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I, Antigone
"I, Antigone, have closed my eyes.
My voice is deep and quiet, dark and slow, like a river moving over rocks, never stopping, never ceasing, endless.
He was wholly at fault, and he was entirely innocent.
This is true of us all if we only knew it. His fate is everyone’s.
I, Antigone, have opened my eyes."
The mythical Greek king, Oedipus, is no stranger to tragedy. As a baby, he is left to die on the mountainside of Thebes by his royal parents after the Oracle of Delphi prophesies that he will kill his father and marry his mother. Pitied by the shepherd tasked with leaving him, Oedipus is given to another royal family and grows up ignorant of his past as a foreign prince.
Returning to Thebes by chance many years later, he defeats the Sphinx terrorising the city by answering her riddle and becomes king. From here on a series of tragic events begin to unfurl...
Many years later, his daughter Antigone takes on the role of biographer and is determined to set the record straight about her father's life and death.
In a beautiful retelling of the popular myth, Antigone meditates on the illusion of free will, the power of fate, and her powerful family's demise. An astonishing contribution to the reclaimed classics, "I, Antigone" is perfect for fans of Madeleine Miller, Jennifer Saint and Elodie Harper.
My voice is deep and quiet, dark and slow, like a river moving over rocks, never stopping, never ceasing, endless.
He was wholly at fault, and he was entirely innocent.
This is true of us all if we only knew it. His fate is everyone’s.
I, Antigone, have opened my eyes."
The mythical Greek king, Oedipus, is no stranger to tragedy. As a baby, he is left to die on the mountainside of Thebes by his royal parents after the Oracle of Delphi prophesies that he will kill his father and marry his mother. Pitied by the shepherd tasked with leaving him, Oedipus is given to another royal family and grows up ignorant of his past as a foreign prince.
Returning to Thebes by chance many years later, he defeats the Sphinx terrorising the city by answering her riddle and becomes king. From here on a series of tragic events begin to unfurl...
Many years later, his daughter Antigone takes on the role of biographer and is determined to set the record straight about her father's life and death.
In a beautiful retelling of the popular myth, Antigone meditates on the illusion of free will, the power of fate, and her powerful family's demise. An astonishing contribution to the reclaimed classics, "I, Antigone" is perfect for fans of Madeleine Miller, Jennifer Saint and Elodie Harper.
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Published July 7, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
May 27, 2022
3.5 Rounded up. Antigone captures us with this retelling of his family's story as set in the Seventh Century BC. A story capturing a popular Greek mythology. Antigone gives us a retelling of her father Oedipus and the story behind his death.
First off the narration on this book was excellent! I like this story and the background we received. I did get a little lost between all the different characters, but the story did keep flowing and picking up. I liked that we received a more in-depth retelling of this great myth. I would have loved to see more of Antigone, it was more focused on Oedipus.
Anybody who loves Greek Mythology will find this to be a very interesting read.
Thank you Netgalley and Saga Egmont for a copy of this ARC.
First off the narration on this book was excellent! I like this story and the background we received. I did get a little lost between all the different characters, but the story did keep flowing and picking up. I liked that we received a more in-depth retelling of this great myth. I would have loved to see more of Antigone, it was more focused on Oedipus.
Anybody who loves Greek Mythology will find this to be a very interesting read.
Thank you Netgalley and Saga Egmont for a copy of this ARC.
September 2, 2022
The birth of a baby boy portends the death of the mythical Greek king, Oedipus, but what occurred to make his tragic end so renowned? And how wasn't it stalled, when knowledge of it was provided?
I have an interest in any mythological retelling and have had success with many of the recently published titles that focus on the infamous Greek gods and myths, as these are where my personal mythological interest primarily lies. This one was no different and I thought Gébler did a commendable job of making this ancient world accessible and alive for the modern-day reader.
I knew the basic facts about this Greek myth but not the minute details so found this a fascinating retelling, which, judging from other reviews, is also a very faithful one.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Carlo Gébler, and the publisher, Saga Egmont Audio, for this opportunity.
I have an interest in any mythological retelling and have had success with many of the recently published titles that focus on the infamous Greek gods and myths, as these are where my personal mythological interest primarily lies. This one was no different and I thought Gébler did a commendable job of making this ancient world accessible and alive for the modern-day reader.
I knew the basic facts about this Greek myth but not the minute details so found this a fascinating retelling, which, judging from other reviews, is also a very faithful one.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Carlo Gébler, and the publisher, Saga Egmont Audio, for this opportunity.
June 30, 2022
I, Antigone is a straight forward retelling of the famous Greek myth/story of Oedipus which has led to the birth of the term 'Oedipus Complex' and is told from the perspective of Oedipus's daughter Antigone who only makes an appearance as a narrator in the beginning and end of the story.
Anyone who has a knowledge of Greek/Roman mythology can agree that all stories coming out of these mythologies have a sense of injustice pervading through them. The story of Oedipus is no different. The character I sympathised with the most was Antimedes who I felt did what he did with a clean and just heart but ended up with the worst punishment.
I also liked how the author Carlo Gebler tells a somewhat complicated story in a simplified way and begins with Oedipus's ancestors--Europa and her rape by Zeus, Cadmus, his search for Europa and formation of Thebes, Lianus and his misdeed--and connects those incidents with the inevitable fate of Oedipus.
The narration is beautifully done by Stephanie Racine and I feel listening to this as an audiobook would be an excellent choice.
My thanks to NetGalley, the audiobook publisher Saga Egmont and the author for the audio Arc of the book. Publication date is 1st July 2022.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
Anyone who has a knowledge of Greek/Roman mythology can agree that all stories coming out of these mythologies have a sense of injustice pervading through them. The story of Oedipus is no different. The character I sympathised with the most was Antimedes who I felt did what he did with a clean and just heart but ended up with the worst punishment.
I also liked how the author Carlo Gebler tells a somewhat complicated story in a simplified way and begins with Oedipus's ancestors--Europa and her rape by Zeus, Cadmus, his search for Europa and formation of Thebes, Lianus and his misdeed--and connects those incidents with the inevitable fate of Oedipus.
The narration is beautifully done by Stephanie Racine and I feel listening to this as an audiobook would be an excellent choice.
My thanks to NetGalley, the audiobook publisher Saga Egmont and the author for the audio Arc of the book. Publication date is 1st July 2022.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
April 16, 2022
A fairly straightforward retelling of a famous Greek myth which would be good for anyone who maybe like me, lacked knowledge of this specific story.
The novel is a retelling of the very famous myth of Oedipus, going back several generations and told from the voice of his daughter Antigone. I don’t feel like I really need to give plot points for Oedipus?
I always avoided this specific myth even while obsessed with Greek mythology in general. Obviously, young me just didn’t like the ick factor. So I managed to not collect details on the story and really knew very little than what everyone who has ever gone through a Greek phase might know.
This gave all the backstory and felt like an oral epic tale. I could picture sitting around a fire and hearing the tragic story of Oedipus. It was completely engaging and well paced. Several smaller tales are told together to create the epic feel.
Because of my lack of knowledge its hard to review Gebler’s version. The story was interesting and beautifully told but its hard to narrow down what is his voice and what has been passed around for years and years of history and retellings. As my only version of this story, its wonderful but I can’t say if you are overly familiar with it that it will bring anything new to you.
I also don’t know if some of my issues with the tale itself would be with the actual myth or this particular version so its hard to narrow down! Character motivations and actions are waved away as fate which feels a little like a cop out to a more realistic behaviors that could be even more tragic because they make sense.
Also, Antigone is not really in this and I was a little disappointed. Its definitely a story of Oedipus and his parents and not really Antigone.
Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who is curious about Greek mythology but hasn’t had this particular story repeated to them over and over again.
Thanks to Netgalley and Saga Egmont Audio for a copy of this audiobook. This was narrated by Stephanie Racine who was absolutely amazing and I fully recommend this as an audiobook for the tale telling skills!
The novel is a retelling of the very famous myth of Oedipus, going back several generations and told from the voice of his daughter Antigone. I don’t feel like I really need to give plot points for Oedipus?
I always avoided this specific myth even while obsessed with Greek mythology in general. Obviously, young me just didn’t like the ick factor. So I managed to not collect details on the story and really knew very little than what everyone who has ever gone through a Greek phase might know.
This gave all the backstory and felt like an oral epic tale. I could picture sitting around a fire and hearing the tragic story of Oedipus. It was completely engaging and well paced. Several smaller tales are told together to create the epic feel.
Because of my lack of knowledge its hard to review Gebler’s version. The story was interesting and beautifully told but its hard to narrow down what is his voice and what has been passed around for years and years of history and retellings. As my only version of this story, its wonderful but I can’t say if you are overly familiar with it that it will bring anything new to you.
I also don’t know if some of my issues with the tale itself would be with the actual myth or this particular version so its hard to narrow down! Character motivations and actions are waved away as fate which feels a little like a cop out to a more realistic behaviors that could be even more tragic because they make sense.
Also, Antigone is not really in this and I was a little disappointed. Its definitely a story of Oedipus and his parents and not really Antigone.
Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who is curious about Greek mythology but hasn’t had this particular story repeated to them over and over again.
Thanks to Netgalley and Saga Egmont Audio for a copy of this audiobook. This was narrated by Stephanie Racine who was absolutely amazing and I fully recommend this as an audiobook for the tale telling skills!
May 10, 2022
Format: audiobook
Author: Carlo Gébler ~ Title: I, Antigone ~ Narrator: Stephanie Racine
Content: 4 stars ~ Narration: 5 stars
Complete audiobook review
Sophocles wrote a series of plays about Oedipus and his family over 2400 years ago. Antigone is a heroine and a princess in Greek mythology, and she is the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta. I, Antigone is a retelling of the tragic story of this family.
I like that we learn a broader picture here. The story starts with Europa and continues with the creation of Thebes. We get to know the entire family tree. The narrator is Antigone, and she doesn’t appear until the last 20% of the book. So, more than this is her story, it is a story of her family and ancestors.
This novel is perfect for fans of (Greek) mythology and retellings, especially if you want to know more about Oedipus’ story.
The audiobook form is an excellent choice. Stephanie Racine takes us on this great and also sad journey of ancient times.
Thanks to Saga Egmont Audio for the ALC and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.
Author: Carlo Gébler ~ Title: I, Antigone ~ Narrator: Stephanie Racine
Content: 4 stars ~ Narration: 5 stars
Complete audiobook review
Sophocles wrote a series of plays about Oedipus and his family over 2400 years ago. Antigone is a heroine and a princess in Greek mythology, and she is the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta. I, Antigone is a retelling of the tragic story of this family.
I like that we learn a broader picture here. The story starts with Europa and continues with the creation of Thebes. We get to know the entire family tree. The narrator is Antigone, and she doesn’t appear until the last 20% of the book. So, more than this is her story, it is a story of her family and ancestors.
This novel is perfect for fans of (Greek) mythology and retellings, especially if you want to know more about Oedipus’ story.
The audiobook form is an excellent choice. Stephanie Racine takes us on this great and also sad journey of ancient times.
Thanks to Saga Egmont Audio for the ALC and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.
September 6, 2022
3.5
tw: murder, gore, sexual assault, animal sacrifice (with detailed explanation), suicide, violence, incest, infanticide
I, Antigone is a book inspired by the classic Greek myth, the story of Oedipus and his family before him, told by his daughter, Antigone. It is very much a retelling that draws from the sources but is repackaged. Which is to say, if you are looking for a new twist, a new perspective - this is not it. But, however, if you are someone not familiar with the story, I think this would be a great place to start. (Also, if you're someone like me, who expected more of Antigone, this is not for you.)
The story opens up with Europa, her kidnapping, and subsequent r*pe by Zeus, her brother Cadmus's search for her, and then after failing, the establishment of Thebes. Antigone tells us she is a descendant of that family, and then tells a story of her mother Jocasta and her first husband Laius, and their downfall later on. She tells the story of her father's birth and life and how he came to be her mother's second husband. I am assuming a lot of people know this story, but I am trying not to give away too much, in case you don't. If you do know the classical story, you will know the contents of this book. Obviously, some things are modified, changed, and stylized to fit better into this particular novel, but the core of the story is there.
The narrator is Antigone, and she is not an active participant for the vast majority of the book. She tells the story as it's been told to her, and seldom interrupts to add some of her own comments to the narrative.
I enjoyed her interjections, and I had hoped there would be more of her experience, her story interwoven with her family's, but sadly, there wasn't. In my head, the book is divided into three parts: the family history before Jocasta and Laius, Jocasta and Laius's life - which makes up for a large part of the novel, and the last third which is a speed-through of Oedipus's life to catch up to the point where everything went downhill and then to the moment in which Antigone is telling this story.
This wasn't my favorite read, but, in truth, there was nothing "wrong" with this book. The writing was amazing, in my opinion, that was the strongest point of the book and what makes this novel worth reading. I listened to the audiobook, and if you can, I would highly recommend it - the narrator is fantastic, and there's a lot of emotion in the way the story is told. I think my biggest qualm with the novel is that based on the synopsis (and the title), I simply expected something different. I was very interested in Antigone's experience and how all of the family tragedies have affected her and formed her - but I got none of that.
As I mentioned, this is a pretty clear retelling - not drifting too far from its source material, but what I think is also done incredibly here are the characters. Many of them are not likable or worthy of sympathy, but this book does a great job of considering the motivation behind actions and through the lens of the time when it happens - if our choices are truly ours or if they're pre-destined and possible to avoid. I think it does a great job exploring the thoughts of people we follow, and that is where Antigone adds her comments, which, as mentioned, I liked a lot. I think the pacing was also slightly off, the part of Laius and Jocasta takes up a lot of the book while everything that happens after Oedipus's birth seems sped-through.
I listed the trigger warnings at the beginning, but I just want to say that especially the first third of the book was gorier than I expected. There are several animal sacrifices, and there it is in detail explained how it's done and what's done afterward, and several deaths happen that are also pretty bloody. There is sexual assault, which is not as graphic but still in one instance happens on page. So if you are interested in reading this, take this into consideration!
This was an interesting retelling, and I'm glad I read it, even if it wasn't my favorite. I would still recommend it, the writing and characters are very well done, and there was clearly a lot of research put into the creation of this, and I think this novel successfully unifies the myths of the people we follow. If you are interested in the story, I would recommend it!
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!
tw: murder, gore, sexual assault, animal sacrifice (with detailed explanation), suicide, violence, incest, infanticide
I, Antigone is a book inspired by the classic Greek myth, the story of Oedipus and his family before him, told by his daughter, Antigone. It is very much a retelling that draws from the sources but is repackaged. Which is to say, if you are looking for a new twist, a new perspective - this is not it. But, however, if you are someone not familiar with the story, I think this would be a great place to start. (Also, if you're someone like me, who expected more of Antigone, this is not for you.)
The story opens up with Europa, her kidnapping, and subsequent r*pe by Zeus, her brother Cadmus's search for her, and then after failing, the establishment of Thebes. Antigone tells us she is a descendant of that family, and then tells a story of her mother Jocasta and her first husband Laius, and their downfall later on. She tells the story of her father's birth and life and how he came to be her mother's second husband. I am assuming a lot of people know this story, but I am trying not to give away too much, in case you don't. If you do know the classical story, you will know the contents of this book. Obviously, some things are modified, changed, and stylized to fit better into this particular novel, but the core of the story is there.
The narrator is Antigone, and she is not an active participant for the vast majority of the book. She tells the story as it's been told to her, and seldom interrupts to add some of her own comments to the narrative.
"He was wholly at fault and he was entirely innocent.
This is true of us all if we only knew it. His fate is everyone’s."
I enjoyed her interjections, and I had hoped there would be more of her experience, her story interwoven with her family's, but sadly, there wasn't. In my head, the book is divided into three parts: the family history before Jocasta and Laius, Jocasta and Laius's life - which makes up for a large part of the novel, and the last third which is a speed-through of Oedipus's life to catch up to the point where everything went downhill and then to the moment in which Antigone is telling this story.
This wasn't my favorite read, but, in truth, there was nothing "wrong" with this book. The writing was amazing, in my opinion, that was the strongest point of the book and what makes this novel worth reading. I listened to the audiobook, and if you can, I would highly recommend it - the narrator is fantastic, and there's a lot of emotion in the way the story is told. I think my biggest qualm with the novel is that based on the synopsis (and the title), I simply expected something different. I was very interested in Antigone's experience and how all of the family tragedies have affected her and formed her - but I got none of that.
As I mentioned, this is a pretty clear retelling - not drifting too far from its source material, but what I think is also done incredibly here are the characters. Many of them are not likable or worthy of sympathy, but this book does a great job of considering the motivation behind actions and through the lens of the time when it happens - if our choices are truly ours or if they're pre-destined and possible to avoid. I think it does a great job exploring the thoughts of people we follow, and that is where Antigone adds her comments, which, as mentioned, I liked a lot. I think the pacing was also slightly off, the part of Laius and Jocasta takes up a lot of the book while everything that happens after Oedipus's birth seems sped-through.
I listed the trigger warnings at the beginning, but I just want to say that especially the first third of the book was gorier than I expected. There are several animal sacrifices, and there it is in detail explained how it's done and what's done afterward, and several deaths happen that are also pretty bloody. There is sexual assault, which is not as graphic but still in one instance happens on page. So if you are interested in reading this, take this into consideration!
This was an interesting retelling, and I'm glad I read it, even if it wasn't my favorite. I would still recommend it, the writing and characters are very well done, and there was clearly a lot of research put into the creation of this, and I think this novel successfully unifies the myths of the people we follow. If you are interested in the story, I would recommend it!
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!
June 26, 2022
I really enjoyed this audiobook! We have Antigone telling us some stories of her family. We cover Europa and Cadmus, the founding of Thebes, Jocasta. I really loved the narrator for this audiobook as well, very engaging in their reading.
May 5, 2022
This is the story of Antigone’s family as told by Antigone. It begins with Europa and her encounter with the bull and travels through time to tell the ins and outs of her family. Eventually, it focuses in on Jocasta and Laius and their struggle to please both the Fates and themselves. But in trying to avoid what has been foreseen, they fall into their own trap.
I really liked the concept of this story. I think this could be an enjoyable read for people who don’t know much about the Oedipus Cycle. However, for those who are already quite familiar with this tale, this work doesn’t really add anything new. There isn’t a critical lens or a new point of view on these stories – it really is simply a modern-written retelling without anything original or insightful added.
The title of this work is massively misleading. Antigone is in the preface and maybe the last eight percent of the book. The focus of almost the entire work is on Jocasta, Laius, and Oedipus. I was quite disappointed by this.
Antigone was solely used as a narrator of this story. Because of this, the work came across as extremely detached and honestly quite boring. There was no emotion conveyed through the dialogue and no emotional connection created with the characters. The characters also lacked any sort of depth or emotion – no effort was put into including this for any of the characters. The author told rather than showed, which again added to the detachment of emotions from characters. This made it impossible to feel any sort of horror, pain, or outrage when bad things happened to the characters because they didn’t feel like real people; they felt more like cardboard cutouts.
Overall, this read was a disappointment. It was a bland retelling of the Oedipus Cycle that added nothing new or interesting and greatly lacked in meaningful characters. Unfortunately, I don’t recommend this work.
I received a complimentary copy of this work through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I really liked the concept of this story. I think this could be an enjoyable read for people who don’t know much about the Oedipus Cycle. However, for those who are already quite familiar with this tale, this work doesn’t really add anything new. There isn’t a critical lens or a new point of view on these stories – it really is simply a modern-written retelling without anything original or insightful added.
The title of this work is massively misleading. Antigone is in the preface and maybe the last eight percent of the book. The focus of almost the entire work is on Jocasta, Laius, and Oedipus. I was quite disappointed by this.
Antigone was solely used as a narrator of this story. Because of this, the work came across as extremely detached and honestly quite boring. There was no emotion conveyed through the dialogue and no emotional connection created with the characters. The characters also lacked any sort of depth or emotion – no effort was put into including this for any of the characters. The author told rather than showed, which again added to the detachment of emotions from characters. This made it impossible to feel any sort of horror, pain, or outrage when bad things happened to the characters because they didn’t feel like real people; they felt more like cardboard cutouts.
Overall, this read was a disappointment. It was a bland retelling of the Oedipus Cycle that added nothing new or interesting and greatly lacked in meaningful characters. Unfortunately, I don’t recommend this work.
I received a complimentary copy of this work through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
May 1, 2022
I always love retellings of ancient Greek mythology/history. This is no exception. The execution is somewhat slow and plodding, but I was always engaged nonetheless. I give a lot of credit to the audio performance. Stephanie Racine has a lovely voice and performed this book very well.
I can't help but compare this to books like Circe and Ariadne. It feels similar in that it is an epic, woman-narrated retelling. Both of those books were five stars for me. This one doesn't quite live up to their precedent I feel. I think what I'm missing here is a feminist or critical lens. It is simply a story and doesn't try as hard to say anything deeper. And while the narrator is Antigone, she isn't a main character. This story is not woman-centered. Not that it is bad, but it all stays rather surface level.
Make sure you check out the content warnings for this one. I was somewhat taken aback by some, personally.
Sexual violence? Yes, Zeus rapes Europa and there is also a very graphically depicted rape by a man of a boy. Other content warnings? Suicide (pretty detailed), beating of slaves, murder, incest, infanticide, infertility, discussion of abortion, child abuse, slavery, imprisonment, execution.
I can't help but compare this to books like Circe and Ariadne. It feels similar in that it is an epic, woman-narrated retelling. Both of those books were five stars for me. This one doesn't quite live up to their precedent I feel. I think what I'm missing here is a feminist or critical lens. It is simply a story and doesn't try as hard to say anything deeper. And while the narrator is Antigone, she isn't a main character. This story is not woman-centered. Not that it is bad, but it all stays rather surface level.
Make sure you check out the content warnings for this one. I was somewhat taken aback by some, personally.
Sexual violence? Yes, Zeus rapes Europa and there is also a very graphically depicted rape by a man of a boy. Other content warnings? Suicide (pretty detailed), beating of slaves, murder, incest, infanticide, infertility, discussion of abortion, child abuse, slavery, imprisonment, execution.
June 1, 2022
I'm a complete sucker for Greek myths, specifically ones focused on the women and we've been spoilt recently (with The Silence of the Girls, and A Thousand Ships) so I was excited for this, as well as a bit nervous - it didn't let me down!
The narrator, Antigone, attempts to set straight the story of her father, Oedipus, restoring his reputation. Fairly straight-forward retelling, and I didn't get that lost with the usual millions of characters there are in Greek mythology! (Okay, sometimes I did but it wasn't too bad!). It was really interesting to learn more about the Oedipus story that we all sort of know, but not necessarily in much detail. Although the narrator is Antigone. she doesn't actually come in until the last 20%, so don't go expecting lots of Antigone! Instead, we get some other great characters from her ancestors - Europa, Jacasta and Laius.
I think it might be hard to follow if you don't already have some knowledge of the characters - hopefully the book has a family tree at the front!
It got off to a bit of a slow start for me (I had to reread it a few times because I didn't get what was going on - this could have been my mood though!) and it isn't a page-turner, but I enjoyed it. I also thought the narration was excellent (although it took me a while to used to the narrator's voice for some reason.)
Great book! If you know you're easily triggered, please do check out the trigger warnings.
Thank you Netgalley and Saga Egmont for a copy of this ARC. All opinions are my own.
The narrator, Antigone, attempts to set straight the story of her father, Oedipus, restoring his reputation. Fairly straight-forward retelling, and I didn't get that lost with the usual millions of characters there are in Greek mythology! (Okay, sometimes I did but it wasn't too bad!). It was really interesting to learn more about the Oedipus story that we all sort of know, but not necessarily in much detail. Although the narrator is Antigone. she doesn't actually come in until the last 20%, so don't go expecting lots of Antigone! Instead, we get some other great characters from her ancestors - Europa, Jacasta and Laius.
I think it might be hard to follow if you don't already have some knowledge of the characters - hopefully the book has a family tree at the front!
It got off to a bit of a slow start for me (I had to reread it a few times because I didn't get what was going on - this could have been my mood though!) and it isn't a page-turner, but I enjoyed it. I also thought the narration was excellent (although it took me a while to used to the narrator's voice for some reason.)
Great book! If you know you're easily triggered, please do check out the trigger warnings.
Thank you Netgalley and Saga Egmont for a copy of this ARC. All opinions are my own.
April 28, 2024
3.5 stars
Years following his exile, Oedipus's daughter Antigone takes on the role of biographer, determined to set the record straight about her father's life and death. Through her eyes, we get a new perspective on the tragic tale of Oedipus, a mythical Greek king who unknowingly faced a prophecy foretelling his dark destiny: to kill his father and marry his mother. Saved from death as a baby, Oedipus grows up unaware of his true identity until fate leads him back to Thebes. There, he unwittingly fulfills the prophecy, becoming king and facing a series of tragic events. Through Antigone's reflection, the story meditates on the illusion of free will, the power of fate, and the fall of her powerful family, offering a thoughtful contribution to the reclaimed classics.
Gébler did an excellent job of unfolding the backstory by degrees and tearing into the mystical layer of myth and legacy surrounding this particular tale in order to find its humanity. His ability to draw a through line and leave it open for empathy and connection allowed a new angle to this well-worn tale. However, one component that held it back for me was the slightly thinner extrapolation of his female characters, particularly the biological mother, Jocasta. Some of the elements to her characterization highlighted the difference of these retellings, largely being retold through the female lens, being written by a female author.
Audiobook, as narrated by Stephanie Racine: Racine did a wonderful job of adding depth to each character. Her performance was a lovely balance between contemporary and classical interpretations of this reimagined mythological narrative.
Years following his exile, Oedipus's daughter Antigone takes on the role of biographer, determined to set the record straight about her father's life and death. Through her eyes, we get a new perspective on the tragic tale of Oedipus, a mythical Greek king who unknowingly faced a prophecy foretelling his dark destiny: to kill his father and marry his mother. Saved from death as a baby, Oedipus grows up unaware of his true identity until fate leads him back to Thebes. There, he unwittingly fulfills the prophecy, becoming king and facing a series of tragic events. Through Antigone's reflection, the story meditates on the illusion of free will, the power of fate, and the fall of her powerful family, offering a thoughtful contribution to the reclaimed classics.
Gébler did an excellent job of unfolding the backstory by degrees and tearing into the mystical layer of myth and legacy surrounding this particular tale in order to find its humanity. His ability to draw a through line and leave it open for empathy and connection allowed a new angle to this well-worn tale. However, one component that held it back for me was the slightly thinner extrapolation of his female characters, particularly the biological mother, Jocasta. Some of the elements to her characterization highlighted the difference of these retellings, largely being retold through the female lens, being written by a female author.
Audiobook, as narrated by Stephanie Racine: Racine did a wonderful job of adding depth to each character. Her performance was a lovely balance between contemporary and classical interpretations of this reimagined mythological narrative.
May 2, 2022
How good it was, reading an Oedipus retelling. Gébler gave the story a completely new light especially highlighting how much Laius was really hateful.
It’s amazing how you can know how the story goes and still your mind keeps shouting “OH NO PLEASE, DON’T DO THAT”. I actually felt very helpless like the Shepard who realized who Oedipus was but couldn’t do anything to prevent the worst. The position of the Shepard and his mother is actually very interesting, at a certain point Jocasta tells that slaves are the happiest people because the do not need to take any choice at all and it’s in that moment that you realize how much helpless they are. They must obey any whim their masters have and just do the most horrible things like letting a child die. It’s very unfair!
The only think I hoped was to see more of Antigone because of the title but she is actually present only at the very end, but the idea of making her the narrator is very effective!
The audiobook was really enjoyable and it’s been a pleasure listening to it.
It’s amazing how you can know how the story goes and still your mind keeps shouting “OH NO PLEASE, DON’T DO THAT”. I actually felt very helpless like the Shepard who realized who Oedipus was but couldn’t do anything to prevent the worst. The position of the Shepard and his mother is actually very interesting, at a certain point Jocasta tells that slaves are the happiest people because the do not need to take any choice at all and it’s in that moment that you realize how much helpless they are. They must obey any whim their masters have and just do the most horrible things like letting a child die. It’s very unfair!
The only think I hoped was to see more of Antigone because of the title but she is actually present only at the very end, but the idea of making her the narrator is very effective!
The audiobook was really enjoyable and it’s been a pleasure listening to it.
April 11, 2022
Thank you to NetGallery and Saga Egmont Audio for access to an early listen of this audio book in exchange for an honest review.
An incredibly well researched retelling of the Oedipus story, narrated by his daughter, Anitgone. In I, Antigone, Carlo Gebler traces the lineage of Antigone's family history back to the myth of Europa, beautifully weaving together many classic myths to illustrate the path that led Oedipus towards his fate. Without denying Oedipus' role in his sordid story, Antigone argues that his fate was determined long ago and no matter which path was taken, they all would have led to the same place.
If you were hoping to learn more about Antigone and how her personal story weaves into those she has described, you have chosen the wrong book. Though Antigone the narrator breaks the fourth wall at times throughout her telling of the story, it is not until the epilogue of the book that we actually meet Antigone within the story. Even then, we get more of a picture of how she is wrapping up Oedipus' story and only a glimpse into her own story. We do not hear anything of her youth or her relationships with her family. We get no insight into who she is as a person. At the end of the story she is about to act out the role in mythology for which she is most famous for, but we do not hear these events described or learn of her fate after her actions. Upon completing this book, I felt a bit misled by its title.
While enthusiasts for Greek mythology like myself will be excited to discover a story that so beautifully ties together so many classic Greek myths, this book feels less accessible to those who are not familiar with Greek mythology. I do hope that the text version of this story includes a visual of the family tree described in this story--because the story spans such a large history, I found myself lost at times and wanting to visually. trace myself back to where I was in the story. If you are looking to build on your Oedipus research or dig more thoroughly into the history of Thebes, this book would be a great option. If you are looking for a retelling of a classic myth that centers one of its often overlooked female characters, keep looking.
An incredibly well researched retelling of the Oedipus story, narrated by his daughter, Anitgone. In I, Antigone, Carlo Gebler traces the lineage of Antigone's family history back to the myth of Europa, beautifully weaving together many classic myths to illustrate the path that led Oedipus towards his fate. Without denying Oedipus' role in his sordid story, Antigone argues that his fate was determined long ago and no matter which path was taken, they all would have led to the same place.
If you were hoping to learn more about Antigone and how her personal story weaves into those she has described, you have chosen the wrong book. Though Antigone the narrator breaks the fourth wall at times throughout her telling of the story, it is not until the epilogue of the book that we actually meet Antigone within the story. Even then, we get more of a picture of how she is wrapping up Oedipus' story and only a glimpse into her own story. We do not hear anything of her youth or her relationships with her family. We get no insight into who she is as a person. At the end of the story she is about to act out the role in mythology for which she is most famous for, but we do not hear these events described or learn of her fate after her actions. Upon completing this book, I felt a bit misled by its title.
While enthusiasts for Greek mythology like myself will be excited to discover a story that so beautifully ties together so many classic Greek myths, this book feels less accessible to those who are not familiar with Greek mythology. I do hope that the text version of this story includes a visual of the family tree described in this story--because the story spans such a large history, I found myself lost at times and wanting to visually. trace myself back to where I was in the story. If you are looking to build on your Oedipus research or dig more thoroughly into the history of Thebes, this book would be a great option. If you are looking for a retelling of a classic myth that centers one of its often overlooked female characters, keep looking.
June 18, 2022
This was a straightforward retelling of Oedipus, told by Antigone. But it didn’t start with Oedipus. It started with Zeus’s rape of Europa and follows the whole family tree. There is very little about Antigone in the story. She is just recounting her family’s history as she knows it. This is honestly just a modern retelling and doesn’t turn the myths on their head or offer any additional explanation. It is just hand-waving over the parts where you might want more explanation. The narration of the audio was good, but the story itself felt dry and a bit overly detailed with the rape scenes. The ick factor was expected given the story of Oedipus, but I didn’t expect to feel creepy about Antigone telling the story of her grandfather raping a young slave in detail. I think, somehow, readers were expected to feel some empathy for the rapist. But all I felt was uncomfortable and vaguely bored. This is not a bad book and I think a lot of readers got more out of this than I did, but I might have DNFd this book if I wasn’t obligated to finish it for NetGalley.
May 26, 2022
As a classicist, I am a big fan of Greek myth retellings, and I am happy for every chance I get to read them. In I, Antigone, Carlo Gébler paints a beautiful picture of a world filled with Kings and Queens of the ages, and brings a new twist to one of the oldest stories in the world, the story of Thebes. If you thought you knew the whole story, think again.
Antigone is a tragedy by Sophocles written in or before 441 BC. Of the three Theban plays, Antigone is the third in order of the events depicted in the plays, but it is the first that was written. The play expands on the Theban legend that predates it, and I, Antigone is written in the same spirit for a modern audience.
Most modern myths have many versions and variations, and will pull from various sources like Ovid, Homer, Hesiod, Sophocles. I was interested to see which myths Carlo Gébler would include in Antigone’s world. I was excited to find the author took inspiration from various sources and included many gods and goddesses into the story, all while giving them a modern spin.
With this books we get many stories in one. Many myths make up the grander tale of the Greek king, Oedipus. Within the story of Oedipus, we also get the stories of Europa and the bull; their children Minos and Adamanthus; Cadmus’ search for his sister Europa, and his founding the founding of the great city Thebes; how Cadmus’ great-grandson Laius became king at Thebes, and how he brought a great curse upon his line.
Retellings of the Greek myths and legends are really popular right now, and I, Antigone is a great read for fans of Madeline Miller and Scarlett St. Claire.
Antigone is a tragedy by Sophocles written in or before 441 BC. Of the three Theban plays, Antigone is the third in order of the events depicted in the plays, but it is the first that was written. The play expands on the Theban legend that predates it, and I, Antigone is written in the same spirit for a modern audience.
Most modern myths have many versions and variations, and will pull from various sources like Ovid, Homer, Hesiod, Sophocles. I was interested to see which myths Carlo Gébler would include in Antigone’s world. I was excited to find the author took inspiration from various sources and included many gods and goddesses into the story, all while giving them a modern spin.
With this books we get many stories in one. Many myths make up the grander tale of the Greek king, Oedipus. Within the story of Oedipus, we also get the stories of Europa and the bull; their children Minos and Adamanthus; Cadmus’ search for his sister Europa, and his founding the founding of the great city Thebes; how Cadmus’ great-grandson Laius became king at Thebes, and how he brought a great curse upon his line.
Retellings of the Greek myths and legends are really popular right now, and I, Antigone is a great read for fans of Madeline Miller and Scarlett St. Claire.
May 1, 2022
Rating: 2 stars
HEA:
Many of you are quite aware of my obsession with Sophocles and the Theban Plays. In particular, with Antigone’s story. Many of you are aware that I always try to read all the historical retellings that use her tragedy as the main starting point. And I picked up "I, Antigone", with the greatest curiosity. I had the chance to read it with my lovely friend @bookishinct, who was kind enough not to scold me when she realised I had started it right away.
The book as a whole, tried to retell Antigone’s story from the very beginning when it wasn’t her story, but it was Laius’s and before him, Europa’s. But unfortunately the author failed to deliver a retelling, something that could be discerned from the original. Moreover, he didn’t even focus on Antigone as the title had made me believe, but it mostly focused on Laius and Jocasta’s marriage and then, Oedipus’s arrival. When Antigone arrived, the show was almost over. And as it often happens with historical fiction, the author also failed to realise that he couldn’t really recreate ancient dialogues starting from our use of the language. It was anachronistic and almost laughable and it truly, truly, put me off.
2 stars.
HEA:
Many of you are quite aware of my obsession with Sophocles and the Theban Plays. In particular, with Antigone’s story. Many of you are aware that I always try to read all the historical retellings that use her tragedy as the main starting point. And I picked up "I, Antigone", with the greatest curiosity. I had the chance to read it with my lovely friend @bookishinct, who was kind enough not to scold me when she realised I had started it right away.
The book as a whole, tried to retell Antigone’s story from the very beginning when it wasn’t her story, but it was Laius’s and before him, Europa’s. But unfortunately the author failed to deliver a retelling, something that could be discerned from the original. Moreover, he didn’t even focus on Antigone as the title had made me believe, but it mostly focused on Laius and Jocasta’s marriage and then, Oedipus’s arrival. When Antigone arrived, the show was almost over. And as it often happens with historical fiction, the author also failed to realise that he couldn’t really recreate ancient dialogues starting from our use of the language. It was anachronistic and almost laughable and it truly, truly, put me off.
2 stars.
June 11, 2023
A Greek mythology girlie through and through it only made sense that I start my audiobook journey with I, Antigone.
I was lucky enough to get my audiobook from NetGalley. And I’m glad that I started it a long while ago and left off when I hurt my knee. The book came in handy today. I was going to cry in the middle of 50 person line to enter a tax office, and yell at my boyfriend and HR. Books can save you in the most unexpected of ways, in unlikely spaces.
The story of Oedipus has always been a tragic one. No less tragic is the story of Jocasta, his wife and mother, and his children, one of whom, Antigone, narrates this story. We know Antigone’s story for the play by Sophocles. We know her fathers story even better. After all, Frued had a field day.
Frued didn’t mention that Oedipus tore his own eyes out.
I feel like there isn’t much I should mention about the plot. A book based on Greek mythology depends only on the strength of the writer and the journey they take on us. After all, we know these stories; we know the start and end and what happens in the middle. These characters are compelled to act the way they do. After all, as Stephen Mitchell put it,
“the trojans couldn’t give Helen back because they didn’t give her back.”
And as Antigone says
I’m not free to not do it.
There’s something oddly comforting and terrifying in that; that sometimes we must do what we must do for no other reason than it was written in us. Nurture or nature; fate or chance, the odds are sometimes just so stacked against us and all we can do is hurry ourselves along with some dignity.
This book was a good example of that. We never talk about Oedipus and Jocasta as man and wife. It’s always hidden away under what we know is incredibly repulsive. Although I think those of us who also grew up on Flowers in the Attic know that life is a bit harder and more messy than it needs to be. But his fidelity at the end when he asks to go to her funeral and is denied by Creon is a bit different. After all, we all know how horrified Oedipus and Jocasta were; the idea of fidelity, even after that is truly something. It’s these details that Carlos Gerber uses to bring them to life; to make us sympathetic towards them. We don’t need to like them all the time or their actions; but the story of Oedipus, as other stories in Greek myth, has always been one to show us that human beings are doomed. And it’s only how we conduct ourselves through that fate that make our lives worth something.
I was lucky enough to get my audiobook from NetGalley. And I’m glad that I started it a long while ago and left off when I hurt my knee. The book came in handy today. I was going to cry in the middle of 50 person line to enter a tax office, and yell at my boyfriend and HR. Books can save you in the most unexpected of ways, in unlikely spaces.
The story of Oedipus has always been a tragic one. No less tragic is the story of Jocasta, his wife and mother, and his children, one of whom, Antigone, narrates this story. We know Antigone’s story for the play by Sophocles. We know her fathers story even better. After all, Frued had a field day.
Frued didn’t mention that Oedipus tore his own eyes out.
I feel like there isn’t much I should mention about the plot. A book based on Greek mythology depends only on the strength of the writer and the journey they take on us. After all, we know these stories; we know the start and end and what happens in the middle. These characters are compelled to act the way they do. After all, as Stephen Mitchell put it,
“the trojans couldn’t give Helen back because they didn’t give her back.”
And as Antigone says
I’m not free to not do it.
There’s something oddly comforting and terrifying in that; that sometimes we must do what we must do for no other reason than it was written in us. Nurture or nature; fate or chance, the odds are sometimes just so stacked against us and all we can do is hurry ourselves along with some dignity.
This book was a good example of that. We never talk about Oedipus and Jocasta as man and wife. It’s always hidden away under what we know is incredibly repulsive. Although I think those of us who also grew up on Flowers in the Attic know that life is a bit harder and more messy than it needs to be. But his fidelity at the end when he asks to go to her funeral and is denied by Creon is a bit different. After all, we all know how horrified Oedipus and Jocasta were; the idea of fidelity, even after that is truly something. It’s these details that Carlos Gerber uses to bring them to life; to make us sympathetic towards them. We don’t need to like them all the time or their actions; but the story of Oedipus, as other stories in Greek myth, has always been one to show us that human beings are doomed. And it’s only how we conduct ourselves through that fate that make our lives worth something.
May 11, 2022
I received an arc for the audiobook from NetGalley.
First things first, the audiobook itself is fine. The narrator speaks clearly and ennunciates well. It did all feel a bit detached, but that might also be because of the book itself. A personal thing for me was the pronunciation of "Oedipus" but that's only because it was so different from how I learned it during Ancient Greek class. It was the proper English pronunciation (there are two, which are both different from the one I learned- yes, I did research this to be sure). So that's 100% a personal thing and probably not the same for everyone.
Next of, if this wasn't an arc and an audiobook, I would have dropped this. Instead I put it on in the background while doing other things, and managed to make it through. I did not like this at all.
If you, like me, thought this book would be about Antigone, you'd be wrong. Despite being literally in the title, and the book starting with I, Antigone close my eyes, this book is about Antigone telling us about her family history. She goes into great detail especially about Laius (her grandfather/her mum's ex), Lacosta (her grandmother/mother) and Oedipus. We learn very little about Antigone's life, and nothing at all about her as a person, despite her being the narrator of this book.
We start with the abduction and rape of Europa by Zeus. We have even more rape when Laius rapes a boy. Now, my problem isn't with the inclusion of the rape, but with the way in which it is included. Obviously, this is a retelling of existing myths. The author did not choose the plot, but instead modified it for a modern audience. Yet the choice to in great (gross) detail write about the rapes is on the author. And it's wasn't bad enough to be in the head of Laius as he rapes his young slave, no, he also has to think back to the rape in just as much detail, so we can get to experience it more than once. I could have really done without that. It was bad enough once.
There were also very detailed descriptions of torture of one of the slaves, as well as the experience of suicide. As in, that same female slave "daydreamed" about jumping of a cliff and how it would feel when she reached the ground and... well, you can imagine what happens when you reach the ground, and I'm sure you could do without a detailed description, because so could I.
But, Annemarie, these things actually happen to people, do you mean to say we should never mention the bad things? No. No, that's not at all what I mean. Yes, these things happen to people, but in this book we focus not on the victims, but on the perpetrators. The effects of the rape get less attention than Laius feeling sad because his victim commited suicide. Am I supposed to feel sorry for the rapist? Because I really don't.
And it gets even more icky if we consider that this book is told through Antigone, the granddaughter of the rapist. Imagine going into great detail about the time your grandfather raped his young slave. We also get several very detailed sex scenes between Antigone's grandparents, which again, thinking about it as granddaughter talking about her grandparents feels very... uncomfortable.
The book feels very detached, with most things told rather than shown, which I assume is because everything is told by Antigone. And while there is an explanation to how she knows all these details about her forefathers lives, and their thoughts, it doesn't quite add up.
The characters are written in a way that makes them all very unlikable, and I had trouble connecting with them at all. The plot is basically taken directly from the myths, so if you already know them, it adds very little extra value. The rape/torture scenes seem to be the most detailed of the whole book, which felt weird to me.
That said, reviews for this book seem to be very positive, so maybe it's a me thing. If you are interested in the lives of Laius and Jacosta, and Oedipus, and have little prior notice, this might be a good book for you to start, if you can stomach the detailed explanations of rape and torture.
First things first, the audiobook itself is fine. The narrator speaks clearly and ennunciates well. It did all feel a bit detached, but that might also be because of the book itself. A personal thing for me was the pronunciation of "Oedipus" but that's only because it was so different from how I learned it during Ancient Greek class. It was the proper English pronunciation (there are two, which are both different from the one I learned- yes, I did research this to be sure). So that's 100% a personal thing and probably not the same for everyone.
Next of, if this wasn't an arc and an audiobook, I would have dropped this. Instead I put it on in the background while doing other things, and managed to make it through. I did not like this at all.
If you, like me, thought this book would be about Antigone, you'd be wrong. Despite being literally in the title, and the book starting with I, Antigone close my eyes, this book is about Antigone telling us about her family history. She goes into great detail especially about Laius (her grandfather/her mum's ex), Lacosta (her grandmother/mother) and Oedipus. We learn very little about Antigone's life, and nothing at all about her as a person, despite her being the narrator of this book.
We start with the abduction and rape of Europa by Zeus. We have even more rape when Laius rapes a boy. Now, my problem isn't with the inclusion of the rape, but with the way in which it is included. Obviously, this is a retelling of existing myths. The author did not choose the plot, but instead modified it for a modern audience. Yet the choice to in great (gross) detail write about the rapes is on the author. And it's wasn't bad enough to be in the head of Laius as he rapes his young slave, no, he also has to think back to the rape in just as much detail, so we can get to experience it more than once. I could have really done without that. It was bad enough once.
There were also very detailed descriptions of torture of one of the slaves, as well as the experience of suicide. As in, that same female slave "daydreamed" about jumping of a cliff and how it would feel when she reached the ground and... well, you can imagine what happens when you reach the ground, and I'm sure you could do without a detailed description, because so could I.
But, Annemarie, these things actually happen to people, do you mean to say we should never mention the bad things? No. No, that's not at all what I mean. Yes, these things happen to people, but in this book we focus not on the victims, but on the perpetrators. The effects of the rape get less attention than Laius feeling sad because his victim commited suicide. Am I supposed to feel sorry for the rapist? Because I really don't.
And it gets even more icky if we consider that this book is told through Antigone, the granddaughter of the rapist. Imagine going into great detail about the time your grandfather raped his young slave. We also get several very detailed sex scenes between Antigone's grandparents, which again, thinking about it as granddaughter talking about her grandparents feels very... uncomfortable.
The book feels very detached, with most things told rather than shown, which I assume is because everything is told by Antigone. And while there is an explanation to how she knows all these details about her forefathers lives, and their thoughts, it doesn't quite add up.
The characters are written in a way that makes them all very unlikable, and I had trouble connecting with them at all. The plot is basically taken directly from the myths, so if you already know them, it adds very little extra value. The rape/torture scenes seem to be the most detailed of the whole book, which felt weird to me.
That said, reviews for this book seem to be very positive, so maybe it's a me thing. If you are interested in the lives of Laius and Jacosta, and Oedipus, and have little prior notice, this might be a good book for you to start, if you can stomach the detailed explanations of rape and torture.
June 30, 2022
Since a controlling factor in my ending up with a Bachelors degree in Classics was my long-lived love for Greek myth, I am always excited to see new retellings. Unfortunately, this one is average, at best.
It does have its pros:
-I think it is fairly approachable and accessible for people who are intimidated by the original myths.
-It strings a thread of continuation through several myths that one might otherwise have come across as distinct, helping the reader connect the often disjointed strings of ancient stories.
-I liked that the narrative comes full circle back to Europa, whose kidnapping sets off the chain of events of the novel, at the end.
-The story is simple enough that it is easy to follow as an audiobook.
That said, I didn't feel that I, Antigone had much of its own voice. It did not add anything to the myth, really. It is less of a retelling and more a novelization of an anthology of connected short stories, changing the format but contributing little to nothing to the content. I found the exclusion of Ismene from most of the book very strange, as one would think that Antigone would have more to say about her own sister in a narrative about her family's tragic history. There were also a few anachronisms in the book that seemed very out of place to me.
The book explicitly opens with rape and kidnapping of Europa and maintains this, admittedly very ancient Greek, level of detail of tragedy throughout. I am always a little off-put by such explicit violence against women voiced through male authors, and that was as true as ever here. It feels a bit strange to read a book that is supposed to be in the voice of a young woman like Antigone, knowing that it was written by a 67-year-old Irish man.
Overall, if you are okay with overt violence, including but not limited to rape and attempted filicide of an infant, but you are intimidated by the original Oedipus trilogy by Sophocles and the other couple of Greek myths smattered into this novel, this could be a good and fairly comprehensive introduction to those characters. However, I would recommend just reading a quality translation of the ancient works for free, instead.
It does have its pros:
-I think it is fairly approachable and accessible for people who are intimidated by the original myths.
-It strings a thread of continuation through several myths that one might otherwise have come across as distinct, helping the reader connect the often disjointed strings of ancient stories.
-I liked that the narrative comes full circle back to Europa, whose kidnapping sets off the chain of events of the novel, at the end.
-The story is simple enough that it is easy to follow as an audiobook.
That said, I didn't feel that I, Antigone had much of its own voice. It did not add anything to the myth, really. It is less of a retelling and more a novelization of an anthology of connected short stories, changing the format but contributing little to nothing to the content. I found the exclusion of Ismene from most of the book very strange, as one would think that Antigone would have more to say about her own sister in a narrative about her family's tragic history. There were also a few anachronisms in the book that seemed very out of place to me.
The book explicitly opens with rape and kidnapping of Europa and maintains this, admittedly very ancient Greek, level of detail of tragedy throughout. I am always a little off-put by such explicit violence against women voiced through male authors, and that was as true as ever here. It feels a bit strange to read a book that is supposed to be in the voice of a young woman like Antigone, knowing that it was written by a 67-year-old Irish man.
Overall, if you are okay with overt violence, including but not limited to rape and attempted filicide of an infant, but you are intimidated by the original Oedipus trilogy by Sophocles and the other couple of Greek myths smattered into this novel, this could be a good and fairly comprehensive introduction to those characters. However, I would recommend just reading a quality translation of the ancient works for free, instead.
June 11, 2022
I'm not a huge fan of Greek mythology, and maybe that's why I couldn't enjoy this book despite almost a month of trying. The only reason I picked it up was because it had been pitched to me as something similar to Madeleine Miller, but the fact of the matter is it's nothing like Miller.
I went into this expecting a creative retelling with a modern twist, or perhaps a new angle, but it was just a retelling. I couldn't help getting more and more bored as I powered through this book. The only reason I finished it at all was because of the narrator. Stephanie Racine did all she could to make the characters seem a little more alive, but despite all her efforts, I felt detached from the story and couldn't care less for any of the characters. I would have never been able to finish this book if I had to read it myself, but listening to Stephanie was a real treat and sometimes even a bit of a zen experience.
I'm not sure what kind of reader this is meant for, but I can see someone who loves Greek mythology as a whole reading this and finding it enjoyable although perhaps still mediocre.
Thank you to @NetGalley and @SagaEgmont for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I went into this expecting a creative retelling with a modern twist, or perhaps a new angle, but it was just a retelling. I couldn't help getting more and more bored as I powered through this book. The only reason I finished it at all was because of the narrator. Stephanie Racine did all she could to make the characters seem a little more alive, but despite all her efforts, I felt detached from the story and couldn't care less for any of the characters. I would have never been able to finish this book if I had to read it myself, but listening to Stephanie was a real treat and sometimes even a bit of a zen experience.
I'm not sure what kind of reader this is meant for, but I can see someone who loves Greek mythology as a whole reading this and finding it enjoyable although perhaps still mediocre.
Thank you to @NetGalley and @SagaEgmont for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 5, 2025
Κριτική στα Ελληνικά πιο κάτω...
3½/5
This was a quicker read than I expected, but it wasn't something very special either. There are a few inconsistencies and libetries the author took here and there, but more or less he follows the well-known myths about Laius and Oedipus.
I don't think the choice to use Antigone as the narrator or the title of the book makes it justice as this is a weak device to mention a few comments on if we have a choice or our destiny is set, if things are set in motion without us knowing but it is what it is, what justice is etc. Nothing very new or deep if one is familiar with Greek Mythology and/or the original plays of Sophocles.
There are mentions of the wider mythological circle with persons and incidents on previous generations and later generations after the major drama, but the focus is on Laius and Oedipus and the persons surrounding them. I found the start and especially the end of the book a bit awkward.
All in all, I think it's a fine read if one isn't familiar with the related myths, but if one is already familiar, there isn't any new aspect or relevation to be had or some great writing style or something else to gain by reading this book. Not bad, not extraordinary either.
3½/5
Αυτό το βιβλίο ήταν πολύ πιο ευκολοδιάβαστο από ό,τι περίμενα, αλλά δεν ήταν και κάτι πολύ ιδιαίτερο. Υπάρχουν μερικές αυθαιρεσίες κι ελευθερίες που πήρε ο συγγραφέας εδώ κι εκεί, αλλά λίγο-πολύ ακολουθεί τους γνωστούς μύθους για τον Λάιο και τον Οιδίποδα.
Δεν νομίζω ότι η επιλογή να χρησιμοποιηθεί η Αντιγόνη ως αφηγήτρια ή ο τίτλος του βιβλίου δικαίωσε τον συγγραφέα, καθώς είναι ένα αδύναμο "όχημα" για να μπορέσει να αναφέρει ο Gebler μερικά σχόλια σχετικά με το αν έχουμε επιλογή ή αν το πεπρωμένο μας έχει προκαθοριστεί, αν τα πράγματα τίθενται σε κίνηση χωρίς να το γνωρίζουμε αλλά είναι αυτό που είναι, τι είναι η δικαιοσύνη κ.λπ. Τίποτα πολύ νέο ή βαθύ αν κάποιος είναι εξοικειωμένος με την Ελληνική μυθολογία ή/και τα πρωτότυπα έργα του Σοφοκλή.
Υπάρχουν αναφορές στον ευρύτερο μυθολογικό κύκλο με πρόσωπα και περιστατικά σε προηγούμενες γενιές και μεταγενέστερες γενιές από το κεντρικό δράμα, αλλά η εστίαση είναι στον Λάιο και τον Οιδίποδα και τα πρόσωπα που τους περιβάλλουν. Βρήκα την αρχή και ιδιαίτερα το τέλος του βιβλίου λίγο αμήχανα.
Συνολικά, νομίζω ότι είναι ένα ωραίο ανάγνωσμα αν κάποιος δεν είναι εξοικειωμένος με τους σχετικούς μύθους, αλλά αν κάποιος είναι ήδη εξοικειωμένος, δεν υπάρχει καμία νέα οπτική γωνία ή σκέψη ή συγγραφικό ύφος που μπορεί να κερδίσει διαβάζοντας αυτό το βιβλίο. Ούτε κακό, ούτε κάτι ιδιαίτερο για 'μένα.
3½/5
3½/5
This was a quicker read than I expected, but it wasn't something very special either. There are a few inconsistencies and libetries the author took here and there, but more or less he follows the well-known myths about Laius and Oedipus.
I don't think the choice to use Antigone as the narrator or the title of the book makes it justice as this is a weak device to mention a few comments on if we have a choice or our destiny is set, if things are set in motion without us knowing but it is what it is, what justice is etc. Nothing very new or deep if one is familiar with Greek Mythology and/or the original plays of Sophocles.
There are mentions of the wider mythological circle with persons and incidents on previous generations and later generations after the major drama, but the focus is on Laius and Oedipus and the persons surrounding them. I found the start and especially the end of the book a bit awkward.
All in all, I think it's a fine read if one isn't familiar with the related myths, but if one is already familiar, there isn't any new aspect or relevation to be had or some great writing style or something else to gain by reading this book. Not bad, not extraordinary either.
3½/5
Αυτό το βιβλίο ήταν πολύ πιο ευκολοδιάβαστο από ό,τι περίμενα, αλλά δεν ήταν και κάτι πολύ ιδιαίτερο. Υπάρχουν μερικές αυθαιρεσίες κι ελευθερίες που πήρε ο συγγραφέας εδώ κι εκεί, αλλά λίγο-πολύ ακολουθεί τους γνωστούς μύθους για τον Λάιο και τον Οιδίποδα.
Δεν νομίζω ότι η επιλογή να χρησιμοποιηθεί η Αντιγόνη ως αφηγήτρια ή ο τίτλος του βιβλίου δικαίωσε τον συγγραφέα, καθώς είναι ένα αδύναμο "όχημα" για να μπορέσει να αναφέρει ο Gebler μερικά σχόλια σχετικά με το αν έχουμε επιλογή ή αν το πεπρωμένο μας έχει προκαθοριστεί, αν τα πράγματα τίθενται σε κίνηση χωρίς να το γνωρίζουμε αλλά είναι αυτό που είναι, τι είναι η δικαιοσύνη κ.λπ. Τίποτα πολύ νέο ή βαθύ αν κάποιος είναι εξοικειωμένος με την Ελληνική μυθολογία ή/και τα πρωτότυπα έργα του Σοφοκλή.
Υπάρχουν αναφορές στον ευρύτερο μυθολογικό κύκλο με πρόσωπα και περιστατικά σε προηγούμενες γενιές και μεταγενέστερες γενιές από το κεντρικό δράμα, αλλά η εστίαση είναι στον Λάιο και τον Οιδίποδα και τα πρόσωπα που τους περιβάλλουν. Βρήκα την αρχή και ιδιαίτερα το τέλος του βιβλίου λίγο αμήχανα.
Συνολικά, νομίζω ότι είναι ένα ωραίο ανάγνωσμα αν κάποιος δεν είναι εξοικειωμένος με τους σχετικούς μύθους, αλλά αν κάποιος είναι ήδη εξοικειωμένος, δεν υπάρχει καμία νέα οπτική γωνία ή σκέψη ή συγγραφικό ύφος που μπορεί να κερδίσει διαβάζοντας αυτό το βιβλίο. Ούτε κακό, ούτε κάτι ιδιαίτερο για 'μένα.
3½/5
July 7, 2022
“I, Antigone, have closed my eyes.
My voice is deep and quiet, dark and slow, like a river moving over rocks, never stopping, never ceasing, endless. ….
He was wholly at fault, and he was entirely innocent. This is true of us all if we only knew it. His fate is everyone’s….
I, Antigone, have opened my eyes.”
My thanks to Saga Egmont Audio for a review copy of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘I, Antigone’ by Carlo Gébler and narrated by Stephanie Racine, an experienced actor, who has provided narration for many audiobook titles.
I found this an elegant retelling of the myth of King
Oedipus of Thebes. After hearing a shocking prophecy by the Delphic Oracle the king and queen of Thebes instruct Antimedes, a shepherd, to leave their newborn baby to die on a mountainside. Antimedes cannot bring himself to do it and he gives the baby to another shepherd travelling home to Corinth. He in turn presents the baby to the childless king and queen of Corinth, who name him Oedipus and raise him as their own.
As a young man Oedipus makes his own pilgrimage to the Oracle of Delphi and learns to his horror that it is his fate to kill his father and marry his mother. In order to prevent this happening he vows never to return to Corinth. So where does Oedipus end up? Why Thebes of course and the tragedy unfolds.
Many years later on the eve of a battle between her brothers for the crown of Thebes, Antigone takes on the role of biographer determined to set the record straight about her father's life and death.
Carlo Gébler’s poetic prose had great power and I was especially pleased that he included gods and various magical creatures in his narrative. There was also plenty of action and I was impressed at nd it draws on how vivid his descriptions were throughout. Its characters, both major and minor, emerged vividly from the page.
It feels a very personal tale of a daughter seeking to honour her parents following their deaths. For those aware of Antigone’s own journey, she is very committed to honouring her kin.
I feel that a novel like ‘I, Antigone’ is perfect for the audio format as its style is in keeping with the ancient traditions of storytelling. Stephanie Racine was fantastic as its narrator. Her voice is rich and clear and I felt that she conveyed a sense of Antigone’s authority and determination to set down the story of her family and especially of the tragedy of her parents, Oedipus and Jocasta.
Overall, I found this an excellent retelling of Greek mythology, one of the best I have read in recent years.
Highly recommended.
My thanks to Saga Egmont Audio for a review copy of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘I, Antigone’ by Carlo Gébler and narrated by Stephanie Racine, an experienced actor, who has provided narration for many audiobook titles.
I found this an elegant retelling of the myth of King
Oedipus of Thebes. After hearing a shocking prophecy by the Delphic Oracle the king and queen of Thebes instruct Antimedes, a shepherd, to leave their newborn baby to die on a mountainside. Antimedes cannot bring himself to do it and he gives the baby to another shepherd travelling home to Corinth. He in turn presents the baby to the childless king and queen of Corinth, who name him Oedipus and raise him as their own.
As a young man Oedipus makes his own pilgrimage to the Oracle of Delphi and learns to his horror that it is his fate to kill his father and marry his mother. In order to prevent this happening he vows never to return to Corinth. So where does Oedipus end up? Why Thebes of course and the tragedy unfolds.
