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

informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Amazing! But I think I enjoyed it so much because I had already read A Song of Achilles (Miller). It was in equal parts angry, confrontational and brutal as well as melancholic and tragic. It pairs so seamlessly with Miller’s  somber, heart-wrenching and deeply personal narrative. These novels as a collective interpretation of the stories of Briseis, Patroclus and Achilles were profoundly thought provoking when set so starkly against one another. Would have given it a 4.25, but tried to imagine reading it without Miller’s novel, hence the slightly lower rating. Can’t wait to read the sequel.