i am extremely grateful to have been able to reead this but unfortunately, i had to dnf this title. i will definetely check out the other titles by this author

*THIS IS MY INITIAL POST - I WILL SUBMIT A FULL REVIEW WHEN I CAN REREAD MY BEAUTIFUL NEW HB COPY*

Somehow I managed to find myself with just two days to read this one amongst the host of other projects currently competing for my time. But I did some desperate fighting-sleep-forcing-my-eyes-to-stay-open late night reading sessions and managed to read it before it was archived. Although that's meant I've not retained most of it, I knew very early on that this was going to be a standout of the year for me and about halfway through I broke my book buying ban to splurge on this beautiful signed edition. So...

FROM THE BLURB:

...After a decade of silence, Aida and Ehsan reconnect, hoping to recreate the love they shared in their youth. When Ehsan's life unravels, he follows Aida on tour, but it becomes clear that their connection is strained by secrets and jealousies. The past blurs with the present as they follow in the footsteps of mythic lovers before them.

The Giant Dark is a loose retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, exploring the consuming and devastating effects of using a lover as a muse.

~

That's right folks, (technically) this is another Greek myth retelling which I really am powerless to at this point, BUT it's also one of the richest poetic literary novels I've read this year. Early on, the beautiful lyricism of Hasin's prose brought to mind Open Water and the deep sentimentality that settles into the reflections of their relationship made me feel a similar nostalgia as when I read Normal People last year.

The ending is more difficult to make comparisons with, but the psychological manifestations of grief and the journeys into despair bore resemblance to the original myth while managing to be an entirely unique interpretation.

PLEASE READ!

The Giant Dark is a loose retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Aida is a Rockstar with an obsessive fan base; when she returns to London after 10 years she reconnects with an ex-boyfriend Ehsan and they rekindle their relationship. Ehsan follows her on tour, but soon their relationship begins to show cracks and secrets and jealousies appear leaving lives shattered.

I hadn't read the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice but this retelling sounded fascinating and it was. Aida's use of Eshan's poetry in her lyrics and her heartbreak and Ehsan himself as her muse is her ultimate undoing as their relationship begins again so positively but ultimately declines in Ehsan's demise. I was utterly spellbound, heart breaking and beautiful.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review

When I read that this book was loosely based on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, I was enchanted. I love retellings of Greek myths and legends. I love the story of Orpheus and Cocteau's retelling of it in his film Orphee, remains one of my favourites. In short I was prepared to fall in love.

I didn't. The story concerns a famous pop star, Aida, and the relationship she has with her muse, Ehsan. For me it never really took off and the characters remained in the gloomy underworld. The links between this and the story of Orpheus and Eurydice were very tenuous.

I am sorry not to have liked this more. The writing is very good, but the story lets it down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Billed as an updated retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, this novel transposes the mythical characters to the present day in the form of Aida, a hugely popular and intensely private pop singer; her great love and muse Ehsan; and a Greek chorus of obsessive fans. It claims to show what can happen when a lover is also a muse and the relationship runs into difficulties.

It isn’t easy to say much about the plot without introducing spoilers, but the narrative starts with a chance encounter between Aida and Ehsan ten years after their initial brief, intense romance. Their relationship reignites, and it becomes increasingly clear that all Aida’s songs over her 10-year career have been about her feelings for Ehsan - sometimes even using phrases from his poems, perhaps unwittingly. Ehsan, meanwhile, has drifted through his life somewhat, quitting a job in publishing to devote more time to his poetry but finding himself increasingly apathetic and detached. This being a version of a Greek legend, it is probably not giving too much away to say it doesn’t end well.

I found it hard to be very interested in Aida and Ehsan, their relationship, or the story. It felt to me like very little happens to two not very engaging characters. I couldn’t see what inspired their love, why they had ever been in a relationship, what made it such an enduring thing for them. The disembodied chorus of fans commenting on the public version of events is cleverly done, capturing how the public hounds and obsesses over public figures. But overall, I found the book hard to get into, and not especially worth the effort of ploughing on till the end.

What an incredible story about love, devotion and art. Fans of One Day, Daisy Jones & The Six, and Noughts & Crosses will enjoy this. The love between Aida and Ehsan felt incredibly real and relatable. The love and devotion from Aida’s fans also provided a unique perspective on Aida and her journey. Overall it is beautifully written and it will be one I recommend to my friends and family.

