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tangerinetwist's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Pregnancy, and Slavery
Moderate: Grief and Death
Minor: Rape and Child death
nicolaparty's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Sexism, Slavery, Alcohol, Murder, Violence, Grief, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, and War
Moderate: Confinement and Rape
icarusandthesun's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
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.
... 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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Slavery, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Death, Murder, Blood, and Physical abuse
Minor: Child death
amylynch's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The Women Of Troy follows on from The Silence Of The Girls. Troy has fallen and the Greeks are now awaiting a change of winds to return home, with the Trojan women they have captured during their campaign.
The narration is mostly via Briesis, who is now a wife of a Greek soldier, who feels a responsibility to the recently captured women of Troy who lack even Briesis' small amount of status in the camp.
Although an interesting perspective on this well known tale, the plot seemed to lack a central driving force. In The Silence of the Girls both the Greek soldiers and the Trojan women have a vested interest in the outcome of the war. Although there is little to nothing at all for the Trojan women in Troy anymore, leaving its shores to the Greek homelands isn't in the women's interest either. So The Women Of Troy is focused on the Trojan women coming to terms with the bleakness of their new lives. This means that the events of The Women of Troy are somewhat detached from one another. And while the variety of responses of the women to their new lives was interesting, their characters didn't really develop. So the events of the book have little ability to change the Trojan women's fortunes, nor do they develop their characters. Which meant the book lacked momentum. I didn't find myself wondering what would happen next or really feeling the tug to pick it back up. When I did pick it up though, it is well written and the characters themselves interesting. So a good read, although not a gripping one.
The narration is mostly via Briesis, who is now a wife of a Greek soldier, who feels a responsibility to the recently captured women of Troy who lack even Briesis' small amount of status in the camp.
Although an interesting perspective on this well known tale, the plot seemed to lack a central driving force. In The Silence of the Girls both the Greek soldiers and the Trojan women have a vested interest in the outcome of the war. Although there is little to nothing at all for the Trojan women in Troy anymore, leaving its shores to the Greek homelands isn't in the women's interest either. So The Women Of Troy is focused on the Trojan women coming to terms with the bleakness of their new lives. This means that the events of The Women of Troy are somewhat detached from one another. And while the variety of responses of the women to their new lives was interesting, their characters didn't really develop. So the events of the book have little ability to change the Trojan women's fortunes, nor do they develop their characters. Which meant the book lacked momentum. I didn't find myself wondering what would happen next or really feeling the tug to pick it back up. When I did pick it up though, it is well written and the characters themselves interesting. So a good read, although not a gripping one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Death, Pregnancy, Sexism, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual violence
lindseyhall44's review against another edition
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.
“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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, Trafficking, Torture, Suicide, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Murder, Death, Death of parent, Child death, and Blood
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, and Kidnapping
itsdanibee's review against another edition
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, and War
Moderate: Alcohol, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Violence
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child death, Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, and Vomit
sb_037's review against another edition
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, and War
hbc72's review
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, and Misogyny
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Genocide, Pregnancy, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, and War
becca_thegrimreader's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
The idea behind the book is intriguing. Often the history of Troy after its fall is completely neglected, and if it is told it focuses on the men’s story. We read about what the women have suffered through, and their experience of capture and slavery. There are some very difficult moments as the book progresses, and it is not for the faint-hearted.
I enjoyed the parts of the book that were from Briseis’ point of view. She is coming to terms with now being a free woman, but yet she is still trapped. Her care and dedication to the women of Troy who are now slaves are mirrored after her own experience when she was in their situation. Briseis is a strong character whose voice gives power to the women and their experiences in this book. However, we also have two other P.O.V, from Pyrrhus and Calchas. Now for a book that is centered around telling the story of women, it is very disappointing to then have two male characters' perspectives included in the book. That is a majority, one female and two male? There were other interesting female characters that I would have preferred to read through their perspective, Hecuba, Cassandra, Amina, etc. The list could go on. We would have had a varied story as no woman’s experience in the Greek camp would have been the same. I felt that this was a poor choice.
The pacing of this book was incredibly slow. There were many times that my attention slipped and I particularly struggled to read the Pyrrhus and Calchas chapters. I think the choice of narrative is where the plot was let down. There was a lot of potential, but this book for me missed the mark.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin General UK for the copy of this book. My review is honest and unbiased.
I enjoyed the parts of the book that were from Briseis’ point of view. She is coming to terms with now being a free woman, but yet she is still trapped. Her care and dedication to the women of Troy who are now slaves are mirrored after her own experience when she was in their situation. Briseis is a strong character whose voice gives power to the women and their experiences in this book. However, we also have two other P.O.V, from Pyrrhus and Calchas. Now for a book that is centered around telling the story of women, it is very disappointing to then have two male characters' perspectives included in the book. That is a majority, one female and two male? There were other interesting female characters that I would have preferred to read through their perspective, Hecuba, Cassandra, Amina, etc. The list could go on. We would have had a varied story as no woman’s experience in the Greek camp would have been the same. I felt that this was a poor choice.
The pacing of this book was incredibly slow. There were many times that my attention slipped and I particularly struggled to read the Pyrrhus and Calchas chapters. I think the choice of narrative is where the plot was let down. There was a lot of potential, but this book for me missed the mark.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin General UK for the copy of this book. My review is honest and unbiased.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Child death
Moderate: Sexual violence, Pregnancy, and Death
caidyn's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This is a hard book to rate. I enjoyed it, but I wasn't blown away by it. It focuses on what happened after Troy was defeated and the women trying to deal with the aftermath. Rape, children being killed, killing pregnant women, etc. A hard read, but it was good. You have to go slow to absorb it all. Yet, I didn't love it. Good and I might revisit it, but I don't feel the need to keep it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, Genocide, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Slavery, and War