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Phaedra: A Novel of Ancient Athens
With Crete in ruins, Phaedra, the child Queen of Crete, sails to safety with Theseus, the Prince of Athens, who covertly plans to win Phaedra's love and steal control of Crete
227 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1985
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About the author
June Rachuy Brindel
6 books4 followersFeminist author June Rachuy Brindel delves into history and myth in her novels, including the Pulitzer Prize-nominated "Ariadne," seeking to explore the overlooked women's perspective. Born on a farm in Little Rock, Iowa, Brindel earned her B.A. and M.A. from the University of Chicago. She began writing novels somewhat late in life, having held a variety of jobs (including secretary to a poet laureate) while she was younger. While teaching drama at the National Music Camp in Interlochen, Michigan in 1967, she wrote the play "Automaton: King of Machines" for her students to perform. She lives in Wilmette [Illinois].
Short stories and poems published in Beloit Poetry Journal, Carolina Quarterly,Rhino, Primavera,MSS, Story Quarterly, Kansas Quarterly, Other Voices.
Source: author's page at CenterStageChicago.com
Short stories and poems published in Beloit Poetry Journal, Carolina Quarterly,Rhino, Primavera,MSS, Story Quarterly, Kansas Quarterly, Other Voices.
Source: author's page at CenterStageChicago.com
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 14, 2016
Between 1* and 2**. A poor example of a retelling: the Phaedra/Theseus/Hippolytus myth. Told in the voice of one of Phaedra's servants and from her viewpoint, it was too feminist for me and strayed too far from the original myth. Basically, I felt the author was trying to give her interpretation of how worship of a Mother Goddess was suppressed and supplanted by a mostly masculine pantheon. Story was too outlandish and I had no sympathy for any of the characters.
Read originally in June 2015, my opinion has definitely not changed this time around!
Read originally in June 2015, my opinion has definitely not changed this time around!
May 28, 2011
I thought this was one of the most powerfully written books I have read, and have to give it five stars. It is harrowing reading in many places,and I found the end well nigh unbearable (but perhaps that is me being over-sensitive). It made me sad,but for all that, I am glad that I read it, if that makes sense.
It recounts the story of Phaedra's relationship with the hero Theseus, told from the point of view of Aissa, Phaedra's companion, the ex-bull dancer whom Theseus twice rescues,once from the attentions of Minos and later from the Cretan earthquake. He calls her his sister and implores her to guard the ten-year-old Phaedra as he spirits her away to Attica. Worshipping him (he is a magnificent Prince and later King, full of macho muscular action and qualities of leadership) she is happy to do anything he asks of her.
But gradually,beginning with the strange way that he neglects to change the black sails to white on their ship,so causing King Aegius' suicide,his image becomes tarnished in her eyes; at last she is forced to concede that he is an enemy of the worship in which she (and he) has been brought up in Troezen, the worship of the Goddess.
Theseus begins to revel in brutality, to show signs of mental imbalance, and none dare oppose him.
Phaedra - heir to the throne of matriarchal Crete, he has abducted from Crete to be his Queen. He keeps her as a prisoner in his palaces and opresses her, yet in opposing his attack on the Goddess religion and slaughter of its practitioners, she will not condone violence against him and his warriors, and somehow, interestingly, manages to regard him with an almost saintly loving-kindness without losing her sense of self-worth or dignity. No sufferer of 'Stockholm Syndrome' she. Unlike her older sister Ariadne in he prequel,she believes that as the manifestation of the Goddess on Earth, if she condones violence, 'The Goddess will die'.
'There are many "Antiopes"' (Amazon Queens) Thesues tells Aissa.
'But only one Phaedra. How fortunate it is that she is to be your Queen.' she says.
I recomend it as a counter to the Theseus of patriarchal legend. Still, I did find myself wishing that he could have been less brutal, have done less terrible things.
It recounts the story of Phaedra's relationship with the hero Theseus, told from the point of view of Aissa, Phaedra's companion, the ex-bull dancer whom Theseus twice rescues,once from the attentions of Minos and later from the Cretan earthquake. He calls her his sister and implores her to guard the ten-year-old Phaedra as he spirits her away to Attica. Worshipping him (he is a magnificent Prince and later King, full of macho muscular action and qualities of leadership) she is happy to do anything he asks of her.
But gradually,beginning with the strange way that he neglects to change the black sails to white on their ship,so causing King Aegius' suicide,his image becomes tarnished in her eyes; at last she is forced to concede that he is an enemy of the worship in which she (and he) has been brought up in Troezen, the worship of the Goddess.
Theseus begins to revel in brutality, to show signs of mental imbalance, and none dare oppose him.
Phaedra - heir to the throne of matriarchal Crete, he has abducted from Crete to be his Queen. He keeps her as a prisoner in his palaces and opresses her, yet in opposing his attack on the Goddess religion and slaughter of its practitioners, she will not condone violence against him and his warriors, and somehow, interestingly, manages to regard him with an almost saintly loving-kindness without losing her sense of self-worth or dignity. No sufferer of 'Stockholm Syndrome' she. Unlike her older sister Ariadne in he prequel,she believes that as the manifestation of the Goddess on Earth, if she condones violence, 'The Goddess will die'.
'There are many "Antiopes"' (Amazon Queens) Thesues tells Aissa.
'But only one Phaedra. How fortunate it is that she is to be your Queen.' she says.
I recomend it as a counter to the Theseus of patriarchal legend. Still, I did find myself wishing that he could have been less brutal, have done less terrible things.
March 28, 2023
(1.5) I picked this book up spontaneously in a used bookstore and had high hopes for it as I have read many Greek mythological retellings and usually I've loved them, but I still knew this would be a hit or a miss. (spoiler alert, it's unfortunately a miss...)
I didn't really connect with the characters in this book, they felt very one dimensional and I wasn't a huge fan of the writing. The theme of the book was irritatingly simplistic; it made the point about how patriarchy is bad (obviously) but didn't say anything meaningful or elaborated deeper on that like go girl give us nothing! The premise of the book is about the "old way" of worshipping the female goddess (known as the mother) and how this spirituality being taken over violently by a male-focused pantheon. Something about it, though, was really lacking. Also for such a cool concept of female spirituality, this goddess could've been so much cooler rather than it being simply Mother Earth. I'm also unsatisfied with the idea that men are fundamentally incompatible with this version of spirituality. It's depressing!
Phaedra, who is supposedly the main character, has zero personality or charisma other than having endurance. The rhetoric of the book feels like men and all versions of masculinity are inherently dangerous/violent (except for one mostly insignificant male character) and all versions of femininity are inherently resilient and kind... this was just not enough for me. Boring and a lazy attempt at a "feminist retelling." In my opinion nothing about these women characters was interesting or made a new statement about what it means to be a woman in this period.
Perhaps I grossly misinterpreted this novel, and perhaps I'm being too harsh for when this was written (the 80s). Regardless I think if you're looking for a book like this there are better options where it's well done, such as Circe or Ariadne!
I didn't really connect with the characters in this book, they felt very one dimensional and I wasn't a huge fan of the writing. The theme of the book was irritatingly simplistic; it made the point about how patriarchy is bad (obviously) but didn't say anything meaningful or elaborated deeper on that like go girl give us nothing! The premise of the book is about the "old way" of worshipping the female goddess (known as the mother) and how this spirituality being taken over violently by a male-focused pantheon. Something about it, though, was really lacking. Also for such a cool concept of female spirituality, this goddess could've been so much cooler rather than it being simply Mother Earth. I'm also unsatisfied with the idea that men are fundamentally incompatible with this version of spirituality. It's depressing!
Phaedra, who is supposedly the main character, has zero personality or charisma other than having endurance. The rhetoric of the book feels like men and all versions of masculinity are inherently dangerous/violent (except for one mostly insignificant male character) and all versions of femininity are inherently resilient and kind... this was just not enough for me. Boring and a lazy attempt at a "feminist retelling." In my opinion nothing about these women characters was interesting or made a new statement about what it means to be a woman in this period.
Perhaps I grossly misinterpreted this novel, and perhaps I'm being too harsh for when this was written (the 80s). Regardless I think if you're looking for a book like this there are better options where it's well done, such as Circe or Ariadne!
August 27, 2020
Phaedra retells a part of the Theseus myth from the viewpoint of one of Phaedra’s handmaidens. I truly loved this feminist approach and the emphasis on how the worshiping of the Mother was on the brink of extinction. So much of it is truly relatable to our world in terms of equality. Beautifully written, characters were well done and the ending was heartbreaking. I will revisit this book again and again.
March 30, 2021
He will show us how to heal him. How can he be so strong and yet so weak? If only he could tell me why it is rage alone that relieves him, maybe I could learn the words to ward off his demons. How can I assuage his guilt? He wants to stop but doesn't know how...
November 13, 2021
It wasn't written the absolute best, but the raw emotion I could feel from the pages were enough for me to add that last star.
I'm not a very sensitive person, but this story hit some sore spot in me and left me sobbing for a near hour.
I'm not a very sensitive person, but this story hit some sore spot in me and left me sobbing for a near hour.
May 30, 2019
Though not as brilliant as its prequel Ariadne, this re-telling of the story of Phaedra is still very good. I felt that the degadation of Theseus' character, as described through the eyes of his worshipping fellow bull fighter, was too rushed.
However, overall an excellent depiction.
However, overall an excellent depiction.
August 28, 2012
Meh. Leave writing stories about Ancient Greece to the Ancient Greeks. Only reason I read it all the way through was because it was so short.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews