Reviews

*Read for class.

I loved Cassandra. And I don't mean the book, I mean the character. I adore books that are about women from Ancient Greece, or Troy in this case. Don't get me wrong, the book was good itself, but it wasn't anything groundbreaking for me. Maybe it was once, when it was written.

So, Cassandra. She stayed true to herself. She loved Aeneas, but even though he called her with him to leave, she never did. She was a true Trojan till the very end. She cared about her people like men never can. She loved her people, she tried to save their lives instead of their pride and so-called honor. That is why she was so different from men of war. That is why she was proud to be a woman.

In addition to that, it is a feminist novel, actually, this is one of the main themes in Wolf's work. So it was very interesting to read about powerful women of that time period. Glad we read this one for class.

kygpub's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I cannot love a hero. I do not want to see you being transformed into a statue.
Dear one. You did not say that it would not happen to you. Or that I could protect you from it. You knew as well as I did that we have no chance against a time that needs heroes. You threw the snake ring into the sea. You would have to go far, far away, and you would not know what lies ahead.
I am staying behind.

o haunting, aching, bleeding heart of troy which lives on the very edges of its city walls. which cannot stop the process of decay, taking root and festering in the empty ribcage of the citadel. which savours the time, knowing it will inevitably run out. which cannot survive in a time that needs heroes, but still strives for even the smallest impact in the aftermath.

this is a book that truly understands its characters, that knows how to take a epic-tragic figure of myth and make her real, fallible, sympathetic in all her suffering and despite her mistakes—and believe me, she makes mistakes. that doesn't stop me from wanting to beat 90% of the men over the head with bricks, which is really the least they deserve. christa wolf is such a masterful writer. will get to the four accompanying essays and the rest of her work in due course (aka: when i finally, somehow, finish processing this book).

Content Warnings