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A review by tinyelfarcanist
Clytemnestra's Bind by Susan C. Wilson
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I love feminist retellings, and Clytemnestra’s Bind is an exemplary representative, where our protagonist gets to tell her side of the story as a fully nuanced person: She is not painted as the hero, just as human.
We see her dealing with the hardships of motherhood in a hostile environment despite living in luxury. Sometimes, she seems more worried about the status and potential glory of her children than their own safety and healthy upbringing, resenting those who take after their father’s brutality. She makes sure her kids stick to gender roles (men as leaders, women as wives and childbearers) to avoid awakening her husband’s ire, in her mind guaranteeing their happiness and success.
The prose transfixed me from the start and I was instantly transported to the setting. The book elicits strong emotions with the blatant misogyny and cruelty Clytemnestra suffers, making her not justified but at least understood for her decisions.
We see her dealing with the hardships of motherhood in a hostile environment despite living in luxury. Sometimes, she seems more worried about the status and potential glory of her children than their own safety and healthy upbringing, resenting those who take after their father’s brutality. She makes sure her kids stick to gender roles (men as leaders, women as wives and childbearers) to avoid awakening her husband’s ire, in her mind guaranteeing their happiness and success.
The prose transfixed me from the start and I was instantly transported to the setting. The book elicits strong emotions with the blatant misogyny and cruelty Clytemnestra suffers, making her not justified but at least understood for her decisions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Torture, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexism, Misogyny, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Incest, Sexual harassment, Grief, Murder, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, and Classism
Moderate: Slavery, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Death, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Cannibalism, Bullying, Blood, and Alcohol
Minor: War, Trafficking, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Death of parent, Confinement, Animal death, and Ableism
child marriage, intersexphobia, childbirth