Beautifully written, no doubt about that, but I was disappointed with this book which did not live up to expectation I gained from the description. I found it wandered too much and I lost interest. For me, it just need a reason to carry on reading, but I never found it. But, for those who love a slow, well-written read, it would be a good read.

I would like to extend my gratitude to NetGalley for giving me this advanced readers’ copy in exchange for an honest and frank review.

I liked this book a lot. The love shared between the main characters was beautiful and very intense. It definitely tugged at the heart strings. Even though I was not really a fan of Ada I still enjoyed the book. It was quite a difficult read, and it definitely was not a read in one go book, but I still liked it.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A beautifully written book, very intense, sad and often heart-warming. Lovely.

👫 The Giant Dark 💔
✍Sarvat Hasin
⭐⭐⭐💫

📖 The Giant Dark is a novel about Aida, a rock star at the peak of fame who has gained herself a somewhat cultish, and entirely obsessed, fan base. When Aida reconnects with an ex, her fans are determined to find out more. But Aida and Ehsan and tied together, artist and muse. The story is based loosely on the ancient legend of Orpheus and Eurydice, and explores the consuming and devastating effects of using a lover as a muse.

🗣 I was not familiar with the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, so had no idea what to expect with this book. I found the storyline itself quite heavy and sad, and the pace a little slow. Having said that, I really enjoyed the complex, human characters. I also loved the chapter layout, how we heard the story from different perspectives and Hasin's use of Aida's crazed fans as a chorus throughout. It's definitely creative, and I reckon fans of Normal People would probably love it.

📚 vs 🎬 Nope, not yet.

Thank you to @netgalley and @littlebrownbookgroup_uk for my advanced readers copy of this book 🥰

I'm afraid this one is not for me. I struggled with the first 25%, skimmed the next 25%, then gave up. There are some beautiful patches and I liked the characters but it felt very slow. I was constantly waiting for something to happen.

I would have liked the story of Ehsan and Aida to move a little faster and for there to be more showing rather than telling. The words are gorgeous, but the plot, if there was one, took so long to get going I grew disenchanted. I am familiar with the Orpheus myth but was unable to detect any particular elements of it in the parts I read.

This is a languorous novel full of glorious description and the writing itself cannot be faulted. Where it falls down, for me, is on plot and pace. I feel it would make a good art film though.

Aida is a rockstar with a devoted fanbase. When she disappears into a romance with an ex from her youth, they are determined to find out what happened and uncover her truths.

The Giant Dark is marketed as a retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, but I would say that it’s a very, very loose retelling. Set in the modern day with original characters, it bears very little resemblance to the original myth, apart from the fact that the story deals with the effects and repercussions of using a lover as a muse.

It is reminiscent of Sally Rooney’s Normal People and this is the main reason I didn’t totally love it. Vaguely depressing stories about two people’s failing relationships just don’t really do it for me. However, The Giant Dark is written in two parts and, while I didn’t particularly enjoy the first part, the twist in part two did grab my attention. I won’t say what happens, but I will say that it is worth reading on.

I have to say I didn’t really like either Aida or Ehsan and that’s one of the things that didn’t work for me in this book. Stories are simply no good if you don’t like, understand or empathise with the main characters. What really saved this book for me was Aida’s cult fanbase. There are chapters throughout the novel written from their point of view and it was fascinating to see how their complete devotion for Aida manifested in both loving and harmful ways.

I was sent an advance proof copy of The Giant Dark by Sarvat Hasin to read and review by NetGalley. Passionate, intense, immersive – just three of the words that I would associate with this novel. Told in different ways from different viewpoints, this is essentially a story about love. I could especially relate to the experience of protagonist Aida’s fans, told in the first person, which evoked my own yearnings for pop stars and musicians in my teenage years. The evolving relationship between Aida and her friend and lover Ehsan is also so emotive that it conjures up personal feelings and memories – well it certainly did for me! I would have given this book the full 5 stars but for the fact that it became somewhat repetitive and rather turgid in the latter stages, however, I still think that this is a great read, especially if you are interested in the human psyche and the way we process our emotions. I also concede the fact that I read a proof copy so some of my niggles may be ironed out in the final copy.

