Marquise’s review of Psyche and Eros > Likes and Comments

feminist retelling = Americanization of non-american mythical / historical women into shallow, arrogant, egocentric, know-it-alls.

This makes me sad and just goes to show how little a grasp people actually have on what a "feminist" really is. *sigh* Sad face. Psyche is such a lovely character canonically, too.

Morena wrote: "feminist retelling = Americanization of non-american mythical / historical women into shallow, arrogant, egocentric, know-it-alls."

Unfortunately correct summation, Mo. :'(

Mariella wrote: "Psyche is such a lovely character canonically, too."

It's my favourite mythological story, one I love unconditionally, and if infuriates me to see it reduced to this travesty.

Wow. Looks like someone went into warrior princess mode to write a review about this book 😉

You have some really good points. And it’s cool to see that you can talk with such passion and expertise about Greek and Roman mythology. Really strong review, Marquise!

Thibault wrote: "Wow. Looks like someone went into warrior princess mode to write a review about this book 😉"

Hehe, whenever I'd go into bookish rants an ex of mine used to describe me as "like one of those tomboys that hide pink dresses in the wardrobe but breaks a lance for the girlie girls." 🤣

Marquise wrote: "It's my favourite mythological story, one I love unconditionally, and if infuriates me to see it reduced to this travesty."

I can certainly understand why, and I'm sorry that it turned out this way. Do you have any favorite retellings of the story?

Mariella wrote: "Do you have any favorite retellings of the story?"

Novel-length retellings? No, all I've read were bad or meh.

Picture book adaptations? Yes! Cupid and Psyche is my absolute favourite rendition of the story, both for the text and the art.

Marquise wrote: "
Novel-length retellings? No, all I've read were bad or meh.
"

That's honestly so, so sad D: I'm sorry to hear that.

But that looks like a lovely picture book. I should see if our library has that one. Thank you for sharing it. ^_^

Wonderful review, Marquise💕!!!!!! Kudos to you for knowing this book was going to be a problem, but yet you still chose to read this book!!!! I hope you have better luck with your next read!!!!!

Brava Marquise! Brava!

I realized recently that most myth retelling are a miss for me, especially Greek ones. Sorry this one wasn’t your favorite!

Mariella wrote: "That's honestly so, so sad D: I'm sorry to hear that."

Don't be sad! I've made my peace with my track record with Greek mythology retellings and no longer read any. I made an exception for this one as it was recced to me. :)

Hope you like Craft's book! It's a treasure in my collection.

Cara wrote: "Wonderful review, Marquise💕!!!!!! Kudos to you for knowing this book was going to be a problem, but yet you still chose to read this book!!!! I hope you have better luck with your next read!!!!!"

Thank you, dear Cara.

Searnold wrote: "Brava Marquise! Brava!"

Thank you, S!

Rachel wrote: "I realized recently that most myth retelling are a miss for me, especially Greek ones."

Same for me, I fare better with fairy tales. Partly because there's more of them and partly because I stick to my favourite tales. :) Thank you, Rachel!

Morpheus puts it best.

Juho wrote: "

Morpheus puts it best."

🤣 🤣 🤣

You made my day, Juho. Thank you! I have to read those comics one day, as soon as I'm feeling courageous enough to try Gaiman again.

When "strong woman" = "woman who acts masculine," I'm insulted.

Have you read Till We Have Faces?

Audrey wrote: "Have you read Till We Have Faces?"

Yes, I have, long ago. I gave it a high rating, but I don't have a good recollection of the plot. I keep meaning to reread it sometime...

Same; it's been a long time since I read it.

Uhh ohh.. yet another butchered retelling. Marquise, we should start a global petition for this!
Such a fantastic review, gal. Love how you present each point with background info. This is gem.

Srivalli wrote: "Uhh ohh.. yet another butchered retelling. Marquise, we should start a global petition for this!"

Ugh, they'll just ignore us and call us grumps, that there's freedom of the press, that people can write whatever they please, that this is just old myths and fairy tales, etc., etc.

And they're right, but freedom of the press goes both ways: you write what you want, but readers are also free to rubbish you for it. I guess I'm here for the latter... :D

Marquise wrote: "...freedom of the press goes both ways: you write what you want, but readers are also free to rubbish you for it. I guess I'm here for the latter... :D"

Absolutely! No sulking when readers take it apart and point out the flaws.

Srivalli wrote: "No sulking when readers take it apart and point out the flaws."

Some do, I've encountered a few of them in my years here. Or their fans do, when and if it's not the authors themselves. I have a long-lived drama under one of my reviews that flares up like an incurable nappy rash from time to time. :D

Oh wow this sounds BAD. I haven’t poked around much with Greek myths or retellings outside of a few here and there, but I’ll definitely be staying away from this one. Thanks for the great review!

Sarah wrote: "Oh wow this sounds BAD. I haven’t poked around much with Greek myths or retellings outside of a few here and there, but I’ll definitely be staying away from this one."

Thank you, Sarah! I guess this book would fare better with readers not that familiar with ancient mythology, or that don't care as much as I do. :)

as soon as i sae Psyche described as fierce and spirited in the description i thought this book was going to forgo her actual flaws of naïveté and passiveness and thus her character development, and instead just make her a one note girlboss feminist. it sounds like my assumption was true.

Alex wrote: "as soon as i sae Psyche described as fierce and spirited in the description i thought this book was going to forgo her actual flaws of naïveté and passiveness and thus her character development, an..."

You have good instincts, friend. Your assumption was on point.

Marquise wrote: "Some do, I've encountered a few of them in my years here. Or their fans do, when and if it's not the authors themselves."

Oh, yes! The fans and activists pretty much take pride in it. Which book?

Srivalli wrote: "Which book?"

Juniper & Thorn. Enjoy the circus, my dear. 🤣

Marquise wrote: "Juniper & Thorn. Enjoy the circus, my dear. 🤣"

Haha thanks, girl. Might as well unwind after a long day. ;P

Don't read it whilst eating anything, though! Dangerous for your laptop and might choke on what you're having.

Marquise wrote: "Don't read it whilst eating anything, though! Dangerous for your laptop and might choke on what you're having."

Ah, timely advice. I was about to grab a biscuit. 😅

😉

I'm literally so tired of these myth retelling stories.. it's not a retelling when you change fundamental aspects just for the sake of seeming ~original~ 😭 just write another story!

Jo wrote: "it's not a retelling when you change fundamental aspects just for the sake of seeming ~original~ 😭 just write another story!"

Amen to that. Writing an original story that gets inspiration from an existing one but doesn't warp that one is far more respectful to the source.

But then you'd have to come up with a whole new identity for it and can't tap into an existing property and the fanbase that comes with it! Who in this day and age would want to take the chance with anything as risky as new?

Juho wrote: "Who in this day and age would want to take the chance with anything as risky as new?"

Adventurers, thrill seekers, starving artists, and the clinically insane? 😄

I've never been able to write more than 10-20 words ( if I did ) about a book I didn't like ( if read ).
So, good job, Marquise.

Théo d'Or wrote: "I've never been able to write more than 10-20 words ( if I did ) about a book I didn't like ( if read )."

Ha! Merci, Théo. Many (most?) of my longest reviews are for books I've hated, it just gets me going on and on. 😄

If I think about it, hatred fueled literature to the same extent as love, so - why not ?

Spite is a powerful motivator.

Théo d'Or wrote: "If I think about it, hatred fueled literature to the same extent as love, so - why not ?"

Smart man, you. Sounds like you've read The Iliad. 😊

They also had a god that in one version was a twin to Eros called Anteros, who was in charge of whacking people over the head for spurning genuine love. Smart people, those Greeks. 🤣

Hunger too.

Smart people, indeed. Too bad they make a tragedy out of nothing.

Théo d'Or wrote: "Too bad they make a tragedy out of nothing."

That's why the Romans took over their land. Pragmatic & humourless & imperialistic & no taste for silly tragedies. Mmm... sounds like some modern country I know, which one might that be? ;)

Mmm.. Twin Peaks. No, Wonderland.

Théo d'Or wrote: "Mmm.. Twin Peaks. No, Wonderland."

Ha! And here I was thinking it was a country in your neighbourhood...

Ah, Botswana. I should have realized.