Hera : Discussion Thread

[Trisha]

Hera, immortal goddess and daughter of the ancient Titan Cronos, helped her brother Zeus to overthrow their tyrannical father so that they could rule the world. But, as they establish their reign on Mount Olympus, Hera suspects that Zeus might be just as ruthless and cruel as their father was, and she begins to question her role at his side. She was born to rule, but does that mean perpetuating a cycle of violence and cruelty that has existed since the dawn of time? Will assuming her power mean that Hera loses herself, or can she find a way to forge a better world?

Traditionally portrayed as a jealous wife, a wicked stepmother, and a victim-blaming instrument of the patriarchy, Hera is ripe for a retelling that shows her as a powerful queen―ruthless when she needs to be, but also compassionate, strategic, and ambitious. With Hera, beloved and bestselling author Jennifer Saint delivers another epic and enthralling reimagining of a Greek heroine we only thought we knew.

[Vicki]

Have you read this one? We also have a thread for it in CC

[Trisha]

I'm starting later today, I have one I'm finishing now
and another to start, then I'll start this one!

[Vicki]

Great! I hope we both love it!

[Vicki]

Through PART ONE / pg. 83 / 22%

(view spoiler)[OK, I am so happy to hear more about the gods/goddesses of Mount Olympus. I was disgusted by Ixion when he planned to rape Hera, but was laughing when I imagined how he'd have felt when her "doppelganger" vanished. lol I don't remember ever learning about Nephele, the cloud nymph, but I like her for making a fake Hera. lol

I knew Hera was Zeus's wife, but I didn't remember (or ever knew?) that he'd raped her. That scene was actually awful. I thought how he basically left her out of having her own realm was terrible too since she and he were in the demise of Cronus together. He cheated her out of her spot! Seems like males (mortal or immortal) always lorded it over the females and he has too. All three brothers, Zeus, Poseidon and hades got their own realms and picks too.

The comment after her rape really hit me: "This emotion - the one that crawls across her skin - is new. It is a stinging tide seeping through her body, a slow and painful burn. Shame." But I love the way PART ONE ended with Hera determined to "bring him down" I think she "agreed" to marry him in order to better have a chance to fulfill her promise to herself. Now I'm anxious to see if she does. (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

Through PART TWO / pg. 183 / 48%

(view spoiler)[Wow! I have a feeling that Hera isn't going to bring Zeus down. He is, after all, king of king, lord of lords and god of gods. His symbols are the oak tree, lightening/thunderbolt and the bald eagle, all very strong and powerful ones.

I knew that Hera was always jealous of Zeus and would often hurt women he slept with, even those who would have sex with him thinking he was their husband since he'd come in that guise, or tricked by him in some way, but I never knew that one of the main reasons was because she was goddess of marriage and combine that with marriage meaning nothing to him as it's not HIS domain makes more sense to me. She wasn't jealous over love for him, but disdain for him. I think it's a bit odd that her bitterness includes somehow punishing women he's slept with (raped) when she herself was raped.

I also knew about Ares and Hephaestus as well as their domains and symbols (and poor Hephaestus being known as the ugly one) but I'd never heard of and Typhon. So now she has 3 sons, But I couldn't believe how he threw both Typhon and Hephaestus into the volcano. I mean she's really cruel and manipulative too. I feel like she would've known that Hephaestus would suffer Zeus's wrath when he freed her from her chains, yet she lied to him and tricked him to help her anyway. Sounds like it's potentially an eternal burn as though in hell or maybe it is hell. But it sounds like he can get out somehow so I assume Typhon could too. Zeus is too powerful so Hera needs to really back off but she won't. Now she has another scheme brewing...wonder what it is this time. (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

I'm going to take a break and not sure if I'll finish this tonight or tomorrow, but I am enjoying it. I can't say I like it so far as well as Clytemnestra

[Vicki]

Through PART THREE / pg. 277 / 72%

(view spoiler)[Not much to add here, but I still find it just so fascinating and curious that Hera punishes the women Zeus rapes and even impregnates. She's lost a couple sons, the Olympians are against her now, She's become what is one thing she hated about Zeus...very cruel and self-centered. (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

Through PART FOUR / pg. 343 / 89%

(view spoiler)[I loved the section where Hera tried to kill baby Heracles with two snakes but then he strangled them. He is a demigod since Zeus is is father so that's where he gets the strength. The visual! lol But man is she unhinged, causing him to murder his wife and children! That's about the cruelest thing I think anyone could make another person do. (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

Finished

(view spoiler)[Well, well, well, in my opinion she did get the better of him. I LOVED it when she got hold of his thunderbolt and walked off with it. lol I think she did grow some by the end of the story. But I love that she basically took his weapon and now he's without that kind of power over everyone/everything. (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha]

oh man, just 3 stars?

Ugh, I accidentally left this book at home! I finally got done with my seasonal job and caught up on house cleaning so I'm down here visiting mom . . .and forgot my book!

so I'll start it once I get back home!

[Vicki]

Oh no! Sorry about that. I am planning to be tougher on my ratings this year. I feel like I gave 5 stars to too many books that didn’t truly deserve it, so don’t let my 3 stars fool you. I liked it.
Tell Mom I said hello.