Many years later on the eve of a battle between her brothers for the crown of Thebes, Antigone takes on the role of biographer determined to set the record straight about her father's life and death.
Carlo Gébler’s poetic prose had great power and I was especially pleased that he included gods and various magical creatures in his narrative. There was also plenty of action and I was impressed at nd it draws on how vivid his descriptions were throughout. Its characters, both major and minor, emerged vividly from the page.
It feels a very personal tale of a daughter seeking to honour her parents following their deaths. For those aware of Antigone’s own journey, she is very committed to honouring her kin.
I feel that a novel like ‘I, Antigone’ is perfect for the audio format as its style is in keeping with the ancient traditions of storytelling. Stephanie Racine was fantastic as its narrator. Her voice is rich and clear and I felt that she conveyed a sense of Antigone’s authority and determination to set down the story of her family and especially of the tragedy of her parents, Oedipus and Jocasta.
Overall, I found this an excellent retelling of Greek mythology, one of the best I have read in recent years.
Highly recommended.
May 10, 2022
I requested this Arc as the description suggested it would follow in the footsteps of Natalie Haynes, Madeline Miller and Jenifer Saint, a Greek myth, play or epic tale retold, fleshed out and given new life. As a fan of Sophocles’ Theban Plays I was excited at the idea of a fresh retelling and new input to an ancient tale. I was disappointed however, when I realised this is not actually a retelling of the play Antigone, nor a story of her at all really… This is the story of Thebes, from its inception and tragedies thereafter. Antigone is actually the narrator of the story, and only really appears as an established character until the epilogue. I found this frustrating, as I felt the author, Gébler, has used the trend of amplifying female voices in Greek mythology to garner attention and has not followed through.
The story itself is a great resource for those who would like to learn the Theban myths, from Cadmus searching for Europa to the Sphinx and her riddle and the horrors of Oedipus and Jocasta. Gébler does not stray far from what we know and allows a little artistic licence for what we don’t. This is a plot driven book, the characters do not have much inner life, and merely help us get from A-Z. Antigone, as our narrator, simply tells us the story, and you forget that the narrator is technically a character herself, as she shows little opinion on the story as it unfolds, or any personality in her method of storytelling.
Ultimately, I enjoyed the story, because it is already a story I know and enjoy. This book unfortunately brings nothing new to the table. The writing feels stilted, repetitive and the author packs in an exasperating amount of ominous proverbs that fail to land the haunting impact he was hoping for. I would have liked to see more character depth, as I feel that could have brought new life to this story, and a new perspective. I would recommend this book to someone who simply wanted to learn the Theban legends, but not to someone who is looking for something more fleshed out.
As for the audio recording, I felt Stephanie Racine did a good job with the writing she was given. There are a few editing issues throughout, where there will be a lengthy pause in the middle of a conversation between characters, as though there is to be a new chapter incoming, this could be easily fixed.
I received this as an audiobook from Netgalley by Saga Egmont Audio.
The story itself is a great resource for those who would like to learn the Theban myths, from Cadmus searching for Europa to the Sphinx and her riddle and the horrors of Oedipus and Jocasta. Gébler does not stray far from what we know and allows a little artistic licence for what we don’t. This is a plot driven book, the characters do not have much inner life, and merely help us get from A-Z. Antigone, as our narrator, simply tells us the story, and you forget that the narrator is technically a character herself, as she shows little opinion on the story as it unfolds, or any personality in her method of storytelling.
Ultimately, I enjoyed the story, because it is already a story I know and enjoy. This book unfortunately brings nothing new to the table. The writing feels stilted, repetitive and the author packs in an exasperating amount of ominous proverbs that fail to land the haunting impact he was hoping for. I would have liked to see more character depth, as I feel that could have brought new life to this story, and a new perspective. I would recommend this book to someone who simply wanted to learn the Theban legends, but not to someone who is looking for something more fleshed out.
As for the audio recording, I felt Stephanie Racine did a good job with the writing she was given. There are a few editing issues throughout, where there will be a lengthy pause in the middle of a conversation between characters, as though there is to be a new chapter incoming, this could be easily fixed.
I received this as an audiobook from Netgalley by Saga Egmont Audio.
May 10, 2022
I requested this Arc as the description suggested it would follow in the footsteps of Natalie Haynes, Madeline Miller and Jenifer Saint, a Greek myth, play or epic tale retold, fleshed out and given new life. As a fan of Sophocles’ Theban Plays I was excited at the idea of a fresh retelling and new input to an ancient tale. I was disappointed however, when I realised this is not actually a retelling of the play Antigone, nor a story of her at all really… This is the story of Thebes, from its inception and tragedies thereafter. Antigone is actually the narrator of the story, and only really appears as an established character until the epilogue. I found this frustrating, as I felt the author, Gébler, has used the trend of amplifying female voices in Greek mythology to garner attention and has not followed through.
The story itself is a great resource for those who would like to learn the Theban myths, from Cadmus searching for Europa to the Sphinx and her riddle and the horrors of Oedipus and Jocasta. Gébler does not stray far from what we know and allows a little artistic licence for what we don’t. This is a plot driven book, the characters do not have much inner life, and merely help us get from A-Z. Antigone, as our narrator, simply tells us the story, and you forget that the narrator is technically a character herself, as she shows little opinion on the story as it unfolds, or any personality in her method of storytelling.
Ultimately, I enjoyed the story, because it is already a story I know and enjoy. This book unfortunately brings nothing new to the table. The writing feels stilted, repetitive and the author packs in an exasperating amount of ominous proverbs that fail to land the haunting impact he was hoping for. I would have liked to see more character depth, as I feel that could have brought new life to this story, and a new perspective. I would recommend this book to someone who simply wanted to learn the Theban legends, but not to someone who is looking for something more fleshed out.
As for the audio recording, I felt Stephanie Racine did a good job with the writing she was given. There are a few editing issues throughout, where there will be a lengthy pause in the middle of a conversation between characters, as though there is to be a new chapter incoming, this could be easily fixed.
I received this as an audiobook from Netgalley by Saga Egmont Audio.
The story itself is a great resource for those who would like to learn the Theban myths, from Cadmus searching for Europa to the Sphinx and her riddle and the horrors of Oedipus and Jocasta. Gébler does not stray far from what we know and allows a little artistic licence for what we don’t. This is a plot driven book, the characters do not have much inner life, and merely help us get from A-Z. Antigone, as our narrator, simply tells us the story, and you forget that the narrator is technically a character herself, as she shows little opinion on the story as it unfolds, or any personality in her method of storytelling.
Ultimately, I enjoyed the story, because it is already a story I know and enjoy. This book unfortunately brings nothing new to the table. The writing feels stilted, repetitive and the author packs in an exasperating amount of ominous proverbs that fail to land the haunting impact he was hoping for. I would have liked to see more character depth, as I feel that could have brought new life to this story, and a new perspective. I would recommend this book to someone who simply wanted to learn the Theban legends, but not to someone who is looking for something more fleshed out.
As for the audio recording, I felt Stephanie Racine did a good job with the writing she was given. There are a few editing issues throughout, where there will be a lengthy pause in the middle of a conversation between characters, as though there is to be a new chapter incoming, this could be easily fixed.
I received this as an audiobook from Netgalley by Saga Egmont Audio.
April 11, 2022
I, Antigone is a beautifully crafted retelling of popular Greek mythology - the story of Oedipus.
In this book, Antigone serves as the narrator, telling the biography of her father, Oedipus. She traces back her lineage, weaving together the series of events that led to her father’s exile and death. Antigone is fiercely determined to set the record straight once and for all.
In this beautiful re-imagining, she shows the same tenacity we witnessed in the Theban play that is her namesake. She implores the listener to consider the power of fate over free-will when we determine one’s innocence or guilt..
Gébler's writing is highly detailed and lyrical. I was enthralled from the very beginning and emotionally invested all the way through. The story flows beautifully without dragging on.
I enjoyed the interactions of King Laius and Queen Jocasta as they wrestled with the tension and emotions between them. I especially loved the fact that there is a more in-depth portrayal of the female characters in this story, notably Jocasta.
Gébler also brings new life and depth to the shepherd, who was no more than a mention in the original. Here, he is a fully realized character whose unthinkable task pulled at my heartstrings.
Some have assumed from the title of this book that this is Antigone’s personal life story. It's not.. Antigone isn't physically present until the end. But I will say that everything is tied together beautifully. I feel it's all very fitting. After all, it's Antigone’s unfaltering love and loyalty to her family that drew us to her in the first place.
Gébler does a fabulous job honoring Antigone and expanding her legacy.
If you enjoy Circe and Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, this is the book for you!
The audiobook narrator, Stephanie Racine, has a beautiful voice! She did an excellent job bringing this book to life and keeping Antigone’s voice strong and clear throughout the story. Her narration greatly enhanced the experience for me.
Thank you to Netgalley, New Island Books, Saga Egmont Audio and Carlo Gebler!
In this book, Antigone serves as the narrator, telling the biography of her father, Oedipus. She traces back her lineage, weaving together the series of events that led to her father’s exile and death. Antigone is fiercely determined to set the record straight once and for all.
In this beautiful re-imagining, she shows the same tenacity we witnessed in the Theban play that is her namesake. She implores the listener to consider the power of fate over free-will when we determine one’s innocence or guilt..
Gébler's writing is highly detailed and lyrical. I was enthralled from the very beginning and emotionally invested all the way through. The story flows beautifully without dragging on.
I enjoyed the interactions of King Laius and Queen Jocasta as they wrestled with the tension and emotions between them. I especially loved the fact that there is a more in-depth portrayal of the female characters in this story, notably Jocasta.
Gébler also brings new life and depth to the shepherd, who was no more than a mention in the original. Here, he is a fully realized character whose unthinkable task pulled at my heartstrings.
Some have assumed from the title of this book that this is Antigone’s personal life story. It's not.. Antigone isn't physically present until the end. But I will say that everything is tied together beautifully. I feel it's all very fitting. After all, it's Antigone’s unfaltering love and loyalty to her family that drew us to her in the first place.
Gébler does a fabulous job honoring Antigone and expanding her legacy.
If you enjoy Circe and Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, this is the book for you!
The audiobook narrator, Stephanie Racine, has a beautiful voice! She did an excellent job bringing this book to life and keeping Antigone’s voice strong and clear throughout the story. Her narration greatly enhanced the experience for me.
