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A review by gxcons
Ithaca by Claire North
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A retelling of Greek mythology revolving around Penelope, probably the least paid attention to of the three Greek queens during the time of the Trojan war.
What worked for me:
-Goddess Hera as narrator provides 3rd person omniscience with a dash of personality.
-The introduction of the house of Atreus (Elektra, Orestes, Clytemnestra) picks up the pacing of events and feels within the realm of possibility (timeline of mythological events).
-The handling of familial relationships (Penelope and Telemachus, the house of Atreus, absent fathers of the Trojan war) was nuanced and the most compelling piece of the book for me, by far.
What didn't hit:
-The very outright obvious "this is a feminist retelling" tone throughout. The focus on women and women's stories on Ithaka makes sense, accounting for the Trojan war and Odysseus's prolonged absence, but the constant "this is women's lot" became repetitive and exhausting.
-Related to that last point, the voice of many women, including Hera, felt imbalanced between sticking to higher, vaguely regal language and modern, 21st century snark. The snark and sarcasm date the book to a very particular (modern) time period; for me, the mid-2010s though this is a recent pub. Early on in the book it occurred to me that Hera reads like Regina from ABC's Once Upon A Time, and I couldn't shake it.
-Repetitive phrasing and jumping around to various character POVs and events
-Although I do appreciate the large cast of characters, it didn't read as Penelope's story with background characters, but rather an ensemble.
-Pacing of events outside of the house of Atreus drama was very slow, which, to be fair, is to be expected considering how long Penelope entertains and fends off suitors.
I didn't entirely acclimate to the tone and language of the book, and there were sections I started skimming over (descriptions of Ithaka, slow plotting). If I had known this was part of a series, I would have been less off-put by the ending. I'll pick up book #2, though, and in the meantime will seek out the two ancient Elektra plays and the Oresteia.
NB: I wouldn't recommend this book to those not familiar with the finer points of the mythology surrounding the Trojan war, but to each their own.
What worked for me:
-Goddess Hera as narrator provides 3rd person omniscience with a dash of personality.
-The introduction of the house of Atreus (Elektra, Orestes, Clytemnestra) picks up the pacing of events and feels within the realm of possibility (timeline of mythological events).
-The handling of familial relationships (Penelope and Telemachus, the house of Atreus, absent fathers of the Trojan war) was nuanced and the most compelling piece of the book for me, by far.
What didn't hit:
-The very outright obvious "this is a feminist retelling" tone throughout. The focus on women and women's stories on Ithaka makes sense, accounting for the Trojan war and Odysseus's prolonged absence, but the constant "this is women's lot" became repetitive and exhausting.
-Related to that last point, the voice of many women, including Hera, felt imbalanced between sticking to higher, vaguely regal language and modern, 21st century snark. The snark and sarcasm date the book to a very particular (modern) time period; for me, the mid-2010s though this is a recent pub. Early on in the book it occurred to me that Hera reads like Regina from ABC's Once Upon A Time, and I couldn't shake it.
-Repetitive phrasing and jumping around to various character POVs and events
-Although I do appreciate the large cast of characters, it didn't read as Penelope's story with background characters, but rather an ensemble.
-Pacing of events outside of the house of Atreus drama was very slow, which, to be fair, is to be expected considering how long Penelope entertains and fends off suitors.
I didn't entirely acclimate to the tone and language of the book, and there were sections I started skimming over (descriptions of Ithaka, slow plotting). If I had known this was part of a series, I would have been less off-put by the ending. I'll pick up book #2, though, and in the meantime will seek out the two ancient Elektra plays and the Oresteia.
NB: I wouldn't recommend this book to those not familiar with the finer points of the mythology surrounding the Trojan war, but to each their own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault