Reviews with content warning for Alcoholism - Clytemnestra

I read Elektra by Jennifer Saint last year and it was a bit of a hate read. I hated Elektra and I half liked her mom Clytemnestra but then she became unlikable and the men were either colossal douche canoes or in the case of 2 guys: boring and lame. It was pure rage and revenge though which makes it compelling but I felt like the wrongs against women became too gratuitous for me to be satisfied by the ending. Which I suppose is part of the point but that doesn't mean I have to like its execution.

In contrast Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati: OMG I *love* these characters! Clytemnestra is so lovable I care deeply for her. She is strong in every way, fierce, and burns with a rage. How she has spent her life being beaten by her peers in "training" while also being beaten down mentally by men like she is stupid just because she is a woman. AND YET she is still a sweet soul who briefly had the love she dreamed of deep deep down. The better world for herself and her children was oh so close just to have it all snatched away by a man who simply wanted to break her. Arg it's almost too much to bear reading but how Clytemnestra handles it all is amazing and awe inspiring. She is making the best out of her awful situation. You can feel her need for revenge as a coping mechanism but she's also a good mother and queen. I felt by the end that I knew her and her family and I cared and worried for them. I could feel the love between Clytemnestra and her children, sisters, and brothers which made her pain all the much sharper. Casati is doing so much right by these people by making them so multi-dimensional and well human. I was so glad to read more about Helen who seems to frequently be only a bland vapid doll/ prop to initiate the Trojan War. Here she's a multi-faceted girl who has been traumatized by her own beauty and how she is treated because of it. She is strong though and admits her bad decision.
If you want layered deep character work and not just the myth fleshed out a bit this book is good for you. I really hope Costanza Casati writes more mythology retellings because I will pick it up.

Content Warnings

madelinequinne's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book put me right back into my ancient greece obsession, and i’m very thankful for that, because it’s a truly intriguing subject.

This story is incredible, filled with female rage and agony, told in such a beautiful way! I couldn’t stop reading, I just needed to not what happened next. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in ancient greece and the queens of that time

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enchantedelfie's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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flashandoutbreak's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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ramreadsagain's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me an advance proof copy of this book.

Clytemnestra has long been one of the more vilified female characters in Greek myth, often known only as the scheming adulterer who murders her husband. Casati takes us beyond this one-line story and gives us 400+ pages of Clytemnestra's life, and it is glorious.

We follow her childhood as a Spartan princess and see how her upbringing lays the foundations of her belief system. I enjoyed the family dynamics and subplots in this section as well as a look at younger versions of some of the key players of the Trojan War (particularly Helen and Odysseus). What follows is a series of betrayals and losses that turn Clytemnestra into what she is more known as: a woman seeking revenge.

It is incredibly well-written and I loved how it balanced a discussion on the toxicity and futility of the cycle of revenge while also making us side with Clytemnestra and feel her bloodthirst.

The only other greek retelling book I have read is The Song of Achilles so I don't know if this is commonly done or not, but I do like how in Clytemnestra the gods aren't necessarily 'real'. They don't feature as characters, and there is even an alternate (though ambiguous) explanation for Helen's father (who in mythology is Zeus).

The only issue I had with this was some pacing troubles in the first half, and two years-long time skips that mean we don't actually see the immediate repercussions/reactions to two of the most traumatic events of Clytemnestra's life. I understand that her long-weaved vengeance is the main event but would still have liked to see some more short-term reactions.

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herasrevenge88's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

I enjoyed this book and wrote down a lot of quotes. I love Greek mythology and retellings, but some thing in the pacing of this book, made certain parts of it harder to get through than others. What got me through the slow parts is the fact that I already know the story of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon. I am unsure if anyone who is unfamiliar with their story would be as willing to push through the slow parts of the story. However, I do feel that the writing is very well done. I was cheering Clytemnestra on even while I recoiled at some of her antics. The author does an amazing job of painting, the portrait of an actual woman not just a character of legend. Clytemnestra is flawed, but she also is very relatable and very human. I finish this book feeling like I would have probably done exactly what she had done had I lived her life and experienced these things.

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conspystery's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A massive thank-you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author of Clytemnestra for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this outstanding book! I appreciate it so much! This book is absolutely bewitching. It is fiery and dark and painful and retributive in all the best ways, exactly what I’d hope for in a retelling of Clytemnestra’s story. Clytemnestra not only does justice to its source material but also transforms it, adding complex perspective and depth to its characters, themes, and events. Its spiral into tragedy is compelling.

