Scan barcode
A review by lorebeth
A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I really appreciate feminist revisions of traditional 'canonical' mythologies. This shifting of Homer's male-dominated Odyssey to Hayne's exploration of womanhood is significant. A Thousand Ships focuses on the women who were not given a voice. It explores the various levels of oppression faced by women against the framing of the trojan war.
For example, the novel interrogates Penelope as the "waiting women", Trojan women who are enslaved at the end of the war, and female bodies as sites of violence and sacrifice.
In grounding female plight against the familiar background of Greek mythology, Haynes is able to unearth the plight of all women through all time. The familiar Greek stories are echoes of our own tales.
The novel is something of a cousin to Njabulo Ndebele's The Cry of Winnie Mandela, as both novels re-center traditional myths around forgotten female voices. Both interrogate the concept of "the waiting woman" and give their female characters humanity which they are usually denied.
Haynes' novel is artful and nuanced in the various perspectives so as to give a holistic reading of women in war.
Calliope's inclusion is particularly interesting as her disdain for "the bard" is a rebellion against being defined by the male gaze.
Ultimately, I believe this novel could be considered something of a modern classic and I know these stories will stay with me long after the final chapter has ended.
For example, the novel interrogates Penelope as the "waiting women", Trojan women who are enslaved at the end of the war, and female bodies as sites of violence and sacrifice.
In grounding female plight against the familiar background of Greek mythology, Haynes is able to unearth the plight of all women through all time. The familiar Greek stories are echoes of our own tales.
The novel is something of a cousin to Njabulo Ndebele's The Cry of Winnie Mandela, as both novels re-center traditional myths around forgotten female voices. Both interrogate the concept of "the waiting woman" and give their female characters humanity which they are usually denied.
Haynes' novel is artful and nuanced in the various perspectives so as to give a holistic reading of women in war.
Calliope's inclusion is particularly interesting as her disdain for "the bard" is a rebellion against being defined by the male gaze.
Ultimately, I believe this novel could be considered something of a modern classic and I know these stories will stay with me long after the final chapter has ended.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Slavery, Rape, and Sexual violence