Very original take on Orpheus and Eurydice and an interesting, modern love story in and of itself. The voice of the chorus is clever and unique

This is a beautiful but extremely melancholy story about fame and love. We all have our heroes when we are younger. Movie stars and pop stars that we put on a pedestal, often forgetting that they are only human with their own problems in life, despite all their fame and fortune. This is a brilliant, heartbreaking read that will stay with me for some time.

The Giant Dark is a about a couple - Aida and Ehsan who reconnect after a 10 year gap and pick up on their intense love affair. Aida is a world famous singer with a cult following of rabid fans. Ehsan has just quit his job in publishing and is feeling a distinct lack of purpose. All his friends are very accomplished and are moving on with their lives while he feels stuck. When Aida comes back into her life it feels appropriate for him to just support and follow her around as she goes on tour.

The book is meant to be loosely based on the Orpheus and Eurydice myth, which is what drew me to it but I actually can’t see any parallels. The story goes back and forth between the past, present, and future, as we explore the ins and outs of their relationship. Ehsan is effectively her muse - his poetry is wrapped up in her music and song titles, and their relationship forms the basis of many of her songs. We get to explore the dynamics of power and privilege in a relationship, and the pain and resentment that comes from someone struggling to find their place . It also serves as a mirror on the effects of fame as we get the POV of her fans reacting to events in the present time.

Overall it is quite cleverly done. The first half really sucks you into their relationship, and the second slows down taking us backwards and forwards in time as we learn more about the characters. There are some very poignant and relatable moments, but also some abstract slightly confusing moments that you just have to shrug off and go along with. Interesting debut for sure - 3.5/5 stars

From the blurb: The Giant Dark is an award-winning debut novel about love and fame. Inspired by the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, it explores the consuming and devastating effects of using a lover as a muse.

Thoughts: I really got lost in this book, which follows the love story of rock star Aida and her love, Ehsan. The writing style is beautiful and really draws the reader in. By the end I really felt like I knew and cared about these two characters and their relationship, the depth of feeling between them really shines off the page.

I loved the switching viewpoints between Aida and Ehsan, as well as the chapters describing Aida’s adoring fans’ experience of the story and the way the narrative switched between timelines. This is a novel to really lose yourself in; an intense but beautiful book with a deep beating heart. I also have to give a shout out for the gorgeous cover! 😍

Thanks to @netgalley and Dialogue Books for an ARC of this great book.

The Giant Dark is not a straight retelling of a Greek myth in the style of, for example, The Silence of the Girls; rather, it uses the story of a musician and lover fatally entwined more as a jumping-off point for a decidedly modern story of what life in the spotlight can be like. It doesn’t hang around: the pace sucked me in so that a few pages before bedtime quickly turned into two chapters. I could definitely see this working on screen.
Because it is so much about the lives of Aida and Ehsan, about their relationship, I was drawn in to their world, the only punctuation being the short chapters from the perspective of Aida’s devout fans. Sarvat Hasin’s writing is direct and unfussy and really works. And she writes really well about sex, not titillating but true to life: awkwardness and bliss alongside each other. Despite the reality of the relationship, there is an otherworldly dimension too. In the second half of the book – after a huge bombshell of a plot point (or does that show my ignorance of the source material? My note was simply ‘bloody hell!’) – a new figure is present.
I really enjoyed The Giant Dark and look forward to reading more of Hasin’s work. I wasn’t wholly convinced by the ending; maybe I need to go back and have another read. Perhaps it’s best not to judge a book by its cover – I would never have guessed the tone of this from the image used (one of Johnson’s paintings?). It matters not; The Giant Dark is excellent whichever way you look at it.

I really enjoyed the first two thirds of this book, then I lost my way, Despite this I did enjoy it and thought the writing was really great. The narrative partly coming from a collective group rather than one person I thought was really interesting and in my experience unique, the writing really captures the obsessive culture of a fandom. A beautiful retelling of a myth, definitely worth a read!

The Giant Dark is an intense novel about fame, music, poetry, living internationally and loving another person in the spotlight. Apparently it’s intended to be a loose retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, but I wouldn’t have noticed the link without being told. Aida’s fans act as a kind of Greek chorus though, so perhaps that’s an intentional nod to the myth?

A recommended read.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback.