A genderbent take on Orpheus and Eurydice, the intoxicating story of Aida, a global superstar musician and her greatest love, Ershan, is one of the best things I have read this year. Like a blend of Circe with Daisy and the Six, this blend of myth retelling and the sweaty heady sheen of rock star lifestyle, this story of their whirlwind relationship has a mystical element as I was questioning whether this almost obsessive relationship is toxic but feeling that it is fate they are destined to be together. It swops between three perspectives, including powerfully to me was the third person perspective of her infatuated fan base, which sounds almost Greek Chorus but really captures the relentless hysteria of a fandom and a meteoric rise to fame beautifully. It can feel like reading multiple books in one go, keeping it interesting, and also this drops nuggets of information throughout that would be the crux of a different story. There is a shock gasp moment at 50%, which causes Aida to go to the edge, teetering on the precipice of mental illness, so could be hard for others to read. I sped through this in just over a day, as I was enraptured by this read, in particular the enrapturing character of Aida.  

Trigger warnings for suicide, psychosis, grief, self-harm.

The Giant Dark follows the intimate story between lovers Aida and Ehsan, following their relationship as they reconnect following a decade apart.

Hasin’s writing is poetic, beautiful and so melancholic. There is so much emotion and raw pain packed into this book, which is incredibly immersive. The structure and language used help to frame the novel and characters and you feel like you are stepping into their world, almost intruding on their story.

I did shed a few tears around halfway through. I knew from the start this would be a heart wrenching read and I was not wrong. However I felt the book started to lose its way in the second part.

I began to find the story hard to follow, timelines and narrators changing each chapter as well as settings, making it hard to keep the level of immersion going for me which was disappointing.

A few of the plot paths were not given enough closure and I felt the ending was incredibly rushed and abrupt. I don’t feel the reader is given a satisfactory conclusion.

It is a slow burner, with not a lot of action and a lot of reflective passages. It’s definitely not the book for everyone, but for people who enjoy contemporary romance and particular interest in pop culture, music industry and the world of celebrity, there may be something here for you that is interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book to review.

This is such a lovely book. Such a beautiful cover. The romance in this is really interesting as they are both Asian. One is English, the other is American. You then have the love affair between Ada and her adoring fans.

I absolutely love the Greek story of Orpheus and Eurydice and this is a lose retelling of that tale. I think that Ada being the famous singer and Ehsan being the muse is really interesting. It's interesting how this is a story of them both rediscovering their love for each other and rekindling their romance after meeting each other 10 years later at a mutual friend's party. Something which I found interesting was how Ada had become successful, whereas Ehsan had given up on his dream to become a poet. He left his job and if anything Ehsan is possibly the Eurydice in this story. That being said, I like seeing the woman in the relationship being the successful one and then the male having to work with that dynamic. Hopefully, more books will include this and make it seem more natural.

I found the insights into Ada's relationship with her Mum and the way she felt growing up in a strict Indian household really interesting. We learn that due to her mum working so hard, she didn't/couldn't stay out late and boys are a distraction. I totally related to Ada doing mini rebellious acts like smoking outside and then covering it up. I loved the hidden Easter eggs of the similarities between Orpheus and Ehsan (O plays the lyre, E works for Lyre Books publishers) and how both of them are poets.

However, the writing style does take a bit of getting used too as it flits between 2nd POV and 3rd POV, which initially can be a little confusing. The POV of her adoring fans though offers an interesting insight.

Final thoughts- If you are reading this for the retelling aspect, then just think that the themes, and some details are similar. But this is a more contemporary take. It is more about sad nostalgia, loneliness, fame and love. It will definitely make an impression on you.

I enjoyed this book and now want to be a rock star myself, If I could only sing !
with thanks to Publisher and Netgalley for the arc of this book in exchange for this review

The first part of the book is the story of Aida and Ehsan's relationship history, with intermittent chapters from fans of Aida, a famous singer. The second part is more mystical, and I wasn't sure about the turn the book had taken. I then read about the Orpheus and Eurydice story to find out what was going on, and now it makes more sense.

This book was a fever dream.
Ever since Daisy Jones & The Six made us all obsessed with fictional 70s rock stars, I feel like we’ve all been chasing that next addictive drama about musicians. At first glance, this year seems to offer 2 potential candidates to satisfy that ‘discover-the-secrets-of-troubled-misunderstood-artists‘ hunger – The Final Revival of Opal & Nev and The Giant Dark . I haven‘t read Opal (endorsed by Taylor Jenkins Reid herself) yet but after reading The Giant Dark by Sarvat Hasin, I have to warn you that this book is vastly different which I do not mean as criticism. The only thing they share is the focus on popular (fictional) musician protagonists and their tumultuous relationships. In fact, if I were to recommend this book to anyone, it would be to the fans of V. E. Schwab’s The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue which is similarly lyrical and contemplative. While leaning less towards fantasy and more towards magical realism, The Giant Dark shares Addie’s exploration of art and muse, and it’s a story I have similarly mixed feelings about.

The blurb states this is a retelling of the Orpheus & Eurydice myth and if you’re interested in reading this book just because of that, I’d advise you to lower your expectations because the inspiration is very loose and, in my opinion, barely discernible, not only because of its contemporary setting. I’d argue the inspiration is more palpable in the author‘s utilisation of art, music, love and loneliness as motifs and themes rather than in the narrative.

There is no doubt that Hasin is an accomplished writer, she composes her sentences carefully and deliberately, imbuing them with melancholy, a sense of regret and sad nostalgia. She crafts sorrowful ambience around her characters even when they are at their happiest, but maybe that was just my impression. There is a lot of retrospective telling and listing of things rather than showing which actually didn’t bother me too much, but it contributed to being kept at an arm’s length from the characters. Occasionally, Hasin gives the characters‘ stream of consciousness free reign in their inner monologues; long-winded sentences that don’t let you take a breath and make you feel like the characters do: suffocated and stifled by life.

Besides Ehsan’s and Aida’s perspectives (sometimes written in second person), Hasin includes a frenzied hive mind perspective of Aida’s adoring fandom idolising and following her every move, in an ironic, astute commentary on the contemporary fandom culture. The juxtaposition of their glamorisation of her celebrity image and Aida’s and Ehsan’s POVs which express how small, anxious and uncertain they feel helped form Aida into a more sympathetic and well-rounded character.

And yet, overall, I’m very split on this contradiction of a book. It made me feel sad and pensive, not in the exhilarating way that books sometimes do. I definitely wouldn’t recommend this to everyone, it is slow-paced and lacks the ‘drama, sex, drugs and rock’n’roll‘ (actually, it definitely doesn’t lack the sex) commonly associated with a narrative about fame and destructive artists. But I wouldn’t call it boring by any means. On one hand, it interwove elements of Desi culture and identity in an engaging way, on the other hand, I wish more page time was devoted to the characters‘ familial struggles as their parents had played a huge part in the characters‘ journeys and identities.

Despite my earlier claim that the book’s dreamlike quality and reclusive protagonists prevented my full immersion in the story, I found some aspects, especially in Ehsan’s life, very resonant and personally relatable. The ‘late bloomer‘ aspect, a general sense of loss and disorientation both characters experience, try to contain and don’t voice out loud – that really hit home.

The conclusion seems to be that The Giant Dark made an impression on me, I’m just not sure I liked it, possibly because of how personal and confrontational it felt. Had I read this at a time when I were more at peace with my life, I might rate it higher. Either way, I’m glad to have read it at all because while The Giant Dark doesn‘t provide any answers, it is one of those books that makes readers feel less alone.

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group for providing me with an early e-ARC copy for review!

Wow. It' appropriate that this book is written in two parts. In fact, it's almost like two books anyway. This book appealed to me because I find the Greek myths fascinating and this is a loose retelling of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice. I imagined it would be similar to the retellings of authors like Jennifer Saint, Pat Barker and Madeline Miller. It really isn't, it's so much more. Aida d'Souza is a bit of a Daisy Jones (Taylor Jenkins Reid) character and I had echoes of Rooney's Normal People. I loved the layout of the chapters, with the super fans acting as a kind of chorus through out the novel. The book is heartbreakingly sad at times and totally hypnotic.

Thank you @netgalley and Little Brown Book Group for the ARC. The Giant Dark is out on July 8th 2021.

A beautiful modern take on a classic myth. I read this in about a day, the characters are so skillfully drawn and their love story flows beautifully throughout the book

Intelligent gorgeous prose. I highlighted so many sentences to read over again. This is a beautiful tale of obsessive love and of how it can both nurture, dissapoint and destroy us.

The three points of view from the star, the lover and the fans made the narrative fascinating to read.

A stunning novel which will no doubt become a classic in the literary world.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was not at all what I had expected. Incredibly intense and deep which made it a hard read. Granted, I was unfamiliar with the mythical story of Orpheus and Eurydice, which had I been familiar with might have given me an insight to this novel. The pace was slow but I appreciate the work the author has put into this story. Sadly, it didn’t catch my imagination or entertain me.

I enjoyed this book very much, its unusual approach of third-person narration against a very personal story gives a very fresh feel to the narrative.

The story of Aida, unknowable pop star to her fans, a real person to her friends and family, is a fascinating one, as we see her real life differs from what her obsessive fans expect. Her relationship with an old flame rekindled is a catalyst for change in her life, and we see the consequences unfold before us.

It is a very moving book that explores some deep relationship issues between lovers and between family, with all the claustrophobia, despair and hope that these can bring.

The Giant Dark is brilliant and heartbreaking.

I particularly liked how Aida and Ehsan's story was told from both perspectives as well as from the view point of Aida's fan base. Its a beautiful but tragic love story that will stay with me long after I have finished it.

I would not hesitate to recommend this book as a must read and have gone ahead and ordered myself a beautiful signed hardback copy from an indie store.

