Description
"Elektra is a spellbinding reimagining of the story of one of Greek mythology's most infamous heroines, from Jennifer Saint, the author of the beloved international bestseller, Ariadne. Three women, tangled in an ancient curse. When Clytemnestra marries Agamemnon, she ignores the insidious whispers about his family line, the House of Atreus. But when, on the eve of the Trojan War, Agamemnon betrays Clytemnestra in the most unimaginable way, she must confront the curse that has long ravaged their family. In Troy, Princess Cassandra has the gift of prophecy, but carries a curse of her own: no one will ever believe what she sees. When she is shown what will happen to her beloved city when Agamemnon and his army arrives, she is powerless to stop the tragedy from unfolding. Elektra, Clytemnestra and Agamemnon's youngest daughter, wants only for her beloved father to return home from war. But can she escape her family's bloody history, or is her destiny bound by violence, too?"--… (more)
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
352 p.; 9.17 inches
Publication
Wildfire (2022), Edition: 1, 352 pages
Pages
352
ISBN
1472273923 / 9781472273925
Library's review
Good characterisation and an impressive ability to make you feel the very contradictory interpretations of reality among the three protagonists, but it never quite manages to overcome the inherent inertia in having a decade long war seen from the viewpoints of two people left back at home and one
Show More
person stuck behind the besieged walls. I found a lack of forward momentum until the very end, when events suddenly wrap up very quickly (and, even had I no knowledge of Greek myth, predictably). The ending as a result didn't quite land with me -- admittedly a hard thing to do for a tragedy, especially one with this much foreshadowing. But overall, an enjoyable book, which is no small feat for a novel about three so epically tragic figures. Show Less
Similar in this library
User reviews
LibraryThing member japaul22
This is an "entertaining enough" Greek myth retelling focused on Clytemnestra, the wife of Agamemnon and sister of Helen, and Cassandra, the princess of Troy who is a seer. Elektra is daughter of Clytemnestra and the two don't see eye to eye on Agamemnon to say the least.
I've read a bunch of these
I've read a bunch of these
Show More
Greek myth retellings and I always enjoy them as escapist reading. This one works just fine, though it's not as special as [[Madeline Miller]]'s forays into the genre. Show Less
LibraryThing member Anniik
TW/CW: Violence, murder, sexual assault, war.
REVIEW: Elektra is the story of the family of Agamemnon and the tragedy of the curse upon their family. It is a story of revenge, hatred, and cruelty and of the sad way all of that plays out. It’s told from the perspectives of Clytemnestra, Elektra,
I am a big fan of rewritings of mythology from the female perspective, and this book is no different. It was well written and very hard to put down. Even though I’m not a fan of Elektra herself, this book was an emotional and poignant one. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys feminist retellings, or just Greek mythology.
REVIEW: Elektra is the story of the family of Agamemnon and the tragedy of the curse upon their family. It is a story of revenge, hatred, and cruelty and of the sad way all of that plays out. It’s told from the perspectives of Clytemnestra, Elektra,
Show More
and Cassandra, all of which add an interesting voice to the story.I am a big fan of rewritings of mythology from the female perspective, and this book is no different. It was well written and very hard to put down. Even though I’m not a fan of Elektra herself, this book was an emotional and poignant one. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys feminist retellings, or just Greek mythology.
Show Less
LibraryThing member catrn
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
Elektra by Jennifer Saint is a retelling of the classic Greek myth of the same name. It is narrated by three women. First Clytemnestra, the sister of Helen of Troy, the woman famed for launching a thousand ships. She is also the wife of Agamemnon the king who leads this
I’m Not going to summarize the book any further since it’s a well known story. Suffice it to say it is a twisted tale of vile acts committed and the subsequent feeliings of hurt and betrayal. But mostly it is the tale of revenges planned and executed that makes this a true Greek tragedy.
Due to the numerous storylines and characters involved the book could have become quite confusing. With Ms. Saints considerable writing skills the book avoids this problem and is clearly laid out and entertaining. Utilizing well defined, three dimensional characters and believable dialogue the book for the most part flows easily. Only in the lead up to the climax of the book did I find the story dragged a-bit and became boring.
I listened to Elektra on audiobook and liked this version quite well. I only have one small issue. I wished the chapters were given headings with the name of the speaker. I found that I had no problem discerning Clytemnestra’s voice as it is the voice of a mature woman. I did however have a fair amount of difficulty, in the beginning, determining which character was speaking Cassandra or Electra. I had to wait until enough narrative was given to identify which. I feel the voices of the two women were just too alike, both being young and having a similar tone to their voices.
Despite these minor issues, being a lover of Greek mythology I truly enjoyed this novel and can confidently recommend it.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley. This fact in no way influenced my review.
Elektra by Jennifer Saint is a retelling of the classic Greek myth of the same name. It is narrated by three women. First Clytemnestra, the sister of Helen of Troy, the woman famed for launching a thousand ships. She is also the wife of Agamemnon the king who leads this
Show More
massive siege of Troy to retrieve Helen, the wife of his brother, Menelaus.Next we have Cassandra the princess of Troy who upon refusing the god Apollo’s advances was cursed to be able to foretell the future but never be believed. Finally we have Elektra the youngest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon. She is fiercely loyal to her father and becomes bitterly estranged from her mother. Much is written of the men, gods and demigods who fought the 10 year Trojan war but very little is ever portrayed about the.women effected by it. By writing this utilizing the 3 female narrators we finally get the female perspective.I’m Not going to summarize the book any further since it’s a well known story. Suffice it to say it is a twisted tale of vile acts committed and the subsequent feeliings of hurt and betrayal. But mostly it is the tale of revenges planned and executed that makes this a true Greek tragedy.
Due to the numerous storylines and characters involved the book could have become quite confusing. With Ms. Saints considerable writing skills the book avoids this problem and is clearly laid out and entertaining. Utilizing well defined, three dimensional characters and believable dialogue the book for the most part flows easily. Only in the lead up to the climax of the book did I find the story dragged a-bit and became boring.
I listened to Elektra on audiobook and liked this version quite well. I only have one small issue. I wished the chapters were given headings with the name of the speaker. I found that I had no problem discerning Clytemnestra’s voice as it is the voice of a mature woman. I did however have a fair amount of difficulty, in the beginning, determining which character was speaking Cassandra or Electra. I had to wait until enough narrative was given to identify which. I feel the voices of the two women were just too alike, both being young and having a similar tone to their voices.
Despite these minor issues, being a lover of Greek mythology I truly enjoyed this novel and can confidently recommend it.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley. This fact in no way influenced my review.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Eyejaybee
There has been a flurry of modern retellings of stories from the ancient Greek myths, often from a feminist perspective, and this is a spectacular addition to that oeuvre.
It follows the story of Agamemnon’s family, and their experiences throughout the Trojan War. As in The Iliad and The Odyssey,
Chapters alternate between different characters, mainly featuring the contrasting musings of Clytemnestra, Agamemnon’s wife (and twin sister of Helen), and her second daughter Elektra, with occasional chapters related by Cassandra, daughter of King Priam of Troy, who has been cursed with the power of prophecy exacerbated by no one ever heeding her warnings.
Although the outcome is known in advance for anyone familiar with the Greek originals, Jennifer Saint’s rendition of the story is fresh and sharp, and grips the reader from the start. The characters are very clearly drawn, and their conflicting views smartly aligned. This is very powerful writing, bring a fresh and appealing slant to one of the oldest stories in Western literature.
It follows the story of Agamemnon’s family, and their experiences throughout the Trojan War. As in The Iliad and The Odyssey,
Show More
Agamemnon comes across as extremely arrogant, and driven primarily … perhaps even solely … by consideration of his status as leader of the Greek forces. He is so obsessed with leading the campaign to recover Helen that he will let nothing stand in his way. Various characters have remarked upon the curse of the House of Atreus, of which Agamemnon and his brother Menelaus are the latest generation, but the two of them fail to heed the warnings.Chapters alternate between different characters, mainly featuring the contrasting musings of Clytemnestra, Agamemnon’s wife (and twin sister of Helen), and her second daughter Elektra, with occasional chapters related by Cassandra, daughter of King Priam of Troy, who has been cursed with the power of prophecy exacerbated by no one ever heeding her warnings.
