sareidle's Reviews (180)

I love Lucy Worsley's voice and sense of humor, which gave this biography personality and shape. I enjoyed learning how Christie's personal life was mirrored in her writings.

I appreciate Natalie Haynes's well-researched and unique approach to retelling myths through multiple characters' perspectives. However, it was difficult to build momentum while reading as the narrator changed from chapter to chapter. I also had difficulty placing the importance of Andromeda in the story of Perseus and Medusa until late in the book. I gained a fondness for Medusa and her sisters and sympathy for all women in Greek myth who have been silenced, mistreated, and abused. Haynes is an excellent classicist, but I prefer her nonfiction writing to her fiction.

A Christmas Carol is a classic for good reason! I really enjoyed hearing the original story after viewing many adaptations throughout my life. Dickens's descriptions of the chains that Marley wears in the afterlife and how the only people emotionally reacting to Scrooge's death were relieved that they had more time to pay back their debt were affecting and made me reflect on the kind of life I've led. 

Haynes' voice shines through and strikes a balance between academic and entertaining. I learned a lot about the variance in Greek myths and how minor translation choices can make a huge difference in the audience's understanding of characters and motivation.