Thank you to Netgalley, New Island Books, Saga Egmont Audio and Carlo Gebler!
January 10, 2024
I don’t even know where to start with everything I hated about this book, it’s nearly 4 times the size of the original play Oedipus King and even with the added backstory it doesn’t justify how long it is and how much it drags. The characters in the original play had so much more personality these characters motivations make no sense and the author feels the need to explain their every thought out to the tiniest detail which just makes the characters boring and makes the reader feel like they need to have things explained to them. The writing style is so off it goes from more of a formal style to using modern language and it’s extremely jarring to the story especially when used in dialogue. There’s so many plot holes in this book it’s not explained where characters get information that only the audience should have they just figure it out or somehow are psychic. Not to mention the book butchers the original play and somehow makes you feel bored even when Oedipus finds out what he’s done which should be a huge moment in the book. All the descriptions in the book are boring and I found myself skipping lines every time a character went to the oracle because the author just rewrote the same description again and again. I also hate the authors changes to the source material the decision to place blame on a random shepherd for what happens is weird and takes away from the theme of fate and how mortals are arrogant for thinking they can cheat the gods. Antigone is the best part of this book but even that is irritating as the book is named after her but it barely covers the events of the play Antigone and she isn’t even a character more of a narrator. Overall a terrible book but I guess Antigone had some good quotes every once in a while and the cover was pretty so it gets one star.
July 2, 2022
Read this review on my blog!
beautifully disappointing
I want to start by saying this book is so beautifully written and I have made several bookmarks in the audio version that I am slightly inclined to purchase a physical copy of the book for when I have the space to build out my dream library. there are passages in this book that made me gasp at the imagery with which it was written and there were several passages that I know can stay with me forever.
what made this book a disappointment for me had a lot to do with the expectations I had coming into this novel. I was under the impression that this book would be a retelling of oedipus rex and Antigone. the book is told by Antigone who is chronicling her lineage and trying to make sense of how she came to be. It briefly starts with the story of europa, then moves to jocasta and Laius, oedipus, and finally antigone. it made sense to me that the story progressed in this way. in order to fully understand why oedipus became oedipus, you need to understand where he came from and the context he was borne of. the book was so well done but it fell short of Antigone's story. In this, I find the title to be misleading. antigone is simply a narrator and a product of the story; she is not the heart of it as oedipus is. if there had been more context to her life at the end, I think it would have been more fulfilling for me instead of the throwaway chapter which summarizes, rather briefly, her plotline.
ultimately, I wanted more; and, if I could not have it, I wanted it to be clear that this is a story of her lineage and not of just her. so, regardless of how beautiful the prose, this book did not give me the satisfaction I craved.
… now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some reading to do.
beautifully disappointing
as I was browsing the audiobooks on netgalley, this title caught my eye. I remembered loving "Oedipus Rex" and "Antigone" when I was in high school and college so I was very excited when I realized my request through netgalley was approved.
I want to start by saying this book is so beautifully written and I have made several bookmarks in the audio version that I am slightly inclined to purchase a physical copy of the book for when I have the space to build out my dream library. there are passages in this book that made me gasp at the imagery with which it was written and there were several passages that I know can stay with me forever.
what made this book a disappointment for me had a lot to do with the expectations I had coming into this novel. I was under the impression that this book would be a retelling of oedipus rex and Antigone. the book is told by Antigone who is chronicling her lineage and trying to make sense of how she came to be. It briefly starts with the story of europa, then moves to jocasta and Laius, oedipus, and finally antigone. it made sense to me that the story progressed in this way. in order to fully understand why oedipus became oedipus, you need to understand where he came from and the context he was borne of. the book was so well done but it fell short of Antigone's story. In this, I find the title to be misleading. antigone is simply a narrator and a product of the story; she is not the heart of it as oedipus is. if there had been more context to her life at the end, I think it would have been more fulfilling for me instead of the throwaway chapter which summarizes, rather briefly, her plotline.
ultimately, I wanted more; and, if I could not have it, I wanted it to be clear that this is a story of her lineage and not of just her. so, regardless of how beautiful the prose, this book did not give me the satisfaction I craved.
… now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some reading to do.
May 2, 2022
As someone who is extremely interested in Greek Myths and having already devoured similar retellings like "The Song of Achilles," "Circe" and "Ariadne," I was immediately compelled to listen to "I, Antigone." It is a retelling of the famous Greek myth of Oedipus, (who killed his father and married his mother) through the words of his daughter Antigone.
What I really enjoyed about this version is that it started all the way in the beginning, telling the story of Antigone's ancestors Europa and her brother Cadmus. From then on we dive forward into the tragedy that is Laios', Jocasta's and Oedipus' story. While I was familiar with the basics of the myth, I was not aware of the specific background information that caused the events leading to the tragedy.
I also really admired that the story was told as it actually happened: with all of the brutalities, rape and uncomfortable details you might not want to read about, but that are integral to the story. Because let's be real: the world of Greek mythology is a brutal one, so I appreciated that it was kept this way.
The story is really well written and the narrator does a wonderful job and really brings the characters to life!
The only thing that I found a bit disappointing is that Antigone's own story isn't really focused on, as I had assumed from the title. Nevertheless, hearing Oedipus' story through his daughter's words gave a new perspective to the well-known myth that really makes you feel for the characters.
I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Greek Mythology and those who are interested in learning more about it!
What I really enjoyed about this version is that it started all the way in the beginning, telling the story of Antigone's ancestors Europa and her brother Cadmus. From then on we dive forward into the tragedy that is Laios', Jocasta's and Oedipus' story. While I was familiar with the basics of the myth, I was not aware of the specific background information that caused the events leading to the tragedy.
I also really admired that the story was told as it actually happened: with all of the brutalities, rape and uncomfortable details you might not want to read about, but that are integral to the story. Because let's be real: the world of Greek mythology is a brutal one, so I appreciated that it was kept this way.
The story is really well written and the narrator does a wonderful job and really brings the characters to life!
The only thing that I found a bit disappointing is that Antigone's own story isn't really focused on, as I had assumed from the title. Nevertheless, hearing Oedipus' story through his daughter's words gave a new perspective to the well-known myth that really makes you feel for the characters.
I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Greek Mythology and those who are interested in learning more about it!
May 15, 2022
I'm a simple woman - I see another retelling of Greek myth, I make it my mission to read it. Gebler's addition to this genre is wonderful - engaging, lyrical, self aware, and with a very strong voice and a gorgeous oral quality (heightened by the audio format perhaps), which suits the source material even better. I think the story would have stood up well by itself, but it was the narration that really made it come to life.
I do have to say that while I thoroughly enjoyed the book, the second half lost some of the charm of the first half, perhaps because of the pacing, so it felt like what was set up as the heart of the story wasn't given much more attention than what felt like the prelude (by which I mostly mean I would have enjoyed to see a bit more of Jocasta and Oedipus's relationship in order to fully invest and belief the significance of their tragedy on a deeper level). I also thought it was a bit jarring how little of Antigone's own story we got throughout the novel in spite of her being the eponymous character. (must, however, note once more that her voice was very strong, so to find that the presence did not match was ... interesting)
I think the main disservice to this is that I read Natalie Haynes' THE CHILDREN OF JOCASTA beforehand, which unavoidably set this up for comparison and bound it to come second place. As a more introductory text to Greek myth, I think many will find it accessible, lyrical and enthralling, so I highly recommend doing so and perhaps visiting the Haynes text later, as I think they each have a unique approach to the story that truly makes it come across as an original in spite of referencing the same classical text.
I do have to say that while I thoroughly enjoyed the book, the second half lost some of the charm of the first half, perhaps because of the pacing, so it felt like what was set up as the heart of the story wasn't given much more attention than what felt like the prelude (by which I mostly mean I would have enjoyed to see a bit more of Jocasta and Oedipus's relationship in order to fully invest and belief the significance of their tragedy on a deeper level). I also thought it was a bit jarring how little of Antigone's own story we got throughout the novel in spite of her being the eponymous character. (must, however, note once more that her voice was very strong, so to find that the presence did not match was ... interesting)
I think the main disservice to this is that I read Natalie Haynes' THE CHILDREN OF JOCASTA beforehand, which unavoidably set this up for comparison and bound it to come second place. As a more introductory text to Greek myth, I think many will find it accessible, lyrical and enthralling, so I highly recommend doing so and perhaps visiting the Haynes text later, as I think they each have a unique approach to the story that truly makes it come across as an original in spite of referencing the same classical text.
April 5, 2022
You'd think after reading Hayne's Children of Jocasta last year, that I'd have heard all that one needs to understand this complicated family of Greek mythology. But you'd be wrong. This story tells us of Jocasta's plight, her son and later husband Oedipus and how their union comes to be. But in this case we get much more than I've heard in previous stories, we learn about Laius and his misdeeds which led to the insane situation of this family. When Jocasta cannot become pregnant and he petitions the oracle at Delphi, we learn that should he have a child, it will kill him. He doesn't give Jocasta the whole truth when he returns, no one gives anyone a full truth until the end of this complex tale. Poor Antigone is our narrator telling us little of her own life until the end but giving us an epic about her family back many generations to the founding of Thebes.
I adored how this story was told, the weaving and depth of the characters was Madeline Miller level. Every time I pick up a new Greek myth retelling, I think - will I be bored by a story I already know, and each time I am surprised by new details imagined by these authors. Gebler's writing is beautiful and lyrical and like all sad tales evokes such emotion. The pain and pride of these characters is so intense. You know they're all headed for disaster and yet you find yourself pulling for them so ardently.
I listened to this one via Netgalley and the narrator was fabulous.
Thanks to Sage Egmont for access to this advanced copy. All opinions above are my own.
I adored how this story was told, the weaving and depth of the characters was Madeline Miller level. Every time I pick up a new Greek myth retelling, I think - will I be bored by a story I already know, and each time I am surprised by new details imagined by these authors. Gebler's writing is beautiful and lyrical and like all sad tales evokes such emotion. The pain and pride of these characters is so intense. You know they're all headed for disaster and yet you find yourself pulling for them so ardently.
I listened to this one via Netgalley and the narrator was fabulous.
Thanks to Sage Egmont for access to this advanced copy. All opinions above are my own.
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