Although the outcome is known in advance for anyone familiar with the Greek originals, Jennifer Saint’s rendition of the story is fresh and sharp, and grips the reader from the start. The characters are very clearly drawn, and their conflicting views smartly aligned. This is very powerful writing, bring a fresh and appealing slant to one of the oldest stories in Western literature.
Show Less
LibraryThing member witchyrichy
Elektra by Jennifer Saint tells the story from the perspective of three women: Elektra, Cassandra and Clytemnestra. These are all tragic stories and the book drips with their anguish, whichever side they were on. Women were prizes to be won and either enslaved or killed.
LibraryThing member srms.reads
4.5⭐️
For readers who are familiar with the Classics and/or enjoy the plethora of retellings revolving around the Trojan War, it should not surprise you that there is not much about the Trojan War itself in the retellings that will strike you as completely new. But the beauty of Jennifer
Cassandra, daughter of King Priam of Troy and Hecabe , blessed with prophetic vision that nobody believes, her warnings and pleas fall on deaf ears as Troy falls.
“Every word I speak is unwelcome. My throat is raw from the words that are torn from me when I touch someone, when I look into their eyes and see the blinding white truth. My prophecies rip out my insides, but still they come, unbidden, even as I quake at the consequences.”
Clytemnestra, wife of Agamemnon, King of Mycenae of the House of Atreus, mother of Iphigenia, Elektra and Orestes. Her rage resulting from Agamemnon’s sacrifice of her firstborn daughter Iphigenia in Aulis before the Trojan War wreaks havoc in Mycenae and the cursed House of Atreus
“In the light of the rising sun, I prayed that my husband would survive this war and come home safe to me. I wanted no Trojan soldier to take what was mine; no glory-seeking warrior to seize his chance of fame by plunging his sword into Agamemnon’s heart Let him come back, I hissed into the empty sky. Let him come back so that I can see his eyes as the light drains from them. Let him come back and die at the hands of his bitterest enemy. Let him come back so that I can watch him suffer. And let me make it slow.”
Elektra, daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, unflinching in her loyalty to her father chooses to justify his actions as the will of the Gods and will do anything to exact revenge on those who were responsible for her father’s demise.
“ I have always wanted to grow up to be the woman he thought I would become, the woman I could have been, if only he had been able to stay. To live up to the name he gave me.”
A major part of the narrative is shared between Elektra, Cassandra and Clytemnestra- each of whom gives us a brief picture of the significant events that impact their lives before, during and after the fall of Troy. Only after almost ¾ of the novel does Elektra’s voice become stronger in the narrative. There is a lot packed into the novel without it becoming too tedious. There is a certain amount of repetition but given that each of the narrators tells the story from different vantage points, nowhere did I lose interest. Cassandra’s narrative was heartbreaking as was Clytemnestra’s agony in witnessing Iphigenia’s death. The author is brilliant in her portrayal of the strong emotions and complexities in these women- Clytemnestra’s rage and agony, Cassandra’s innocence, despair and frustration and Elektra’s loyalty, anger and desire for revenge. The scenes between Cassandra and Clytemnestra were stunning in their emotional depth despite rarely anything being said between the two. The complicated mother-daughter relationship between Clytemnestra and Elektra, each obsessed with their respective quest for revenge, was brilliantly penned. Elektra does not come across as very likable but I think hers was probably the most complicated character to develop, a task that the author does expertly. Many of her actions and motivations might not feel justified but she is her father’s daughter and is unapologetic in her quest to avenge her father’s death and willing to sacrifice and bear the consequences of her actions.
Author Jennifer Saint masterfully weaves the multiple PoVs together with elegant prose and superb characterizations in a well-paced and intense narrative. While I enjoyed Jennifer Saint’s Ariadne, which I thought was an impressive debut, I found Elektra to be a more powerful and absorbing novel. I would not hesitate to recommend this to those with a fondness for feminist retellings of stories from the Greek myths. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and eagerly look forward to more from this author in the future.
For readers who are familiar with the Classics and/or enjoy the plethora of retellings revolving around the Trojan War, it should not surprise you that there is not much about the Trojan War itself in the retellings that will strike you as completely new. But the beauty of Jennifer
Show More
Saint’s Elektra lies in how the author chooses to highlight the perspectives of the women from these stories as told from their different vantage points. In Elektra, the author focuses on the “tainted” bloodline of the cursed House of Atreus and three women whose “fates inextricably tied to this curse, and the fickle nature of men and gods”. Our narrators are not on the battlefield and they don’t share the same loyalties or motivations - but Cassandra, Clytemnestra and Elektra are three women whose lives and destinies are irrevocably impacted by the events preceding, during and after the fall of Troy.Cassandra, daughter of King Priam of Troy and Hecabe , blessed with prophetic vision that nobody believes, her warnings and pleas fall on deaf ears as Troy falls.
“Every word I speak is unwelcome. My throat is raw from the words that are torn from me when I touch someone, when I look into their eyes and see the blinding white truth. My prophecies rip out my insides, but still they come, unbidden, even as I quake at the consequences.”
Clytemnestra, wife of Agamemnon, King of Mycenae of the House of Atreus, mother of Iphigenia, Elektra and Orestes. Her rage resulting from Agamemnon’s sacrifice of her firstborn daughter Iphigenia in Aulis before the Trojan War wreaks havoc in Mycenae and the cursed House of Atreus
“In the light of the rising sun, I prayed that my husband would survive this war and come home safe to me. I wanted no Trojan soldier to take what was mine; no glory-seeking warrior to seize his chance of fame by plunging his sword into Agamemnon’s heart Let him come back, I hissed into the empty sky. Let him come back so that I can see his eyes as the light drains from them. Let him come back and die at the hands of his bitterest enemy. Let him come back so that I can watch him suffer. And let me make it slow.”
Elektra, daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, unflinching in her loyalty to her father chooses to justify his actions as the will of the Gods and will do anything to exact revenge on those who were responsible for her father’s demise.
“ I have always wanted to grow up to be the woman he thought I would become, the woman I could have been, if only he had been able to stay. To live up to the name he gave me.”
A major part of the narrative is shared between Elektra, Cassandra and Clytemnestra- each of whom gives us a brief picture of the significant events that impact their lives before, during and after the fall of Troy. Only after almost ¾ of the novel does Elektra’s voice become stronger in the narrative. There is a lot packed into the novel without it becoming too tedious. There is a certain amount of repetition but given that each of the narrators tells the story from different vantage points, nowhere did I lose interest. Cassandra’s narrative was heartbreaking as was Clytemnestra’s agony in witnessing Iphigenia’s death. The author is brilliant in her portrayal of the strong emotions and complexities in these women- Clytemnestra’s rage and agony, Cassandra’s innocence, despair and frustration and Elektra’s loyalty, anger and desire for revenge. The scenes between Cassandra and Clytemnestra were stunning in their emotional depth despite rarely anything being said between the two. The complicated mother-daughter relationship between Clytemnestra and Elektra, each obsessed with their respective quest for revenge, was brilliantly penned. Elektra does not come across as very likable but I think hers was probably the most complicated character to develop, a task that the author does expertly. Many of her actions and motivations might not feel justified but she is her father’s daughter and is unapologetic in her quest to avenge her father’s death and willing to sacrifice and bear the consequences of her actions.
Author Jennifer Saint masterfully weaves the multiple PoVs together with elegant prose and superb characterizations in a well-paced and intense narrative. While I enjoyed Jennifer Saint’s Ariadne, which I thought was an impressive debut, I found Elektra to be a more powerful and absorbing novel. I would not hesitate to recommend this to those with a fondness for feminist retellings of stories from the Greek myths. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and eagerly look forward to more from this author in the future.
Show Less