βAfter all, since the world began, weβve been eating each other. If not symbolically, then weβve been literally gorging on each other.βΒ -Tender is the Flesh; Augustina Bazterrica
Tender is the FleshΒ by Augustina Bazterrica is a must read for dystopian lovers and those who devour social commentary as well. The book showcases the duality of manβs empathy and selfishness, and delves deeply into dehumanization. It is a stomach churner that delves deeply into one half of society thriving at the expense of the other half. I havenβt had such a viceral reaction to a novel since I read The Kite Runner. It is not a read for the faint of heart of the weak of stomach.
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One of my all time favorite spring to summer reads, Bone Gap is the hardest book for me to explain to people, and the most exciting book to re-read nearly annually. An incredible mix of mystery, the supernatural, and being a teenager, I cannot recommend this book enough. If you like weird small towns and the horror of corn fields, the struggles of being a woman perceived by men, and the unexplainable, this book is for you.Β
In school, we learned about the world before ours, about the angels and gods that lived in the sky, ruling the earth with kind and loving hands. Some say those are just stories, but I don't believe that.Β
The gods rule us still. They have come down from the stars. And they are no longer kind.
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I wanted to see what kind of book shops were on Etsy, and there were plenty of blind date with books, but the one that appealed to me the most this time was Dose of Literature. They have differentΒ βprescriptionβ boxes, and I got the one that came with tea, a tea cup and spoon, essential oil, and honey. I also came with a small journal and two pins, as well as the three random books in the genre of your choosing. You can also specify what types of books you want as well, my specifications being classics that arenβt as common for Russian literature, Spanish literature, and my taste for things like Romantic literature. I wasnβt disappointed. If tea isnβt your thing, they have a coffee version, as well as a writing, and even aΒ βgrowthβ box where they send seeds for herbs along with your book. I canβt recommend this enough. Its a good way to rehome used books, as well as a nice treat for yourself, or someone you know who likes to read and relax.Β
I would be Medusa, if it came to it, I resolved. If the gods held me accountable one day for the sins of someone else, if they came for me to punish a man's actions, I would not hide away like Pasiphae. I would wear that coronet of snakes, and the world would shrink from me instead.
If you want to read the book I am going to spoil some things in talking about it. Read at your own risk, and please feel free to disagree. Its just opinion.Β
I cannot tell if this book was meant to be empowering to women, or not, because to me it just seems to press the message that women are always going to be the butt end of the joke for eternity. I know that recently its gotten to where people strongly dislike Hera being the cruel villain because of Zeusβ infidelity, but this story goes along with that narrative and is part of the reason I dislike the ending so much. The whole book pushes that life is so unfair and ruins moments that are so important because of silly choices in writing.Β
Hera being the villain and ultimately leading to Ariadneβs death is one thing I hate. Through the book, there is a growing unease of Hera that basically hints that there will be some repercussions, but once again a woman is paying the price for a manβs sins, but at the hands of another woman. Hera has no pity for Ariadne, even though she was trying to stop the fighting between Dionysus and Perseus.Β
Then there is the way Artemis and Athena are portrayed. Both play minor parts in the story, but they too play parts in womenβs suffering. The gods being uncaring and self-absorbed is part of the story, but there is a heavy amount of attention on the female gods and their hand in punishing women as well. All of that could be overlooked as the gods are all just indifferent and cruel so it doesnβt matter, but without any strength or catharsis by the end, it is harder to ignore.Β
Parts of the story I did appreciate (only for it to be ruined later on) was Phaedra struggling to care for her children and feeling like motherhood ruined her life. That is such an important revelation for her to have, but it has little impact on the story overall. And Phaedra becomes so miserable in her own life she sinks her feet in then falls in love with her stepson, only to get him killed for being innocent and killing herself because she fears retribution.
