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A review by amylynch
The Women of Troy by Pat Barker
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The Women Of Troy follows on from The Silence Of The Girls. Troy has fallen and the Greeks are now awaiting a change of winds to return home, with the Trojan women they have captured during their campaign.
The narration is mostly via Briesis, who is now a wife of a Greek soldier, who feels a responsibility to the recently captured women of Troy who lack even Briesis' small amount of status in the camp.
Although an interesting perspective on this well known tale, the plot seemed to lack a central driving force. In The Silence of the Girls both the Greek soldiers and the Trojan women have a vested interest in the outcome of the war. Although there is little to nothing at all for the Trojan women in Troy anymore, leaving its shores to the Greek homelands isn't in the women's interest either. So The Women Of Troy is focused on the Trojan women coming to terms with the bleakness of their new lives. This means that the events of The Women of Troy are somewhat detached from one another. And while the variety of responses of the women to their new lives was interesting, their characters didn't really develop. So the events of the book have little ability to change the Trojan women's fortunes, nor do they develop their characters. Which meant the book lacked momentum. I didn't find myself wondering what would happen next or really feeling the tug to pick it back up. When I did pick it up though, it is well written and the characters themselves interesting. So a good read, although not a gripping one.
The narration is mostly via Briesis, who is now a wife of a Greek soldier, who feels a responsibility to the recently captured women of Troy who lack even Briesis' small amount of status in the camp.
Although an interesting perspective on this well known tale, the plot seemed to lack a central driving force. In The Silence of the Girls both the Greek soldiers and the Trojan women have a vested interest in the outcome of the war. Although there is little to nothing at all for the Trojan women in Troy anymore, leaving its shores to the Greek homelands isn't in the women's interest either. So The Women Of Troy is focused on the Trojan women coming to terms with the bleakness of their new lives. This means that the events of The Women of Troy are somewhat detached from one another. And while the variety of responses of the women to their new lives was interesting, their characters didn't really develop. So the events of the book have little ability to change the Trojan women's fortunes, nor do they develop their characters. Which meant the book lacked momentum. I didn't find myself wondering what would happen next or really feeling the tug to pick it back up. When I did pick it up though, it is well written and the characters themselves interesting. So a good read, although not a gripping one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Sexual violence