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A review by stargazerave
Ithaca by Claire North
adventurous
dark
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
From the very first day I started reading this book, I was obsessed with North's style of writing. An incredible blend of beautiful descriptions, witty dialogue, and clever insights into the world of the gods, North allows us to see the Age of Gods and Men through a previously relatively unexplored perspective: that of the goddess, Hera.
Within its first few pages, Ithaca throws you immediately into the belly of the beast while also establishing quickly that, unlike other stories of Grecian mythos, this tale revolves around women. I adore this altered perspective on Greek mythos as so many of the writings and stories are male-centric and Hera's bitter scorn towards those who have cast her aside and underestimated her provides a refreshing and, at times, entertaining view. It serves as a reminder that not only is Hera the goddess of wives, she's also the goddess of queens.
It is a beautiful thing to see powerful women being angry and destroying anyone who tells them they shouldn't.
Hera's unending persistence and resilience, and how it echoes in the characters she blesses, is truly a wonder and joy to read, even as she 'loses' conflicts. There are three primary examples we can see this in: Penelope (Queen of Ithaca), Clytemnestra (Former Queen Regent of Mycenae), and Elektra (Princess of Mycenae). Each of these three echo aspects, or epithets, of Hera.
It's worthy of mentioning that Helen of Troy is also referenced in the context of being blessed by Hera, though I won't be using her as an example as she does not actually appear in this novel.
In Penelope, we see the facet of Hera that is purely the goddess of Queens. She sacrifices everything for her kingdom, for her people, with even the fate of her son falling to a place of lesser import for the majority of the book's pages.
Through Clytemnestra, we see the facet of Hera that is the goddess of not only Queens, but of Women and, to a lesser extent, Mothers as well. Clytemnestra is referred to throughout the novel as being one of Hera's favoured in a variety of ways and we see this in the way she interacts with others throughout the chapters.
Finally, and my personal favourite of the three, we have Elektra. Elektra is an incredibly unique character, her viewpoints a mishmashed blend of the misogynistic views of her father and the strongwilled determination of her mother, and due to her much younger age than the other two listed here, we get to see much more of her character develop and be shaped by the presence and proximity she has to the Divine.
We also get a very interesting view on Hera's thoughts and feelings of her fellow Olympians. Her distaste for Zeus is palpable while her fear is also entirely understandable. The relationship between Hera and Athena, particularly the way it develops, was one of the major highlights of the novel for me and something I really really enjoyed. Hera is not simply the narrator of this story, she's equally as much of a character as any other and that's really what sets this novel apart for me.
Within its first few pages, Ithaca throws you immediately into the belly of the beast while also establishing quickly that, unlike other stories of Grecian mythos, this tale revolves around women. I adore this altered perspective on Greek mythos as so many of the writings and stories are male-centric and Hera's bitter scorn towards those who have cast her aside and underestimated her provides a refreshing and, at times, entertaining view. It serves as a reminder that not only is Hera the goddess of wives, she's also the goddess of queens.
It is a beautiful thing to see powerful women being angry and destroying anyone who tells them they shouldn't.
Hera's unending persistence and resilience, and how it echoes in the characters she blesses, is truly a wonder and joy to read, even as she 'loses' conflicts. There are three primary examples we can see this in: Penelope (Queen of Ithaca), Clytemnestra (Former Queen Regent of Mycenae), and Elektra (Princess of Mycenae). Each of these three echo aspects, or epithets, of Hera.
It's worthy of mentioning that Helen of Troy is also referenced in the context of being blessed by Hera, though I won't be using her as an example as she does not actually appear in this novel.
In Penelope, we see the facet of Hera that is purely the goddess of Queens. She sacrifices everything for her kingdom, for her people, with even the fate of her son falling to a place of lesser import for the majority of the book's pages.
Through Clytemnestra, we see the facet of Hera that is the goddess of not only Queens, but of Women and, to a lesser extent, Mothers as well. Clytemnestra is referred to throughout the novel as being one of Hera's favoured in a variety of ways and we see this in the way she interacts with others throughout the chapters.
Finally, and my personal favourite of the three, we have Elektra. Elektra is an incredibly unique character, her viewpoints a mishmashed blend of the misogynistic views of her father and the strongwilled determination of her mother, and due to her much younger age than the other two listed here, we get to see much more of her character develop and be shaped by the presence and proximity she has to the Divine.
We also get a very interesting view on Hera's thoughts and feelings of her fellow Olympians. Her distaste for Zeus is palpable while her fear is also entirely understandable. The relationship between Hera and Athena, particularly the way it develops, was one of the major highlights of the novel for me and something I really really enjoyed. Hera is not simply the narrator of this story, she's equally as much of a character as any other and that's really what sets this novel apart for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and War
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault