A review by priscilla
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

challenging dark reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

"Make no mistake, this was his story - his anger, his grief, his story. I was angry, I was grieving, but somehow that didn't matter."


What a fantastic book. The writing was phenomenal and, though it did feel a bit slow at times and a bit gruesome at others (and there was one particular bit of fatphobia towards one character that didn't sit well with me at all), I feel like it did exactly what it set out to do. It shows Briseis perspective on an age-old story, but without losing sight of the fact that she is, to some degree, powerless and trapped in a narrative that never cared for her.

The writer used some amazing devices to get right to the reader's heart, for example in the scene where
Achilles murders a LOT of Trojans and Briseis talks about how none of their names mean anything to the reader - until you hear the stories their mothers tell about them.


This book deals with the harsh conditions that Briseis and the other Trojan women live in in a very matter-of-fact way, which only highlights just how awful it all is.

At the same time, there were a few times where I laughed out loud, most notably when
Odysseus talks about them only needing a good wind and then they'll be home in three days - what a fantastically hilarious way to hint at his story, I cannot, hahaha
.

All in all, a great book.
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