry retelling the stories of five women in greek mythology. I cannot speak on the accuracy compared to the source materials, but I really enjoyed it. these can be read even if one, like me, has limited knowledge of the original myths, as every section begins with a summary of the story and its characters. my favourites were definitely the eurydice and psyche ones!
"Oh, what you are looking for is not in the world,
it is inside yourself."
let's not stand still
in joy,
let's not stand still
in pain,
let's move,
let's walk,
let's experience,
let's change."
a beautiful collection of poetry retelling the stories of five women in greek mythology. I cannot speak on the accuracy compared to the source materials, but I really enjoyed it. these can be read even if one, like me, has limited knowledge of the original myths, as every section begins with a summary of the story and its characters. my favourites were definitely the eurydice and psyche ones!
"Oh, what you are looking for is not in the world,
it is inside yourself."
May 1, 2021
The verse here is gorgeous, Psyche’s in particular really resonated with me. And of course it’s a great concept for a poetry collection, and a physically beautiful book.
I’m knocking a star off because I felt the Foreword by the poet over explained the meanings of the poems, which did somewhat impair my experience reading them - I’d have rather had more room to draw my own conclusions. I don’t mind a certain amount of explaining the themes or your inspiration, but it was too much for my tastes.
I’m knocking a star off because I felt the Foreword by the poet over explained the meanings of the poems, which did somewhat impair my experience reading them - I’d have rather had more room to draw my own conclusions. I don’t mind a certain amount of explaining the themes or your inspiration, but it was too much for my tastes.
April 24, 2021
Otherwise is a collection of verses of five Greek myths featuring a female character going through a transformative phase. This was kindly given to me by the author of this book months ago. I am not a regular poetry reader so I took some quality time going through the verses here.
The five mythological stories revolve around Persephone, Eurydice, Ariadne, Cassandra, and Psyche. We travel with all these women whose lives turn "otherwise" in unexpected directions. Imagine these poems like a field guide in self-identity. It is similar to a nature field guide that helps us identifying a particular butterfly in the fields. Nicoletta has weaved psychoanalytical themes in these verses making the stories such as Persephone making her journey to the Underworld something that modern readers can relate to as part of self-discovery. Similarly, Minotaur inside the labyrinth is open to interpretation as our path through various stages of suffering. Sit with these verses with a copy of Jung by your side and there is so much to unpack. The verses have an effable quality, punctuated with mellifluous metaphors.
This book is perfect for a delicious book club discussion with pertinent questions like
💛How are Greek myths still relevant in modern days?
💛How has male gaze evolved in the course of time or has it remained stagnant?
💛What can Cassandra's inner turmoil teach us about self-doubt, imposter syndrome, or internalized patriarchy?
💛Why does a narrative change when a woman tells her story?
Promotional note: Please check out Nicoletta's website where she blogs about her interests in mythology and psychotherapy. There are some wonderful articles on Greek myths.
The five mythological stories revolve around Persephone, Eurydice, Ariadne, Cassandra, and Psyche. We travel with all these women whose lives turn "otherwise" in unexpected directions. Imagine these poems like a field guide in self-identity. It is similar to a nature field guide that helps us identifying a particular butterfly in the fields. Nicoletta has weaved psychoanalytical themes in these verses making the stories such as Persephone making her journey to the Underworld something that modern readers can relate to as part of self-discovery. Similarly, Minotaur inside the labyrinth is open to interpretation as our path through various stages of suffering. Sit with these verses with a copy of Jung by your side and there is so much to unpack. The verses have an effable quality, punctuated with mellifluous metaphors.
This book is perfect for a delicious book club discussion with pertinent questions like
💛How are Greek myths still relevant in modern days?
💛How has male gaze evolved in the course of time or has it remained stagnant?
💛What can Cassandra's inner turmoil teach us about self-doubt, imposter syndrome, or internalized patriarchy?
💛Why does a narrative change when a woman tells her story?
Promotional note: Please check out Nicoletta's website where she blogs about her interests in mythology and psychotherapy. There are some wonderful articles on Greek myths.
April 27, 2023
It was nice to read these myths from a new perspective and the writing was beautiful. The verses on Cassandra were my favourite and gave me a new appreciation for her story.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews