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A review by gabz49242
The Siege of Troy by Theodor Kallifatides
3.0
This novel retells the story of the Trojan War while a small Greek village is suffering under Nazi occupation. As someone who already knows the core story quite well, I wish there had been a little bit more of the frame story, and a little less of the retelling. However, in the afterword, the author mentions that he wanted to make the story of the Iliad more accessible to modern audiences who may find Homer's writing intimidating. By condensing it into a slim volume and comparing it to the modern tragedies of war, I think he has successfully done so.
The prose is stark, with minimal flowery language, a style that befits both the time periods this book discusses. In addition, Kallifatides highlights certain moments in the Trojan War story that are not found in the Iliad, a choice that I feel was made to bridge the gap to the modern audience. The frame story, especially as it concerns the plight of women in small towns of a particular time, was lovely, and I wish we had gotten to spend more time with Dimitra and Miss Marina.
If you're a fan of the Classical world, or if you've always wanted to read the Iliad but felt intimidated by a chunky epic, give this one a go. It's a lovely little book that can easily be read in a day or two.
The prose is stark, with minimal flowery language, a style that befits both the time periods this book discusses. In addition, Kallifatides highlights certain moments in the Trojan War story that are not found in the Iliad, a choice that I feel was made to bridge the gap to the modern audience. The frame story, especially as it concerns the plight of women in small towns of a particular time, was lovely, and I wish we had gotten to spend more time with Dimitra and Miss Marina.
If you're a fan of the Classical world, or if you've always wanted to read the Iliad but felt intimidated by a chunky epic, give this one a go. It's a lovely little book that can easily be read in a day or two.