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indigoimpulse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
however the book promised me a story from briseis’ pov so i didn’t really appreciate so much of the book being taken up by achilles’ pov - this author writes grief excellently so his sections were great but it kind of took away from the fact that this was supposed to be briseis’ story . i don’t really think you can call this a feminist novel but i enjoyed it nonetheless
Graphic: Grief, Pedophilia, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Torture, Blood, Toxic relationship, Rape, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Violence, Child abuse, Child death, Genocide, Murder, Physical abuse, Slavery, War, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, and Gore
acgeorge's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Misogyny, Murder, Slavery, War, and Classism
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Sexual content, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, and Toxic relationship
amyam's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I really enjoyed this book, I loved how it stuck so closely to the original myths/stories. Every character came with flaws and there was depth to all the characters. The book both showed the very horrific nature of this period while not being graphic and hard to read.
Briseis provided an interesting focal point for the story as she guided us through her life at the time. Through her fear, her hatred, her confusion and her acceptance. Despite how incredulous her story may be to a modern reader, by hearing her thoughts and point of view her story does make a lot more sense. I enjoyed her wit and at times sarcasm even if she couldn’t say it out loud.
This was an excellent book so much so I immediately went out and bought the second one as I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Graphic: Child death, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Animal death, Kidnapping, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Pedophilia, Rape, Violence, War, and Gaslighting
farah24's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Misogyny, Sexism, Child death, Death, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, and War
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Blood, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Animal death
corinaphoto's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Rape, War, Sexual violence, Death, Violence, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Sexism
esterohman's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Sexism, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Alcohol, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Slavery, Chronic illness, Death, Animal death, Pregnancy, Blood, Child death, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and War
Minor: Vomit
jessellisx's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Infertility, Misogyny, Grief, and Sexism
Minor: Suicide, Slavery, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Rape, Pedophilia, and Adult/minor relationship
gondorgirl's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Death, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Blood, Child death, Pregnancy, Suicide, War, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Slavery, Rape, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Gore, Grief, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Trafficking
Moderate: Animal death
smudgy2312's review
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Death, Violence, Trafficking, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Rape, War, Murder, and Misogyny
Moderate: Pregnancy and Child death
preciouslittleingenue's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
To add more insult to injury on that front: I didn't write down any specifics, but there were deliberate references to Achilles and Patroclus's story as a romance, and perhaps even a "this is not a romance, it's a horror story" type line. I definitely got the vibe that this and other similar lines were meant to throw shade at The Song of Achilles (published 2012, while TSOTG is published 2018). It was truly almost like Barker read TSOA and had a direct, visceral reaction, which came out in the form of TSOTG. Except...she did the exact same thing that she seems to hold Miller in such contempt for. If Barker hated that Miller made the bloody, horrific, women-torture machine that was the Trojan war into a soft, tragic romance, and by doing so took away from the reality and the tragedy of the women's suffering...then why was Achilles a main character with point of view? Why was Briseis silenced by the author in her own story? Nearly every single detail of plot that Achilles POV provided could have been Briseis. It's incredibly frustrating. Every time it cut away to Achilles, I could not wait to hear more about the women. Especially since this was written after TSOA, there is ENOUGH about his relationship to Patroclus and his grief over losing him. I don't care in the context of a book called The Silence of THE GIRLS. THE GIRLS. If Barker wanted to share with everyone her headcanon that Achilles has mommy issues...put that in another book and don't make me read disturbing passages about it that are used to facilitate rape in a story that's meant to be ABOUT THE GIRLS AND WOMEN.
Don't get me wrong. If Barker had written this as direct shade to TSOA, made all those references about how it's wrong to categorize the Trojan War tales as anything but bloody, rape-filled horror, and kept it woman-centered, I would have nothing to say. I recognize that TSOA, for all its poignant beauty, is man-centered. But the hypocrisy of seemingly wanting to "do better" than that and then literally doing almost the exact same, while claiming you're not...idk man it's a little too much hypocrisy for me. Really really bothers me.
Anyway. Now that that's out of the way, I don't regret reading this. Despite Barker's large misstep, it does shed light on a lot of things we often try not to think about when we think about the Trojan war and war-glory stories in general. The first five or so chapters were really. Hard. To get through. I thought I would have to DNF it, truly. Especially because I was so brainwashed by the gorgeous and soft telling by Miller. But once I got over that and learned what to expect, I was glad I hadn't put it down. Not that it got less horrific. Not at all.
Below the spoiler tabs I have listed the quotes that I absolutely had to write down that just sat like a punch to the gut. The absolute senselessness of war. The complete and utter hubris and idiocy of men, every single one of them. The beautiful enduring power of women, even tortured and/or about to be murdered. The way men literally don't think women are people. Lines that I just otherwise found hauntingly beautiful and poignant.
All that said...if it weren't for the Achilles POV, this could be a solid 4/5 or 4.5/5. But given how uncomfortable it made me and how ineffective and hypocritical it was...the Achilles POV takes it down to a 3. Won't be rereading, won't be purchasing for my shelf. And I feel no need to read either of the two sequels. But I am glad I read it.
Graphic: Sexism, Gore, Sexual violence, War, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Misogyny