Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Mantle (2019), Edition: Main Market, 368 pages
Description
Classic Literature. Fiction. Literature. Historical Fiction. HTML: NATIONAL BESTSELLER An NPR Best Book of the Year "Gorgeous.... With her trademark passion, wit, and fierce feminism, Natalie Haynes gives much-needed voice to the silenced women of the Trojan War."�??Madeline Miller, author of Circe Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction, a gorgeous retelling of the Trojan War from the perspectives of the many women involved in its causes and consequences�??for fans of Madeline Miller. This is the women's war, just as much as it is the men's. They have waited long enough for their turn . . . This was never the story of one woman, or two. It was the story of them all . . . In the middle of the night, a woman wakes to find her beloved city engulfed in flames. Ten seemingly endless years of conflict between the Greeks and the Trojans are over. Troy has fallen. From the Trojan women whose fates now lie in the hands of the Greeks, to the Amazon princess who fought Achilles on their behalf, to Penelope awaiting the return of Odysseus, to the three goddesses whose feud started it all, these are the stories of the women whose lives, loves, and rivalries were forever altered by this long and tragic war. A woman's epic, powerfully imbued with new life, A Thousand Ships puts the women, girls and goddesses at the center of the Western world's great tale ever told… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Helenliz
This is just fabulous! Taking the idea that in a war the women as just as involved as the men and while they may be less overtly heroic, they also suffer. In fact hey probably suffer more in some ways, as the dead can no longer have injury inflicted upon them by the victors. Unlike Pat Barker's
It really is a cast of thousands and they are all women. That some of them barely mention more than a line in the ancient literature doesn;t make their voice any less worth hearing.
I listened to this, as read by ther author, and very well done it was too.
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Silence of ther Women, this doesn;t take a single voice, although there are recurring voices, instead ot tries to tell the stories of the many many women, on all sides, that get involved. Stretching form the cause of the war in the first place through the war and on to Odysseus finally arriving home, the women ahve their tales told. At times it is horrific, but told in a very matter of fact manner. Poor Cassandra who sees every misfortune before it happens and yet is not believed. At others there is great humour. The gods behave like toddlers who want the shiny apple and the cause of the war somehow gets lost. Calliope getting annoyed with the poet writing the tale and demanding the muse sing for him is just brilliantly pitched. Penelope writes letters to her husband that get increasingly exasperated with his failure to return home, and yet with the exasperation there's a sense of a lost youth and life together that they should have had. Her final passage is very moving; no-one returns from war unchanged, be they man or woman. It really is a cast of thousands and they are all women. That some of them barely mention more than a line in the ancient literature doesn;t make their voice any less worth hearing.
I listened to this, as read by ther author, and very well done it was too.
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LibraryThing member Eyejaybee
The Iliad and The Odyssey stand at the fountainhead of Western literature. They are generally held to be the oldest surviving works, and were originally composed in the oral tradition. Indeed, such is their antiquity that they have fostered their own legends, with both poems being ascribed to the
The Iliad does not directly relate the whole ten-year siege and eventual overthrow of Troy following the abduction of Helen by Paris, but focuses instead upon an eight-week period throughout the greater part of which Achilles, most ferocious and valiant of the Greeks, is sulking in his tent following an argument with Agamemnon. There are, of course, frequent digressions or apostrophes during the tale, in which we learn of earlier episodes, or hear prophesies of what might yet come, and there is an overwhelming sense of inevitability of the eventual fall of Troy, even though that lies beyond the span of the poem.
The Odyssey focuses on the travails of Odysseus as he struggled to make his way home to Ithaca after Troy has fallen. That journey takes him a further ten years, lasting as long as the siege of Troy, and, as he voyages throughout the whole known world, he is pitched into one potentially fatal encounter after another.
There has been a recent crop of novels revisiting the Greek legends, and particularly to retell them from a female perspective. Most notable among these has been The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker, which recounted the dispute between Achilles and Agamemnon as seen by Briseis. That approach was very successful, resulting in a powerful recasting of the story, and highlighting the appalling atrocities committed against women (and the general acceptance of that as usage du monde). In A Thousand Ships, Natalie Haynes has taken this to a further dimension, offering not just the perspective of one specific woman, but rather giving voice to all the women involved in the story, even including Calliope, the muse of poetry who is regularly implored by Homer for inspiration in the narration of the story.
Natalie Haynes has made a career out of celebrating the classics. Her previous novels include The Amber Fury, in which a drama teacher reaches out to the dysfunctional teenagers at a pupil referral unit in Edinburgh through the enduring power of ancient Greek drama, although with unlooked for consequences reminiscent of the tragedy in Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. The Children of Jocasta retells the gruesome tragedy of Oedipus from the perspective of Jocasta and Antigone. A Thousand Ships takes the form of a series of narratives, either recounted by, or focusing on, different female characters, across the whole span of the story. In addition to throwing an entirely different perspective on the relentless cruelties of the Trojan War, it also serves as a useful vehicle to allow the focus to move in time and space, mirroring the non-linear structure of the Homeric epics.
She is also adept at striking markedly different tones. Calliope becomes increasingly frustrated with the constant cries from Homer for guidance, rolling her eyes as he hesitates about a key description. Meanwhile, Penelope writes a series of notes to Odysseus in which her impatience at his delayed return strengthen into anger, as rumours gradually filter through to Ithaca of his latest diversionary adventure. More than halfway through the book there is a very humorous interlude in which Athena recounts the fateful choice of Paris, missing no opportunity to disparage what she sees as the vacuity of her half sister Aphrodite, or the constantly seething ill temper of Hera. Shortly afterwards, in a short chapter that perfectly captures teenage sulkiness, Eris, goddess of discord, only half-remembers provoking the argument between the three goddesses.
Haynes is clearly immensely knowledgeable about the Latin and Greek classics, and is eager to spread that enthusiasm as widely as possible. Her writing is fresh, and flexible – she adopts many different voices throughout the book, but never once allows her clever structure to obscure the clarity of the story.
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blind minstrel Homer. As a consequence, their stories, seem immensely familiar, and one might almost be tempted to wonder whether there is anything to be gained by a new retelling. They are, however, less familiar than we might at first venture to think. The Iliad does not directly relate the whole ten-year siege and eventual overthrow of Troy following the abduction of Helen by Paris, but focuses instead upon an eight-week period throughout the greater part of which Achilles, most ferocious and valiant of the Greeks, is sulking in his tent following an argument with Agamemnon. There are, of course, frequent digressions or apostrophes during the tale, in which we learn of earlier episodes, or hear prophesies of what might yet come, and there is an overwhelming sense of inevitability of the eventual fall of Troy, even though that lies beyond the span of the poem.
The Odyssey focuses on the travails of Odysseus as he struggled to make his way home to Ithaca after Troy has fallen. That journey takes him a further ten years, lasting as long as the siege of Troy, and, as he voyages throughout the whole known world, he is pitched into one potentially fatal encounter after another.
There has been a recent crop of novels revisiting the Greek legends, and particularly to retell them from a female perspective. Most notable among these has been The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker, which recounted the dispute between Achilles and Agamemnon as seen by Briseis. That approach was very successful, resulting in a powerful recasting of the story, and highlighting the appalling atrocities committed against women (and the general acceptance of that as usage du monde). In A Thousand Ships, Natalie Haynes has taken this to a further dimension, offering not just the perspective of one specific woman, but rather giving voice to all the women involved in the story, even including Calliope, the muse of poetry who is regularly implored by Homer for inspiration in the narration of the story.
