Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati

81 reviews

topodibiblioteca's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad medium-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? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Grief, Religious bigotry, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, Gore, Murder, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Slavery, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Kidnapping, Torture, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Incest, Infidelity, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Vomit, and Suicidal thoughts

januaryghosts's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Sexism, Murder, Violence, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: War, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Slavery, Rape, and Kidnapping

Minor: Homophobia

garnethalo's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-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

4.75

In Jennifer Saint's Elektra, I understood the daughter. Now in Costanza Casati's book, I understand the mother, Clytemnestra. A wonderful read that had me turning the next page with both anticipation and wariness.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Child abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Murder, and Child death

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Classism, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Suicide, and Slavery

Minor: Death, Sexual assault, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Alcohol, Rape, Physical abuse, and War

A Greek myth retold. Surrounding the Trojan war. It is a Greek tragedy! Comes with the usual Greek tragedy warnings.

sarabook's review

dark reflective 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? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Violence, Sexism, Physical abuse, Grief, War, Rape, and Murder

Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse

just_one_more_chapter_ok's review against another edition

dark emotional informative 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

4.0

An much needed sympathetic take on one of Greek mythology's most reviled women.  From the first time I read the story of Clytemnestra I didn't understand why she was painted as the villain.  While she might be morally ambiguous, she isn't the villain.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Child death, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Misogyny, Slavery, Grief, and Sexual violence

cass_herg's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

I support women’s wrongs!

I’m a sucker for anything related to Greek mythology, feminine rage, and for historical retellings so this was a no brainer to pick up. Going in I only knew of Clytemnestra as she related to Agamemnon and Helen (aka a murderer and the cruel sister who didn’t compare) and how she was essentially just a “bad wife” foil to Penelope in the Odyssey so I was really excited to see her perspective for actions only ever portrayed from one specific point of view.

I assumed Agamemnon would probably be an ass, but I didn’t realize just how much I’d hate him immediately. He deserved everything he gets in this book and then some and that opinion was cemented for me before I even got to page 100.

It is so interesting how for both the two major losses and points in clytemnestras life we essentially just skip past all the other stages of grief until we get to anger. I think normally I’d be a little upset to skip over those intense and important moments of grief, but here it feels very fitting since the anger is extremely justified. In the case of Iphigenias death, I loved that right before the skip we just get a series of letters from her surviving loved ones. These are also the last words we get from any of those characters perspectives and I think they sum up each character perfectly.

There is so much nuance in this book and it’s honestly one of the most heartbreaking yet empowering stories I’ve read. It’s an incredibly powerful story that gives a lot of poignant commentary on what it is to be a woman, mother, sister, and a daughter. Every female character is multi dimensional with their share of faults but also a strength that is unique and different for each individual and it is so refreshing to read that.

I could probably write an entire dissertation on this book (clearly), but I’ll leave it at this: if you are at all a fan of Greek mythology, read this.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Child death, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Rape, Violence, Sexual violence, Slavery, and War

beddy93's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Domestic abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Violence, War, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Animal death, Slavery, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, and Murder

ronjaorsomething's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I love reading about greek mythology from the pov of women because traditionally it's mostly men but women played a big role as well.
Clytemnestra is an extremely strong character that manages to acquire power in a patriarchal society. There were times tho where I got extremely frustrated with her because she is frankly a terrible mother who clearly favors one child above the others and then gets pissed when Electra points it out to her.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Misogyny, Child death, and Murder

Moderate: Rape and Lesbophobia

Minor: Suicide

amanda_reads89's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Death, Child death, Grief, Blood, Domestic abuse, Murder, Slavery, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Kidnapping, Misogyny, Animal death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Violence, War, and Pregnancy

acrosstheskyinstars's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 This book was so incredible that I finished all but the last two chapters in one sitting. I truly couldn't put it down. It embodies the "I support women's rights and women's wrongs" trope with the perfect blend of strong female characters and female rage. 10/10. I will absolutely be revisiting this one. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Death, Child death, Kidnapping, Murder, Slavery, War, Grief, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, and Alcoholism

Minor: Animal death and Death of parent