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minna20smith 's review for:
A Thousand Ships
by Natalie Haynes
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
“He loses his wife so he stirs up an army to bring her back to him, costing countless lives and creating countless widows, orphans and slaves. Oenone loses her husband and she raises their son. Which of those is the more heroic act?”
I adore feminist retellings of Greek Myths but this takes the cake. So often this sub genre focuses on a singular story or woman, which has its own merits, but by voicing the tales of the numerous women at the heart of this legendary conflict, Haynes is able to rival the epic feel and weight more often given to the male “heroes” centered in the traditional tellings of the Trojan War.
I do feel like my enjoyment of this was enhanced by my prior knowledge of the Trojan War since I could focus less on the events themselves and more on the impact it had on the women but even without that, this would be a heart wrenching read and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
I adore feminist retellings of Greek Myths but this takes the cake. So often this sub genre focuses on a singular story or woman, which has its own merits, but by voicing the tales of the numerous women at the heart of this legendary conflict, Haynes is able to rival the epic feel and weight more often given to the male “heroes” centered in the traditional tellings of the Trojan War.
I do feel like my enjoyment of this was enhanced by my prior knowledge of the Trojan War since I could focus less on the events themselves and more on the impact it had on the women but even without that, this would be a heart wrenching read and I can’t recommend it highly enough.