Natalie Haynes has made a career out of celebrating the classics. Her previous novels include The Amber Fury, in which a drama teacher reaches out to the dysfunctional teenagers at a pupil referral unit in Edinburgh through the enduring power of ancient Greek drama, although with unlooked for consequences reminiscent of the tragedy in Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. The Children of Jocasta retells the gruesome tragedy of Oedipus from the perspective of Jocasta and Antigone. A Thousand Ships takes the form of a series of narratives, either recounted by, or focusing on, different female characters, across the whole span of the story. In addition to throwing an entirely different perspective on the relentless cruelties of the Trojan War, it also serves as a useful vehicle to allow the focus to move in time and space, mirroring the non-linear structure of the Homeric epics.
She is also adept at striking markedly different tones. Calliope becomes increasingly frustrated with the constant cries from Homer for guidance, rolling her eyes as he hesitates about a key description. Meanwhile, Penelope writes a series of notes to Odysseus in which her impatience at his delayed return strengthen into anger, as rumours gradually filter through to Ithaca of his latest diversionary adventure. More than halfway through the book there is a very humorous interlude in which Athena recounts the fateful choice of Paris, missing no opportunity to disparage what she sees as the vacuity of her half sister Aphrodite, or the constantly seething ill temper of Hera. Shortly afterwards, in a short chapter that perfectly captures teenage sulkiness, Eris, goddess of discord, only half-remembers provoking the argument between the three goddesses.
Haynes is clearly immensely knowledgeable about the Latin and Greek classics, and is eager to spread that enthusiasm as widely as possible. Her writing is fresh, and flexible – she adopts many different voices throughout the book, but never once allows her clever structure to obscure the clarity of the story.
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LibraryThing member froxgirl
If you loved the Trojan War novels Circe and Song of Achilles, if you are a connoisseur of Greek myths - here's your next must-read. I fell in love with The Iliad in junior high (thanks forever, Miss Liegy!) but never imagined that the entire world of Greek mythology would continue to grow as I
Quotes: "Every man looked out for himself first and his men second, and the other Greeks after that, if at all. Merit was decided by what a man had, not by what he did."
"What could a god find to talk about with the old gods like the three Seasons, the weather?"
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grew up. This historical novel, so wry and humorous with its modern take on the imagined lives of the ancients, gets under the skin of the epics of Homer, Aeschylus, Euripides, and others, to finally allow the women to tell their own tales. There's scarcely one who lived through the Trojan War who is left out (Circe had her own novel) - the major figures of Clytemnestra, Penelope, Hecuba, Helen, Cassandra, and Andromache, and the minor ones - Iphigeneia, the Amazon Penthesilea, Briseis and Chryseis, Laodamia, and Polyxena – are all given their voices back. And then there's the deities - the biggies Gaia, Athena, Aphrodite, Hera, and the Furies, and the minor goddesses, nymphs and girlfriends of Zeus - Thetis, Themis, Oenone, Eris, and Homer's muse, Calliope, who gets pretty fed up with him. There's a remarkable passage where Mother Earth, Gaia, complains to Zeus that the earth is overpopulated, and they strategize together about the easiest way to bring about a reduction of humans - hello, Helen of Troy! And Penelope's unsent letters to her wandering husband Odysseus, indicating her displeasure at his wanderings could be a comic novel onto themselves ("One excuse after another. You met a monster. You met a witch. Cannibals broke your ships. A whirlpool ate your friends.") The author is a heroic classicist who brings true immortality to those previously given short shrift.Quotes: "Every man looked out for himself first and his men second, and the other Greeks after that, if at all. Merit was decided by what a man had, not by what he did."
"What could a god find to talk about with the old gods like the three Seasons, the weather?"
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LibraryThing member japaul22
I'm always up for a Greek myth retelling, especially one focused on women. This book got off to a slow start for me until I realized the goal. Instead of focusing on one or a few women, Haynes is retelling pretty much a review of the whole Iliad and Odyssey focusing on the women involved. So unlike
I think this work will work best (and maybe only work) for people who are pretty familiar with the story of the Iliad and Odyssey and other Greek myths. Haynes seems to assume that the reader will already be versed in the typical male/war focused stories.
In the end, I'll recommend this, but not as highly as [[Madeline Miller] or [Pat Barker]'s recent offerings.
Original publication date: 2021
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 368 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: kindle library
Why I read this: love Greek myth retellings
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[[Madeline Miller]]'s fabulous book about Circe, this feels like more of a survey than an in depth look at developing one or two female personas. At first I was really annoyed at all the characters and shifting around between points of view. But by the end, I appreciated what the author did and grew to really like it. I think this work will work best (and maybe only work) for people who are pretty familiar with the story of the Iliad and Odyssey and other Greek myths. Haynes seems to assume that the reader will already be versed in the typical male/war focused stories.
In the end, I'll recommend this, but not as highly as [[Madeline Miller] or [Pat Barker]'s recent offerings.
Original publication date: 2021
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 368 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: kindle library
Why I read this: love Greek myth retellings
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LibraryThing member DGRachel
I loved this book and as a general rule, I detest Greek mythology and Ancient Greek history. I enjoyed the female perspective on events that are typically male-centric. There is a lot of suffering here, as one would expect, but also great strength in these women. Calliope is awesome and I
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especially loved watching the tone change in Penelope’s chapters as Odysseus’s absence continued long after the other Greek soldiers returned home from Troy. Show Less
LibraryThing member infjsarah
I enjoyed this quite a lot. An interesting take on Troy from a female perspective. I didn't enjoy it as much as "Circe" because it has a wide range of voices who you only meet briefly so you do not get the same emotional involvement with one character. But it got me out of a brief reading slump.
LibraryThing member brangwinn
I loved this female perspective of Homer’s Iliad. I am pleased to see that several authors are challenged the male view. There are plenty of female characters here. They are just as courageous as their husbands battling one another. Its been a long time since I’ve read Homer’s tale and I had
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to do some research to put all the pieces of A Thousand Ships together but it was well worth it. I’m still at a loss as to why the Greeks would go to war over a woman like Helen. Seems like they had plenty of other more compliant women. Greek mythology and stories seem to be the first soap operas. There’s so much going on. Show Less
LibraryThing member ecataldi
I could not put this down. I loved Circe and Silence of the Girls and this is right up there with them. If you love Greek mythology, especially ones focused on the women - then look no further. A Thousand Ships isn't about Achilles and Odysseus - it's about the unsung heroes - the women. From
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Cassandra to Hecabe to hated Helen of Troy - A Thousand Ships weaves together all of the women's stories. More times than not - they are horrible, and suffer time and again. But they will not be forgotten. All of the untold and unheralded stories, pushed aside in favor of the big brutish warriors and kings but hidden no longer. Compelling, heartfelt, and one I will CERTAINLY come back to time and again. Wonderfully written. Show Less
LibraryThing member Matke
I absolutely love this retelling of the Iliad/Odyssey epic (plus a few more bits from other places, like The Oresteia.)
We get the women’s points of view, which is refreshing. Achilles’ cruelty is brought out so that we can all look at it for what it is. I understand why Calypso and Circe are
This book has brought me completely out of the reading slump that had me reading mystery after mystery after mystery, because I couldn’t concentrate on anything else. So there’s that.
We get the women’s points of view, which is refreshing. Achilles’ cruelty is brought out so that we can all look at it for what it is. I understand why Calypso and Circe are
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left out (that is, their points of view aren’t addressed) but I would have liked to have seen that. Nevertheless this is a truly fascinating account, told chronologically. Many women on both sides (and the supernatural side as well, with goddesses and nymphs) are represented, and they are clearly delineated. Oddly the most intriguing story is that of Eric’s, goddess of discord. But they’re all compelling.This book has brought me completely out of the reading slump that had me reading mystery after mystery after mystery, because I couldn’t concentrate on anything else. So there’s that.