There is no hopeful and happy reunion between sisters, and if anything Phaedraβs return to Ariadne makes everything worse. Even the women in the story are made to be enemies of one another. Yes, a sanctuary for women and children is created after Ariadneβs death, but there is nothing of tenderness and friendship. All of that dies halfway through the book.Β
Maybe its realistic, but I find it to be too cynical and unfulfilling. There is no empowerment or hope, no message of change, no positive spin on the stories that have long been cruel to women. Everyone succumbs to their horrible fates. So, if you havenβt read it and youβve read all of this, I hope I wasnβt too critical. If you have read it, I would love to know what you think. I donβt hate the book, but I do dislike some of the choices that were made that distracted from the better parts of the story.Β
I suppose what it does do right is show just how badly women have had it in myths, and how heroes are usually two-faced and have plenty of negative qualities that they donβt show until someone, usually a woman, gets hurt. It really makes you want more for the characters, some divine intervention for the divine interventions that litter the book and tortures the characters.Β
The gods do not know love, because they cannot imagine an end to anything they enjoy. Their passions do not burn brightly as a mortal's passions do, because they can have whatever they desire for the rest of eternity. How could they cherish or treasure anything? Nothing to them is more than a passing amusement, and when they have done with it, there will be another and another and another, until the end of time itself.
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I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. I think it is a worthy read but a heavy one that requires some patience. The pacing is frustrating at times, and keeps a running tension that is left to die out by the end. I donβt think there is anything genuinely spectacular about the book to set it apart. With a strong theme of the injustice that has persisted against women in myth there was much to long for, but I donβt think any expectations should be made going into it. Without revealing too much, by the ending the theme of unfairness reigns true and it is a heavy resolution to stomach.Β
Not to be too unfair, there was a lot that I did enjoy about the book, but I canβt say that they are saving graces. The brief moments of peace and happiness are much needed to break up the constant storm that permeates the pages, but they are so light and refreshing that I think it leaves room for hope in a hopeless situation. It is also an interesting perspective of a male dominated myth, showing it from the perspective of Ariadne and her sister Phaedra. Many moments feel familiar, but have a different air to them because of the two young women who are watching moments of mythology take place.Β
I think that the book is very cynical, overall. I have no issue with that, but I feel like more could have transpired that had weight to it instead of a listless passing of time that made things that could have been important in the story seem like a fleeting trifle. There is no sense of real closure upon finishing it, and I feel no more drawn to Ariadne or Phaedra by the end of the book. I am a fan of retelling of myths from the womanβs perspective, and I think it is a perfect place to write from because the source material can only be improved upon, but I think that Ariadne fell flat in that regard, as little was added other than really rubbing in the idea that mortals are the playthings of fate and the gods, and men will be the ones remembered for great deeds and heroism, despite their negative qualities and actions.Β
βWhat I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again.β -Suzanne Collins, Mockingjay
We need someone to direct us and reassure us this is possible. And I don't think I'm that person. I may have been the catalyst for rebellion, but a leader should be someone with conviction, and I'm barely a convert myself. Someone with unflinching courage, and I'm still working hard at even finding mine. Someone with clear and persuasive words, and I'm so easily tongue-tied.
Going back over the Hunger Games I started to wonder the what the impact of tributes initially refusing to kill each other would be. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes showed what the first arena looked like and how the tributes were initially treated, and how Snow impacted the development of the Games. If it wasnβt entertaining, the people of the Capitol wouldnβt watch it, and if they didnβt have this impression that the children from the Districts were beneath them and hadnβt dehumanized them so much it seems like it would be easy to paint the Capitol as the enemy by refusing to fight. Kind of like Civil Disobedience in a way, but inevitably ending up as martyrs. It's one thing to have them kill each other, cementing the idea in the Capitolβs mind that the districts are the enemy and are animals, but to just straight up kill the kids on camera would come across so differently. I think that is why rewards became so important. Survival, the promise of food and stability for the rest of your life, and just knowing that you could take your family out of poverty would be a huge motive for fighting instead of all joining together and refusing. It would be impossible to make it unanimous when the stakes are that high.
I think thatβs why Katnissβ action of refusing to kill herself or kill Peeta showed their humanity, and showed the people that there is another way. It created a stalemate. If the Capitol killed them both right then, there would be unrest in both the districts, and the Capitol because they were fan favorites. This is also present in Catching Fire when all the tributes are at the last interview and all join hands together. They made Snow the enemy by pointing out that he has a choice, and all the prior winners were already fan favorites. So, by doing the Quarter Quell, Snow is killing off people the Capitol loves, too. He could have easily let them live and stayed in the good graces of the Capitol, but sends them all to the arena anyways. The stakes are a lot different for the tributes then, because now joining together and making alliances is about the rebellion, not just survival. They already have their basic needs practically met, so it is easier for them to make the choice to hold out for as long as they do. The choice to not fight, to have to prove their humanity to the people putting them in cages and killing their families, to paint themselves as resilient and peaceful even though they have been the victims all along. Suzanne Collins was really ahead of the game.Β Β
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