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ltsang08's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Grief, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Death, Murder, Slavery, Sexual violence, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, War, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Death of parent, Suicide, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, and Rape
josiejavier's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, War, Rape, Death, and Violence
gkm00's review against another edition
3.75
Minor: Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Animal death, Alcohol, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Blood, Gore, Emotional abuse, and Murder
sakisreads's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
I’m not hugely into Greek mythology nor have I spent much time with Homer’s Iliad, but this feminist retelling was FANTASTIC. Gosh, I applauded Pat Barker so much for this one 👏🏼
Breseis is a fully formed character and her thoughts, feelings and concerns are all highlighted throughout the story. Of course the majority of the males made me cross, but when don’t men make me angry? 😂
I did appreciate Patroclus though, and if that’s not ✨ nuance ✨ I don’t know what is!
4 out of 5 stars for me, thank you ✨
Graphic: Death, Pregnancy, War, Grief, Slavery, Gore, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
joelrandeblad's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Jag fastnade direkt. Språket, huvudkaraktären, den poetiska brutaliteten.
Boken följer Briseis, kvinnan som tas som slav av Achilles och sedan blir ett byte för Agamemnon och Achilles att bråka över. Boken tar vara på något som böcker som The Song of Achilles och självfallet Illiaden... missar? Eller om man vill vara snällare kan man säga att det inte är deras ärende. Men här ligger fokus på kvinnorna som inte har en röst, inget val. Det är Briseis och hennes intrikata känsloliv, att behöva natt efter natt utnyttjas av mannen som mördat hennes bröder, bränt hennes stad och hem. Om kvinnorna som ser sina unga söner dödas, tvingas i sängs med männen som mördat dem, är byteshandel, är slavar, kastar sig själv från murarna för att en säker död är bättre än den framtid som väntar dem. Boken är våldsam och vacker, sorglig som jag vet inte vad. Man känner verkligen hur något går sönder.
Jag känner redan här att den här recensionen inte gör boken rättvisa. Att mina ord räcker inte riktigt till för att fånga den komplicerade känsla som Pat Barker använder hela boken för att försöka få grepp om. Den är komplicerad, djup, otrolig.
Kanske att man vill ha lite koll på Iliaden och kriget i Troja för att man ska hänga med. Det är många namn, många karaktärer och konflikter. Men personligen (som rätt mytologiintresserad) hade jag inga problem alls att hänga med. Nu vill jag bara dyka in i "The Women of Troy". Såg även att Pat Barker är på väg att släppa ännu en bok i höst på samma tema!
Sätter jag den på en piedestal? Absolut. Kommer alla tycka som jag? Förmodligen inte. Men det här var verkligen exakt min typ av bok! 5 välförtjänta stjärnor.
Graphic: Child death, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Rape, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, and War
majoortizh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Sexual violence, Slavery, Rape, War, Sexual content, Murder, Violence, and Death
jose_kg's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Sexual violence, Slavery, Death, and Sexual assault
alice451's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Rape, War, Violence, Genocide, Sexual assault, Blood, Sexism, Death, Misogyny, Sexual content, Slavery, Animal death, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, and Suicide
civetta's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Kidnapping, Murder, Rape, Sexual content, Blood, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Slavery, and War
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Cursing, Abortion, Grief, Miscarriage, and Pandemic/Epidemic
patsypoo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
What will they make of us, the people of those unimaginably distant times? One thing I do know: they won’t want the brutal reality of conquest and slavery. They won’t want to be told about the massacres of men and boys, the enslavement of women and girls. They won’t want to know we were living in a rape camp. No, they’ll go for something altogether softer. A love story, perhaps? I just hope they manage to work out who the lovers were.
Really enjoyed this one! I love The Song of Achilles and it's nice to see another angle of it through Briseis' eyes. It's a very tough one to get through at times unsurprisingly. It's a war story after all so all the content warnings!
On one hand, I wish there had been less of Achilles here and on the other hand I feel his perspective is also needed to round out this particular story.
One drawback for me was the dialogue. It's very laddish and modern Britain to my taste and although I got used to it, it is kind of jarring on occasion and it took me out of the story somewhat.
Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexism, Violence, War, Animal death, Sexual assault, Child death, Gore, Grief, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicide, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual violence