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LibraryThing member clrichm
This was fantastic. I listened to the audio version, which was read by the author, and I was utterly blown away. The "behind the scenes" female perspective looks at stories traditionally told about, for, and by men shed new light on a lot of events already written in our collective consciousness,
Now, this is one of our contenders for [REDACTED], so I am forced to look at other factors which wouldn't necessarily be foremost in my head, but I find it hold up to those criteria well even so. I believe I'll go to the mat for this one with my fellow committee members.
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and the emotionally intimate (as well as occasionally sarcastic and snarky) tone struck from the dialogue and thoughts of these women made those stories feel deeply personal to me in a way in which they hadn't been before.Now, this is one of our contenders for [REDACTED], so I am forced to look at other factors which wouldn't necessarily be foremost in my head, but I find it hold up to those criteria well even so. I believe I'll go to the mat for this one with my fellow committee members.
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LibraryThing member The_Literary_Jedi
I listened to this as an audiobook through my Libby app.
Read by the author.
This was such a great listen. I've decided I want to own a copy - perhaps two so I can put it in my classroom as well.
This looks at the Trojan War from the women's perspective. As we are aware, history is written by the
And this is such a wonderful point of view to have. What happens to the women and children who are captured and enslaved after a war is over? We know the stories of the heroes but we hear nothing of the ones who have to clean up or suffer the consequences.
We know the story of Odysseus but this tells us what his put-upon wife, Penelope endures in the time her husband galavants around after the war is over. Her letters to him are progressively more and more snarky, showing her absolute cunning and patience in the face of rowdy boys who are trashing her home.
There are also the royal women of Troy who are captured and spread amongst the victors as trophies and what they do to survive.
This is a really terrific novel if you're looking for a female perspective - not political per se, but still a perspective, on what happens after a war is over.
**All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read by the author.
This was such a great listen. I've decided I want to own a copy - perhaps two so I can put it in my classroom as well.
This looks at the Trojan War from the women's perspective. As we are aware, history is written by the
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victors and it's also written by the men. Women's stories are often lost because they are seen as unimportant to the dynamics of war (or life in general) since they are not in the thick of politics or battle. But this story takes the women who we know from history and gives them voices through which the aftermath of the Trojan War is told.And this is such a wonderful point of view to have. What happens to the women and children who are captured and enslaved after a war is over? We know the stories of the heroes but we hear nothing of the ones who have to clean up or suffer the consequences.
We know the story of Odysseus but this tells us what his put-upon wife, Penelope endures in the time her husband galavants around after the war is over. Her letters to him are progressively more and more snarky, showing her absolute cunning and patience in the face of rowdy boys who are trashing her home.
There are also the royal women of Troy who are captured and spread amongst the victors as trophies and what they do to survive.
This is a really terrific novel if you're looking for a female perspective - not political per se, but still a perspective, on what happens after a war is over.
**All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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LibraryThing member kayanelson
I know so little about Greek mythology. I listened to this book so I wasn’t able to study the different names. But I think I followed the story well. The book focuses on the women’s role in the Trojan War and the burdens they geared, including death. I enjoyed this book.
LibraryThing member Dreesie
Natalie Haynes narrates this herself and she is FANTASTIC. She has a great voice and her emphases and sarcastic takes bring more meaning into the story. I honestly don't know if I would have liked this as much on paper.
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Haynes looks at the Trojan war, but from the women's perspectives--gods and
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Haynes looks at the Trojan war, but from the women's perspectives--gods and
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mortals, slaves to queens. We hear from Penelope, Cassandra, and so many more than I can't spell because it's all audio LOL. At the end she reads off many of her sources--Homer, Virgil, Thucydides, and more. The usual suspects, plus some things she fully made up to fill in the gaps as needed. An absolutely fascinating look. I usually don't much enjoy retellings, but these stories have been told so many times, but so many people, this doesn't really feel like a retelling. Show Less
LibraryThing member witchyrichy
A Thousand Ships tells of the end of the Trojan War from the point of view of the women on both sides of the conflict. It was a compelling read. Natalie Haynes imagines the stories of the women impacted by the war, bringing them to life in ways the original sources did not. I was captivated by the
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way she used them to tell the familiar story of the war, its ending, and aftermath as Ulysses makes his way back to Ithaca. If you enjoyed Circe, you will enjoy this! Show Less
LibraryThing member Castlelass
“Sing, muse, he said, and I have sung. I have sung of armies and I have sung of men. I have sung of gods and monsters. I have sung of stories and lies. I have sung of death and of life, of joy and of pain. I have sung of life after death. And I have sung of the women, the women in the shadows. I
This book is a retelling of the Trojan War and its aftermath from the perspective of the women involved. The traditional heroes of these stories, such as Odysseus, Achilles, Hector, and Agamemnon, make an appearance, but they are relegated to the sidelines, while the women take center stage and are given free-reign to express their rage, frustrations, sorrows, and sufferings.
Since these stories are based on Greek Mythology, the reader knows what is in store – wartime savagery, brutal killings, rape, bloodlust, betrayal, jealousy, and revenge. The gods are included with all their powers. It is written in language that retains a hint of oral storytelling traditions but is updated to the point where it is easily accessible to today’s reader.
It is an addition to the recent spate of books that expands upon the Greek myths. I feel it is beneficial to have at least been exposed to some of them prior to embarking on this novel. Since there are so many characters, the linkages among them may be lost on those with limited exposure. Speaking of characters, I think there may be a few too many here, such that their individual stories get lost in a sea of voices.
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have sung of the forgotten, the ignored, the untold. I have picked up the old stories and I have shaken them, until the hidden women appear in plain sight.” This book is a retelling of the Trojan War and its aftermath from the perspective of the women involved. The traditional heroes of these stories, such as Odysseus, Achilles, Hector, and Agamemnon, make an appearance, but they are relegated to the sidelines, while the women take center stage and are given free-reign to express their rage, frustrations, sorrows, and sufferings.
Since these stories are based on Greek Mythology, the reader knows what is in store – wartime savagery, brutal killings, rape, bloodlust, betrayal, jealousy, and revenge. The gods are included with all their powers. It is written in language that retains a hint of oral storytelling traditions but is updated to the point where it is easily accessible to today’s reader.
It is an addition to the recent spate of books that expands upon the Greek myths. I feel it is beneficial to have at least been exposed to some of them prior to embarking on this novel. Since there are so many characters, the linkages among them may be lost on those with limited exposure. Speaking of characters, I think there may be a few too many here, such that their individual stories get lost in a sea of voices.
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LibraryThing member srms.reads
“But this is the women’s war, just as much as it is the men’s, and the poet will look upon their pain–the pain of the women who have always been relegated to the edges of the story, victims of men, survivors of men, slaves of men–and he will tell it, or he will tell nothing at all. They
A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes is an eloquently penned retelling of the Trojan War from the perspective of the women whose lives were impacted by the war.
The novel begins with Calliope, the Muse of Epic Poetry, lending her song to the poet who is writing another epic but here the story of the Trojan War is told from the perspectives of women – the goddesses, nymphs, princesses, queens and slaves . We hear the voices of women from both sides - stories of grief, loss , death and devastation, deceptions and betrayals , victory and defeat. We learn of the aftermath of the war from women waiting for husbands returning in victory as well as the Trojan women who huddle together awaiting their fate after defeat.
I found the story of the Goddesses fighting over the golden apple quite amusing. The perspectives of Cassandra and Hecabe were very moving. Creusa’s account of her search for her husband and Oenone’s story were heartbreaking.
Penelope’s voice is presented in epistolary format through letters written to her husband Odysseus while she waits for his return.