Sorry this book was not for me. Written in the third person , I found it difficult to follow. I persevered for a quarter of the book but found it frustrating. I normally would read anything but just couldn't do this with this book.
Perhaps others will enjoy it but I couldn't. Sorry.

A beautifully written book switching from the perspective of Aida's fans (expertly capturing the obsessive nature of fandom) and the private life of Aida and her boyfriend Ehsan. Even though both worlds collide, they are also very separate. Only on a few occasions does Ehsan comment on Aida's stage life. Definitely worth a read.

Aida is the defining rock star of her age; her every move observed, examined and owned by a devoted, cultish fanbase. When she disappears without a trace into a complicated love affair they are determined to find her, uncover her truths and own her once more. Aida and Ehsan reconnect after a decade apart, hoping to recapture the innocent, lost love of their youth. Before long, their connection is strained by secrets and jealousies and the past begins to blur with their present as they follow in the footsteps of mythic lovers before them.

This book definitely has Daisy Jones and the Six feel, I feel as though it started off very well and then dragged a little bit, felt a little bit flat and left me wanting more. It is a good, quick, once only read. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

I came to this book off the back of Daisy and the Six and I have to say I was underwhelmed. I was looking forward to the Orpheus and Eurydice elements but this is a very, very loose retelling. It shone in places, but in others it fell short and just didn't measure up.

The Giant Dark is a novel about love, fame, and art, as a rock star reconnects with a past boyfriend and things start to spiral out of control. Aida is a household name, the kind of rock star with a cult-like fan base and whose songs you might hear everywhere, and has just released a song on the soundtrack of a new vampire film, based off one of her favourite books. When she runs into her ex, Ehsan, at a dinner party hosted by a friend, they are drawn back together, but finding your muse again isn't as simple as it sounds, and Aida and Ehsan are tormented by the past and present.

This book combines some fantastic elements, like the look at a female rock star and the nature of fans (the obsessive fan viewpoint comes from a second person narrative as they act like a chorus), and playing with the idea of a muse and what you take from them. The story is loosely based upon Orpheus and Eurydice, and though I had read this in the blurb, I completely forgot whilst reading, as it's quite subtle, rather than being the sort of myth-inspired book that shoehorns references in. In general I liked the narrative, though in the second half it does get a bit fragmented and confused, combining past and present time periods in a way that works in some ways but does make the pace a bit slow.

Aida and Ehsan are interesting characters, with Aida being torn between how fans see her and how she is when not performing, and Ehsan finding it hard to find purpose when everyone else he knows seems more successful than him. Especially by the end of the novel, you know a lot of Ehsan and less about Aida (it at least felt to me like less was told to the reader about Aida), which builds even more of a sense that you might actually know more about the muse than the artist.

I like looking at cults of celebrity around rock stars, and this was an intriguing exploration of how being a famous musician is so entwined with the rest of your life, even though we mostly see Aida in the narrative out of sight of an audience. The second person chorus of hardcore fans was possibly my favourite element, telling a tragic story of how opinion can change just through disappointment. However, I found the book dragged a bit, especially later on, so I found the ending less effective than the earlier parts and at times confusing.

When Aida and Ehsan reconnect after their relationship ended a decade earlier, Aida is a well-loved rock star and Ehsan has just quit his job. As their romance is rekindled, secrets of the past threaten their relationship.

Once I read that The Giant Dark was a loose retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice, I was sold but Aida and Ehsan's story swept me away. I was so invested in them as a couple and in their lives. The narrative splits between the two lovers but also brings in a group narrative of Aida's fans who have been following the changes to her personal life that are having an effect on their idol's music career.

Beautifully written and so engaging, The Giant Dark is a novel different to anything I've read before. Full of hope and love but also a dark story with many layers.

It's difficult to go into greater detail without giving anything away so all I will say is, read this book!

I really can't lie, I'm underwhelmed. This started off well enough and reminded me of Daisy Jones & The Six, which I absolutely loved. It was less of the rock'n'roll, party hard, drugs and drama vibe and more of a story following poetic souls who met the right person at the wrong time. The story is a (very) loose retelling of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, but this element didn't shine through as much as I would have liked.

I enjoyed the characters, in particular seeing the relationship blossoming between Aida and Ehsan. While I flew through the first half of the book, I found the second half of the book somewhat lacking and, frankly, confusing. I barely remember what just happened, it feels kind of like a fever dream. The narrative flits between the second person and third person POV, which is confusing enough. Added to that, the narrative jumps between a past timeline and a current timeline, but there's no structure that allows you to know that - you kind of just have to figure it out as you're going along which inevitably pulls you out of the atmosphere of the story.

I wanted to love this and it definitely has some elements that had me wanting to read more, but overall it just didn't work how I expected it to and I couldn't gel with the story.

Content warnings: death, drugs, alcoholism, attempted suicide, racism, adultery, some graphic mention of sexual acts.

Thank you to Sarvat Hasin, Little Brown UK and Netgalley for providing me with an e-copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

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. Not my usual read but enjoyable none the less. ⭐️⭐️⭐️