A review by helenaramsay
The Women of Troy by Pat Barker

adventurous emotional tense medium-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

I liked this much more than the first book in the series (maybe more because I read rather than listened to this one and could control more about the experience?) but still found the plot rather boring (moreso than the first one) and the characters generally quite dull. The story covers a period of a few weeks and there is only one central plot point which I found to be resolved incredibly quickly, almost flippantly, when it finally became the focus of the book rather late on. Most of the book is a further exploration of characters involved- agreeably more focused on the actions of women this time than men as I found annoying with the last book- but the protagonist still lacks something captivating or inspiring. If the book were written in the third person rather than through Briseis' eyes, I really don't think you would lose much.

I did like Hecuba, Andromache, and Ritsa though, and would enjoy reading more about women like them if the series continues.
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