A review by sofipitch
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

dark emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I can't believe this book and A Thousand Ships are often represented together as equal. This book is far far superior. 

I love the perspective this book has on the culture it's examining. Bc while Briesis is right to be upset becoming a spoil or war, she still remembers that she had slaves and concubines in her own palace. She is always exposed to other women who have different and potentiall  worse experiences than her. They also have different opinions on their fate. I think her constant comparison to others is really insightful. 

I thought this book would be overly an overly harsh portrayal of Achilles but I actually think it is very nuanced and intelligent. Having some of the book shown from his perspective is really great, you see the difference between Achilles and his legacy versus Achilles himself. 

I also like that Barker absolved Achilles of Polyxena's death. However if you are a big fan of the other kings, Agamemnon, Menelaus, Odysseus, and Nestor, you might not like their portrayal in this, but it's pretty minor.

I think this is my favorite portrayal of Briseis. It is the most nuanced and it also feels the most informed. In myths she kind of disappears after she stops being relevant, so it's up to the author to choose what happened to her, and I prefer Barker's choice to what happened in "The Song of Achilles".
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