Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - The Women of Troy

After devouring and loving the first volume (The Silence Of the Girls) of this series, I was positive I'd adore this one just as much as its prequel.
... but sadly, I didn't.

The story wasn't as captivating as I expected it to be. I suppose that makes sense, though - that the Trojan War is more exciting than its aftermath. Still, I had hoped for something more scandalous, more dangerous, more mythical.

The Women of Troy was an enjoyable read, but - there I say it - boring and forgettable. Pat Barker did a good job capturing the women's suffering, even after the war has ended, and the men's dilemma with the lack of wind that was supposed to carry them home after a long and suffocating war. But it wasn't much more than that.

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feyiosinaike's review against another edition

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dark hopeful sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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lindseyhall44's review against another edition

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emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes

4.0

I’m usually hesitant to pick up sequels, but I’m really glad I read this one.
“The Women of Troy” follows Bresis after Troy has fallen, though the Greeks are not able to return home quite yet. The Gods are angered, resulting in impossible sailing weather and rising tensions. But above all, we see the trojan girls/women forced into slavery, telling a story of those left out in the epics.
Bresis character arc took a significant shift from “Silence of the Girls,” as she is no longer a slave, but the wife of a Greek fighter and the mother of Achillies baby. While her station is improved, Breisis finds her internalized conflict emphasized, because no matter how far she has come, slavery always seems to loom behind her.
The feminism aspect of this book was phenomenal, and all women got their turn in the spotlight, even if Breisis was telling the story. I appreciated how Breisis tried to understand Helen and didn’t continuously slut shame her as other retelling tend to do.
I did wonder, however, why Barker chose to include perspectives of the men in the duology, since the purpose was to explore experiences of the women.

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itsdanibee's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.25

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common_nonsense's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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sb_037's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes

4.75

Was struck by how Pat Barker is able to do justice to a "feminist re-telling" by including actually complex women insomuch that they actually disagree with each other on how best to survive in their given circumstances. Pat Barker humanizes her characters and doesn't let you forget about the atrocities her women have had to face - reminding her readers continually that the pregnancy Briseis bears is wrought with confusion.

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