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angelofthetardis's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
The heroes of the Trojan War are legend... Achillies and Patroclus, Agamemnon, Odysseyus, Priam, Paris, Hector, Ajax... the list goes on. But aren't the women of the Trojan War just as heroic in their own way? Those that survived, only to be forced into slavery? Those that lost their husbands, brothers and sons and had to keep going regardless? This novel explores their stories and brings to life those overshadowed by 'the face that launched a thousand ships'.
First and foremost, the writing of this piece certainly is 'epic', matching the scale of the piece that was its inspiration. I love the continual shift in focus, from far removed with the Muse Calliope ranting about how the author of this epic poem doesn't want to listen to her, to the 'Greek chorus' moments of the Trojan women, sat on the shore awaiting their fates, to the stories of various women involved in the war, whether before, during or after. The stories don't come in chronological order, and yet the story ebbs and flows beautifully, with the timeline still becoming manifestly clear so you can not only discover what happens to everyone as a result of the war, but follow it back to work out exactly who put the wheels is motion to cause the war in the first place.
If you've read even a few of the myriad of recent releases based around retelling Greek myths from the female perspective, you will probably be familiar with at least some of the characters and their stories. However, that shouldn't put you off - there are still plenty of other women in here to learn about. The book definitely fits into this bracket though; the various authors of these recent books (i.e. Madeline Miller, Jennifer Saint etc) do all seem to have a similar flair and style which really helps ground you in the stories, no matter who you're reading. Hayne's writing in this case is gentle and yet emotionally charged throughout, with moments of levity, and overall is just a really enjoyable journey to go on.
I couldn't choose which story I liked the most - the author has told all of them in a wonderfully engaging way. That being said, I loved Penelope's increasingly exasperated letters to Odysseyus, telling him what stories the bards are telling about his ridiculous journey home. Likewise, the stories of the lesser known (to me) women were fascinating, and filled in a lot of gaps for me.
I listened to the audiobook of this, which the author herself narrated. She is obviously very confident behind a microphone and about the subject matter(she also has a radio programme about Greek myth which is available on Audible and a credit has been earmarked for this!), and yet there were moments where I wasn't wholly convinced by her performance. There are a couple of small slips that could perhaps have done with a touch more editing (or another take) to smooth over, and there are a couple of places where she runs on sentences in something of a rush. Overall she does an excellent job and it's a great listen, but a tiny part of me wonders whether another performer may have added a touch more life to the narration. But that's being very nitpicky.
Would highly recommend!
First and foremost, the writing of this piece certainly is 'epic', matching the scale of the piece that was its inspiration. I love the continual shift in focus, from far removed with the Muse Calliope ranting about how the author of this epic poem doesn't want to listen to her, to the 'Greek chorus' moments of the Trojan women, sat on the shore awaiting their fates, to the stories of various women involved in the war, whether before, during or after. The stories don't come in chronological order, and yet the story ebbs and flows beautifully, with the timeline still becoming manifestly clear so you can not only discover what happens to everyone as a result of the war, but follow it back to work out exactly who put the wheels is motion to cause the war in the first place.
If you've read even a few of the myriad of recent releases based around retelling Greek myths from the female perspective, you will probably be familiar with at least some of the characters and their stories. However, that shouldn't put you off - there are still plenty of other women in here to learn about. The book definitely fits into this bracket though; the various authors of these recent books (i.e. Madeline Miller, Jennifer Saint etc) do all seem to have a similar flair and style which really helps ground you in the stories, no matter who you're reading. Hayne's writing in this case is gentle and yet emotionally charged throughout, with moments of levity, and overall is just a really enjoyable journey to go on.
I couldn't choose which story I liked the most - the author has told all of them in a wonderfully engaging way. That being said, I loved Penelope's increasingly exasperated letters to Odysseyus, telling him what stories the bards are telling about his ridiculous journey home. Likewise, the stories of the lesser known (to me) women were fascinating, and filled in a lot of gaps for me.
I listened to the audiobook of this, which the author herself narrated. She is obviously very confident behind a microphone and about the subject matter(she also has a radio programme about Greek myth which is available on Audible and a credit has been earmarked for this!), and yet there were moments where I wasn't wholly convinced by her performance. There are a couple of small slips that could perhaps have done with a touch more editing (or another take) to smooth over, and there are a couple of places where she runs on sentences in something of a rush. Overall she does an excellent job and it's a great listen, but a tiny part of me wonders whether another performer may have added a touch more life to the narration. But that's being very nitpicky.
Would highly recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Slavery, and War
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Violence, Murder, Rape, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Animal death, Child death, Death of parent, and Kidnapping
dustforthedancers's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Slow to get going, but it warmed on me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Violence, Murder, Slavery, and War
hodgeonlucy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, War, Violence, Sexual assault, Animal death, Slavery, Grief, Child death, Rape, and Murder
ursa_arlo's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Positives. I couldn't put down this book. How could I when this retelling was so fresh, so compellingly written? I love when retellings bring something new to the table and this novel for that both in style (by alternating between POV's until they had each reached their conclusion or by alternating the form in which the story was told, such as through the letters of Penelope) and perspective. The prose had a brutal beauty to it and did not sugarcoat the effects of war.
This book, in a sense, is not what you might expect from a feministic retelling; these women are critical and jealous of each other, are absorbed with centering the loss of men in their lives. They have very little agency simply because they are an opressed group in a society where they are very rarely seen as more than property. But, with the little agency that they have, they do everything they can to survive- or die when that is the more tolerable option. They are not more dishonourable -not more honourable either- than the men who the stories usually focus on. They are resilient, they will survive, and so will their stories.
