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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
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 against another edition
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
cclift1114's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
5.0
I’m a sucker for anything Greek Mythology related, especially for things surrounding the Trojan War, and then Haynes does a retelling from the perspective of the women in the war? You bet I was all in. Haynes does a great job of jumping from one woman or group of women to the next, while still weaving a coherent and flowing tapestry of their stories. While the majority of the tales are centered around the immediate aftermath of the war, you still get perspectives from before, during and well after the war. Haynes also does not limit herself to mortal women, but also includes the goddesses, and her chapters from their perspectives do even better at highlighting their childishness than the original myths. Haynes shows in this book that while often the focus in mythology, in particular around the Trojan War, is the heroism of the men, the women demonstrate just as much bravery and strength.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Rape, Violence, War, Physical abuse, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
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
dr_bond's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Rape, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Mental illness, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Death, Child death, Violence, Trafficking, and Murder
booklifeisthelife's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
slow-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
3.5
So. This was my first book by this author but also my first Greek mythology book. I'm not familiar with it at all really. So to say it was a little confusing would be an understatement xD. I noticed some inconsistencies throughout that bothered me as well. Still enjoyed the book. 3.5 stars. I loved each character, felt for each. Was very sad and heartbreaking but I still liked how their story was told. I like the perspective of the women and hearing their voices. Each one was so brave in their own way..I would have liked to get to know each more though. For the ones who didn't die. We never got to know how uhm..the one who married Achilles cousin and the girl the priests son friended, we never got to know how she fared.. Because of my lack of knowledge of Greek mythology and my general horrible memory, I can't say names for many but each character resonated with me in some way. All the female ones I mean. Though Hecabe was a little off putting but she had lost so many peopleand the way she behaved made sense I suppose. I would have also liked to have gotten more of the gods perspectives because that was a bit confusing but that could be due to my lack of knowledge, again. I think I would have enjoyed this book much more if I was more familiar with the mythology. Maybe in a few years if I know more I'll re-read this and appreciate it more
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death
Moderate: Violence, Child death, Physical abuse, Death of parent, War, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Murder, and Sexual harassment
annakh16's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Misogyny, Slavery, and War
Minor: Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, and Cannibalism
sareidle's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
It took a little while to get into the structure of the book - the chapters switch between different women affected by the Trojan War - but it built momentum by the halfway point. There are moments of humor to lighten the tragedies described.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Death, Sexual violence, Violence, Abandonment, Murder, Child death, War, Rape, and Suicide
Moderate: Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, and Kidnapping
Minor: Sexual content
lizziea229's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Sexual violence, Slavery, Child death, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Genocide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and War