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A review by libraryofdreaming
Ithaca by Claire North
3.0
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC! This book is the latest in a new genre of retelling Greek and Roman mythology from the POV of their overlooked and under-appreciated female characters. Claire North has turned her attention to Penelope and the women of the Odyssey, including its unnamed handmaidens, slaves, and other mistreated women. But above all this book is dominated by its narrator, the goddess Hera, who has also been overlooked as the jealous wife of Zeus.
Hera’s narrative is at turns bitingly funny, intriguing, and brutally depressing. Some of the language felt anachronistic, but her suffering and rage felt very real. I have never seen another depiction of this goddess that is both fascinating and sickeningly tragic. I read this book for Penelope and she is an engaging character, but I felt like she took a backseat to Hera’s absorbing backstory and current plight.
One element of this book I found hard to stomach was the constant sexual violence. True, violence against women is at the heart of most Greek myths but the visceral and frequent way it was described in this perspective left me feeling nauseous. While I think it does shed light on a historical reality, it’s not “enjoyable” to read.
And that’s how I felt about a great deal of this book. The writing was intriguing, the depiction of well known characters was deeply interesting, and the ultimate message is probing and thought-provoking. But I can’t say it was an easy read at all. I also really struggled to tell the characters apart. Additionally, this is the first book in a series so many issues are left up in the air after the final page. I wonder how closely North will stick to the original but I can’t help but hope Hera gets to burn the patriarchy to the ground. Pretty please?
Trigger/content warnings:
Hera’s narrative is at turns bitingly funny, intriguing, and brutally depressing. Some of the language felt anachronistic, but her suffering and rage felt very real. I have never seen another depiction of this goddess that is both fascinating and sickeningly tragic. I read this book for Penelope and she is an engaging character, but I felt like she took a backseat to Hera’s absorbing backstory and current plight.
One element of this book I found hard to stomach was the constant sexual violence. True, violence against women is at the heart of most Greek myths but the visceral and frequent way it was described in this perspective left me feeling nauseous. While I think it does shed light on a historical reality, it’s not “enjoyable” to read.
And that’s how I felt about a great deal of this book. The writing was intriguing, the depiction of well known characters was deeply interesting, and the ultimate message is probing and thought-provoking. But I can’t say it was an easy read at all. I also really struggled to tell the characters apart. Additionally, this is the first book in a series so many issues are left up in the air after the final page. I wonder how closely North will stick to the original but I can’t help but hope Hera gets to burn the patriarchy to the ground. Pretty please?
Trigger/content warnings: