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motui's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
bookish_emily's review against another edition
3.0
Greek mythology has always interested me, so I was drawn to House of Names - an adaptation of the story of King Agamemnon and his family. I appreciated Colm Toibin's creative imagining of how Clytemnestra reacted to her daughter's death and everything that followed, and the insight in Orestes' life and thoughts. It was an entertaining novel, but never really gripped me. It would have been nice to have more of Electra's point of view, since she became such an influential figure. Additionally, it had a rather abrupt ending. That said, fellow fans of Greek mythology will find the tale enjoyable!
natsavage19's review against another edition
challenging
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
fitzzula's review against another edition
3.0
3.5? I loved Clytemnestra's perspective and thought the story of the impact of her actions on her children was an interesting examination of an old myth but really struggled to connect with Electra in particular. Neither of the two siblings seemed that bothered their sister has been sacrificed, just blindly adoring of their father - while this might be a comment on attitudes of the time I found it quite frustrating. The prose is beautiful but somewhat dispassionate and distant which created a dreamy sort of effect but was also a bit odd. Good book but still not sure how I feel about it.
adrien's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
withlivjones's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
There were definitely parts I liked about this book! I thought the development of Orestes’ character was really interesting, how he is only ever wanted when he’s useful for something and he’s often tasked with doing the dirty work, and how that affects his perception of himself and the world. I also really liked the complex relationship between Clytemnestra and Electra, who are two characters with similar temperaments but very different beliefs and goals, and I wish we spent more time in their POVs.
Things I didn’t like so much? I thought that the pacing and the timeline was all over the place - it didn’t feel like ten years passed while Agamemnon was at war, and it was very unclear just how old Orestes is after everything happens to him, he is still portrayed as being very young after so many years have presumably passed. There is a lot of divergence from the original stories, which I typically wouldn’t mind with retellings, but I did mind the fact that Pylades is completely erased from the story :( according to Aristophanes the Grammarian Pylades is the best character in the myth, you can’t just get rid of him! I also just felt like there wasn’t any satisfying conclusion, the book just… ended.
Overall, the prose is lovely and the characters are developed and interesting, some parts of the book are very dark so check content warnings before reading. I just don’t think this is a book I’m going to be thinking about for weeks afterwards.
Things I didn’t like so much? I thought that the pacing and the timeline was all over the place - it didn’t feel like ten years passed while Agamemnon was at war, and it was very unclear just how old Orestes is after everything happens to him, he is still portrayed as being very young after so many years have presumably passed. There is a lot of divergence from the original stories, which I typically wouldn’t mind with retellings, but I did mind the fact that Pylades is completely erased from the story :( according to Aristophanes the Grammarian Pylades is the best character in the myth, you can’t just get rid of him! I also just felt like there wasn’t any satisfying conclusion, the book just… ended.
Overall, the prose is lovely and the characters are developed and interesting, some parts of the book are very dark so check content warnings before reading. I just don’t think this is a book I’m going to be thinking about for weeks afterwards.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death of parent, Gore, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Blood, and Violence
aprilklenoir's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
jennybpenny's review against another edition
3.0
"My mother was wearing a vague smile; she was like someone who had eaten something sour and was doing everything to disguise her discomfort."