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jemini's review against another edition
2.5
The Whispering Muse by Sjón, translated by Victoria Cribb: 2.5/5
certainly was interesting. a twining of this post world war 2 reality with the mythology of Jason and the Argo. idek what to say…it was quirky that the main character loved fish, believing it to be the reason why nordic people are superior, to the point that he created an academic journal based on it.
_dosia_'s review against another edition
1.0
What the hell was this.
Reading the blurb I thought that this was going to be a really fun re-telling of the Argonautica, but set on a modern ship on a moody sea somewhere. Instead it was a fish-obsessed, racist narrator and a bunch of weird characters having dinner and a nonsensical, boring plot. The poetic writing didn't help and just confused me more. I feel I'm really missing something and looking back I can't remember a single thing about the plot.
I feel like I need to read this again but honestly can't really bring myself to.
Reading the blurb I thought that this was going to be a really fun re-telling of the Argonautica, but set on a modern ship on a moody sea somewhere. Instead it was a fish-obsessed, racist narrator and a bunch of weird characters having dinner and a nonsensical, boring plot. The poetic writing didn't help and just confused me more. I feel I'm really missing something and looking back I can't remember a single thing about the plot.
I feel like I need to read this again but honestly can't really bring myself to.
celestialwillow's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.25
catjen's review against another edition
4.0
A strange little novella. I wasn't sure what to expect but I ended up really liking the prose of this icelandic author. It was engaging and slightly creepy. I also really enjoyed the Greek mythology woven into the story - the tale of Jason and the Argonauts on the island of Lemnos. The ending was great as well!
jamestomasino's review against another edition
3.0
This slim novel offers more than meets the eye as mythologies crash together in strange harmonies. The story is sweeping and otherworldly but narrowly filtered through the view of an octogenarian with an obsession for pescoterian ethnocentrism. Through careful storytelling new dimensions are layered together to hint at something more, but held just out of reach from our point of view. It is a poetic work that leaves you struggling to find solid ground. It's also an excellent introduction to Sjón.
Re-read at Xmas. Still a ton of fun.
Re-read at Xmas. Still a ton of fun.
primesinister's review against another edition
3.0
Perfect novel length, and a quick dive into the mind of an Icelandic pescatarian on a ship’s voyage. I loved the inclusion of various mythologies, and thought the overall book was compelling enough given its length.
kchaloner's review against another edition
4.0
Many beautiful passages, creepy visualizations of the north. Gorgeous melding of myth and reality. Mysterious and slightly unsatisfying ending.