“Waiting is the cruellest thing I have ever endured. Like bereavement, but with no certainty.”
Though it was entertaining and varied in tone from the grief and sorrowful stories of the other women, I felt that the emphasis was more on Odysseus and his exploits and wished that there would have been more about Penelope’s life in Ithaca. Her final segment is a letter/prayer to Goddess Athene after Odysseus finally returns to Ithaca.
With an engaging narrative, fluid prose, multiple perspectives beautifully executed by the author, this is a book I would definitely recommend to those who enjoy retellings of Greek mythology. I was invested from the very first chapter and not for a moment did I feel my interest wavering. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more of the author’s work in the future. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of Madeline Miller’s Circe.
“And I have sung of the women, the women in the shadows. I have sung of the forgotten, the ignored, the untold. I have picked up the old stories and I have shaken them until the hidden women appear in plain sight. I have celebrated them in song because they have waited long enough. Just as I promised him: this was never the story of one woman, or two. It was the story of all of them. A war does not ignore half the people whose lives it touches. So why do we?”
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have waited long enough for their turn.”A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes is an eloquently penned retelling of the Trojan War from the perspective of the women whose lives were impacted by the war.
The novel begins with Calliope, the Muse of Epic Poetry, lending her song to the poet who is writing another epic but here the story of the Trojan War is told from the perspectives of women – the goddesses, nymphs, princesses, queens and slaves . We hear the voices of women from both sides - stories of grief, loss , death and devastation, deceptions and betrayals , victory and defeat. We learn of the aftermath of the war from women waiting for husbands returning in victory as well as the Trojan women who huddle together awaiting their fate after defeat.
I found the story of the Goddesses fighting over the golden apple quite amusing. The perspectives of Cassandra and Hecabe were very moving. Creusa’s account of her search for her husband and Oenone’s story were heartbreaking.
Penelope’s voice is presented in epistolary format through letters written to her husband Odysseus while she waits for his return.
“Waiting is the cruellest thing I have ever endured. Like bereavement, but with no certainty.”
Though it was entertaining and varied in tone from the grief and sorrowful stories of the other women, I felt that the emphasis was more on Odysseus and his exploits and wished that there would have been more about Penelope’s life in Ithaca. Her final segment is a letter/prayer to Goddess Athene after Odysseus finally returns to Ithaca.
With an engaging narrative, fluid prose, multiple perspectives beautifully executed by the author, this is a book I would definitely recommend to those who enjoy retellings of Greek mythology. I was invested from the very first chapter and not for a moment did I feel my interest wavering. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more of the author’s work in the future. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of Madeline Miller’s Circe.
“And I have sung of the women, the women in the shadows. I have sung of the forgotten, the ignored, the untold. I have picked up the old stories and I have shaken them until the hidden women appear in plain sight. I have celebrated them in song because they have waited long enough. Just as I promised him: this was never the story of one woman, or two. It was the story of all of them. A war does not ignore half the people whose lives it touches. So why do we?”
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LibraryThing member janerawoof
Uneven collection of vignettes from the different women's points of view in post Trojan War.
LibraryThing member SChant
The sections focussing on the Trojan women are very good, the interspersed chapters covering other women of the war are a bit hit-and-miss. The best of those are the paralleling of Iphegenia’s voice from near the start of the book with Polyxena’s later on. The worst are Penelope’s letters to
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her missing husband, telling him what he’s been doing – very clunky. Overall a pretty good read. Show Less
LibraryThing member MarthaJeanne
I read about a third of this and it just got more and more boring. The characters are all modern people. There is no feeling of being in a different culture.
Awards
Women's Prize for Fiction (Longlist — 2020)
NPR: Books We Love (2021)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2019
2021-01-26 (US publication)
Physical description
368 p.; 8.82 inches
ISBN
1509836195 / 9781509836192
Similar in this library
DDC/MDS
| 823.92 |