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A review by _tabby_
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I love retellings of famous stories when they're rewritten from the woman's point of view and Pat Barker did this incredibly well.
It made me hate Achilles even more than I thought possible but it wasn't her version of Achilles I hated- this book just made me realise how horrible of a man he really is despite the version of the myth being told. Eye opening moment.
Patroclus remains as sweet as ever but Barker doesn't let you forget that he was no exception to keeping a slave girl (she goes into detail about the other slave girls too which emphasises the title)
Briseis was possibly the best choice of female character for the lead of this book and her personality doesn't feel forced or made up- it feels natural to her character and like the personality and thoughts she was always meant to have (if Homer spoke about her more ofc)
Loved this book and currently reading the sequel, "The Women of Troy".
It made me hate Achilles even more than I thought possible but it wasn't her version of Achilles I hated- this book just made me realise how horrible of a man he really is despite the version of the myth being told. Eye opening moment.
Patroclus remains as sweet as ever but Barker doesn't let you forget that he was no exception to keeping a slave girl (she goes into detail about the other slave girls too which emphasises the title)
Briseis was possibly the best choice of female character for the lead of this book and her personality doesn't feel forced or made up- it feels natural to her character and like the personality and thoughts she was always meant to have (if Homer spoke about her more ofc)
Loved this book and currently reading the sequel, "The Women of Troy".
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and War
Moderate: Child death, Trafficking, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship