Started: 5/31/2023
Completed: 6/6/2023
Recommendation: Mild recommendation
Recommended By: Nobody, I enjoyed Elektra
Review:
Saint elaborates on this minor character in Greek mythos and I kept wondering how she was going to end the story as the Greek myths are far from clear. The ending is abrupt and I guess that was to be expected. Saint does a good job of drawing together the pieces of the myth and putting a believable story around it largely by retelling the story of the Golden Fleece. This part is really well done, but the extensive effort to maximize opportunities to emphasize Atalanta's feminist positions (which are all quite reasonable) sort of becomes repetitive (others might argue celebratory). This happens to the point where Atalanta leaves the role of feminine possibility for the age and fully becomes myth. I think it sucks the way women have been and continue to be treated, but this book makes Atalanta a mythical hero whose achievements cannot be achieved by normal mortals. This is true in areas (like foot racing) where a hero should have this distinction and also in others (like claiming a kill) where a woman's position would be supported by no man of the era (no matter how inclined to fancy the woman). I just feel like it would have been nice for her actions to be heroic, but for her to have qualities that are common to every woman making her a role model and not simply a myth. I dunno, certainly not my area of specialty and maybe my thinking is out of line with what is appropriate and reasonable
