Lark Benobi's Reviews > Kassandra and the Wolf
Kassandra and the Wolf
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Lark Benobi's review
bookshelves: greece, words-without-borders, houghton-mifflin
Jan 20, 2016
bookshelves: greece, words-without-borders, houghton-mifflin
Read 2 times. Last read March 10, 2022.
Terrible things happen. It's hard to get upset about it though because the protagonist, possibly a child throughout although even this isn't clear to me, has the perceptions and the amorality of an animal. She goes to a slaughterhouse for example because of she loves the smell and feel of the carcasses on hooks; while there she may or may not be violated by one of the butchers. She bites people for the hell of it. What is this novel about, anyway? Child abuse? I'm not sure the protagonist is a child per se, though. Or is the novel an indictment of the morals of the wealthy classes? Maybe. The protagonist has governesses and servants and there seem to be the trappings of wealth in her descriptions of depravity. When it comes to what this novel means, in other words, pretty much anything is possible. There are frequent references to Greek mythology and though I know who these mythic characters are my knowledge didn't help me comprehend their use in the story. The "Kassandra" of this novel doesn't relate, in any way I can figure out, to the Kassandra of Greek lore. Although, come to think of it, whatever this Kassandra is pronouncing is incomprehensible to me as her audience, so I guess her name is exactly right.
Let me say I have great appreciation for the author, though, and that my confusion did not get in the way of my enjoyment of this novel. I think, maybe, that I loved it. Although I''m not sure why. And those who enjoy knowing precisely what's going on in a story may want to choose another novel.
Let me say I have great appreciation for the author, though, and that my confusion did not get in the way of my enjoyment of this novel. I think, maybe, that I loved it. Although I''m not sure why. And those who enjoy knowing precisely what's going on in a story may want to choose another novel.
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Reading Progress
January 20, 2016
–
Started Reading
January 20, 2016
– Shelved
January 22, 2016
– Shelved as:
greece
January 22, 2016
– Shelved as:
words-without-borders
January 22, 2016
–
Finished Reading
April 26, 2020
– Shelved as:
houghton-mifflin
March 10, 2022
–
Started Reading
March 10, 2022
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-4 of 4 (4 new)
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Jenny (Reading Envy)
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rated it 4 stars
Dec 03, 2020 11:17AM
So now that you've read both this and The Discomfort of Evening, did you find they had some similarities? I couldn't stop thinking of this when I read DoE.
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wow, I never connected them, but now I am! I didn't think of it first because Kassandra feels completely in charge of her strange sadistic world, and Jas seems trapped in hers, but you're right, the voice is really similar. Thanks Jenny!