Negatives. This book is very bleak, war always is, which may or may not be a negative aspect depending on who you are asking. There are very few moments of hope to be found, especially near the end, which can make it a tough read.
Quote. When a war was ended, men lost their lives. But the women lost everything else.
This book, in a sense, is not what you might expect from a feministic retelling; these women are critical and jealous of each other, are absorbed with centering the loss of men in their lives. They have very little agency simply because they are an opressed group in a society where they are very rarely seen as more than property. But, with the little agency that they have, they do everything they can to survive- or die when that is the more tolerable option. They are not more dishonourable -not more honourable either- than the men who the stories usually focus on. They are resilient, they will survive, and so will their stories.
Negatives. This book is very bleak, war always is, which may or may not be a negative aspect depending on who you are asking. There are very few moments of hope to be found, especially near the end, which can make it a tough read.
Quote. When a war was ended, men lost their lives. But the women lost everything else.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Ableism, Child death, Slavery, War, Genocide, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Rape
Moderate: Infidelity
martha_is_reading's review
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Child death, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Death
Moderate: Physical abuse and Trafficking
Minor: Pregnancy, Rape, Slavery, and Sexual violence
cait_mccarron's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Child death, Slavery, Sexual assault, Grief, Death, Murder, and Violence
david_brent's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I was NOT expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. I assumed (something that I should never do) after reading Song of Achilles and Circe that this was a hanger-on, following a fashionable trend of novels taking place in ancient times, so my expectations were not high. I could not have been more wrong.
This book is GREAT. The women in the ancient Greek stories are given short shrift, and in this work, Natalie Haynes brings them front and center in a series of short narratives and tells their stories from any and all perspectives: winner, loser, god, mortal. She plays on every emotion: the fickleness and fragile ego of the gods, the humiliation of defeat, sorrow and mourning, celebration and triumph. There's even comedy relief in the form of Penelope's sarcastic and mocking frustration with the ridiculous extended adventures of her "heroic" husband Odysseus. I remember reading The Odyssey in high school. Oh, what hero Homer made him out to be. Under closer scrutiny, Penelope makes him sound like a bit of an asshole, and it's hilarious. The audiobook, narrated by the author, perfectly captures the emotional tone of each tale.
This was one of those books where I wish it didn't end. 5 stars.
This book is GREAT. The women in the ancient Greek stories are given short shrift, and in this work, Natalie Haynes brings them front and center in a series of short narratives and tells their stories from any and all perspectives: winner, loser, god, mortal. She plays on every emotion: the fickleness and fragile ego of the gods, the humiliation of defeat, sorrow and mourning, celebration and triumph. There's even comedy relief in the form of Penelope's sarcastic and mocking frustration with the ridiculous extended adventures of her "heroic" husband Odysseus. I remember reading The Odyssey in high school. Oh, what hero Homer made him out to be. Under closer scrutiny, Penelope makes him sound like a bit of an asshole, and it's hilarious. The audiobook, narrated by the author, perfectly captures the emotional tone of each tale.
This was one of those books where I wish it didn't end. 5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Infidelity, Death, Sexual assault, Slavery, War, Kidnapping, and Grief
lorebeth's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I really appreciate feminist revisions of traditional 'canonical' mythologies. This shifting of Homer's male-dominated Odyssey to Hayne's exploration of womanhood is significant. A Thousand Ships focuses on the women who were not given a voice. It explores the various levels of oppression faced by women against the framing of the trojan war.
For example, the novel interrogates Penelope as the "waiting women", Trojan women who are enslaved at the end of the war, and female bodies as sites of violence and sacrifice.
In grounding female plight against the familiar background of Greek mythology, Haynes is able to unearth the plight of all women through all time. The familiar Greek stories are echoes of our own tales.
The novel is something of a cousin to Njabulo Ndebele's The Cry of Winnie Mandela, as both novels re-center traditional myths around forgotten female voices. Both interrogate the concept of "the waiting woman" and give their female characters humanity which they are usually denied.
Haynes' novel is artful and nuanced in the various perspectives so as to give a holistic reading of women in war.
Calliope's inclusion is particularly interesting as her disdain for "the bard" is a rebellion against being defined by the male gaze.
Ultimately, I believe this novel could be considered something of a modern classic and I know these stories will stay with me long after the final chapter has ended.
For example, the novel interrogates Penelope as the "waiting women", Trojan women who are enslaved at the end of the war, and female bodies as sites of violence and sacrifice.
In grounding female plight against the familiar background of Greek mythology, Haynes is able to unearth the plight of all women through all time. The familiar Greek stories are echoes of our own tales.
The novel is something of a cousin to Njabulo Ndebele's The Cry of Winnie Mandela, as both novels re-center traditional myths around forgotten female voices. Both interrogate the concept of "the waiting woman" and give their female characters humanity which they are usually denied.
Haynes' novel is artful and nuanced in the various perspectives so as to give a holistic reading of women in war.
Calliope's inclusion is particularly interesting as her disdain for "the bard" is a rebellion against being defined by the male gaze.
Ultimately, I believe this novel could be considered something of a modern classic and I know these stories will stay with me long after the final chapter has ended.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Slavery, Rape, and Sexual violence
lauramcc7's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- 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? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Blood, Grief, Rape, Slavery, Physical abuse, Murder, Death, Child death, Violence, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit
tieflingmom's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Sexual harassment, Grief, Blood, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Colonisation, Rape, Toxic relationship, War, Genocide, Abandonment, and Sexual assault