Part of what drives Clytemnestra’s intoxicating sense of immersion in the narrative is its structure. The book is split up into sections surrounding major events in the protagonist’s life, establishing temporality through time skips and flashbacks. This segmented structure works exceptionally well to pace the story. It adds narrative weight exactly where it needs to go, which is crucial in a story dotted with tragedy like this one, and helps to move the book forward with Clytemnestra herself. Also, establishing a consistent structure and style of immersion like this means that when the format is briefly broken-- like when suddenly the story is being told in letters, or the limited perspective suddenly shifts to follow a new character-- the contrast is all the more fascinating. Clytemnestra’s structure both constructs its addictive downward spiral and emphasizes the fleeting periods of happiness in the story to make the inevitable tragedies hit even harder, pulling the reader along with the protagonist as she descends.

The writing of Clytemnestra is even more absorbing than its structure. Every word of the book feels intentional and fitting for its setting, characters, and plot. The syntax and figurative language, especially its similes and metaphors, mirror Clytemnestra’s character arc through the novel: in just the first few sections the writing evolves, like her, from devoted and burning and focused to considering and tentatively unguarded, more and more relaxed and peaceful until the plot’s fever breaks into tragedy. It continues to develop as the book goes on with concise, articulated grace perfectly suited to Clytemnestra herself, and complements the book’s atmosphere with its imagery and emotional pull. I love how vicious the language of this book gets at points, especially in contrast with how refreshing its moments of delicacy or natural beauty are-- its imagery of changing seasons to note the passing of time is particularly striking when considered in the context of Clytemnestra’s emotional state and character development. Also notable is the dialogue, which itself is written thoughtfully and grippingly: each character has a distinct voice that matches, or in many more intriguing cases contrasts, the protagonist’s view of them.

Clytemnestra’s characters are utterly fascinating, which is crucial for a novel so driven by the reconciliation between humans and their agency when confronted with tragic fates and unfair societies. Helen is one of my favorite characters. I’ve never read a version of Helen quite like this one. Many retellings paint her as manipulative or aloof or cruel, which is interesting in its own right, but this story does its best to paint Helen in a thoughtful, sympathetic light. She struggles with her self-worth in the face of surface-level judgment and with constant comparisons to her sister. When her issues boil over the cover of subtlety and mildness she tries to fit herself to, she becomes understandably spiteful, then regretful, then desperate. Even after the Trojan War begins, Helen remains an interesting character in the mind of Clytemnestra, who has to grapple with the biased memories she holds of her sister: did the childhood perfect and unbothered version of Helen that Clytemnestra held in her mind ever really exist at all, or was Clytemnestra’s perception of her tainted by comparison? I love how Helen and Clytemnestra’s sisterhood is so complex. It develops through the novel realistically and intriguingly, not to mention Clytemnestra’s relationships with her other siblings and family members.

Other characters I especially enjoyed reading are Penelope, Odysseus, and Electra, but really everyone in the cast of this novel, no matter how significant their role, stands out as multifaceted with plenty of layers to consider-- Clytemnestra herself definitely included! She defines this novel as its voice; her perspectives are the ones the audience looks through. This book does a fantastic job of truly bringing its audience along with its protagonist and putting them in her mind while also presenting foreshadowing (the constant references to Artemis are my favorite example of this, knowing Iphigenia’s story) and dramatic irony to tinge the background. The audience processes the world through Clytemnestra’s mind, but they are given enough surrounding information to be able to see the faults in her reasoning and her flaws. Clytemnestra’s development is externally like a downward spiral; however, this book immerses its audience so thoroughly in her world that they cannot help but feel her rage at the injustice and tragedy she is forced to endure again and again and again. Making Clytemnestra into an understandable or sympathetic character is no small feat-- yet this book completely succeeds at doing so, painful and upsetting but also cathartic and contemplative, almost wistful and bittersweet in its moments of reflection.

The quality of this book that I think sets it unequivocally apart from others in this genre is its commitment to its narrative. Every part of this book feels deliberate; all its potential is followed through to the end. The book commits to its interpretation of events, be that through its own artistic liberty, character choices, or the brutality of its narrative, fully and completely. Many retellings shy away from their own struggle with uncomfortable parts of source material or reinterpret them in a way that is shallow, avoidant, or has questionable implications even and especially when attempting to modernize their themes; Clytemnestra, however, does not suffer this problem and is made better for it. This book leans into its decisions hard. It is violent and horrific when the narrative calls for it, never hiding from its own brutality. While this commitment does result in many extremely uncomfortable, disturbing, and otherwise upsetting scenes, questions raised, and topics covered, I feel that Clytemnestra presents them in a way which brings productive, meaningful light to the implications of the source material. Clytemnestra’s story is dark, tragic, steeped in injustice-- so the book forces its audience to look directly at the ugliness and see it for what it is rather than sidestep it in favor of a more comfortable narrative. Its commitment is commendable.

Ultimately, Clytemnestra is an absorbing, strikingly painful tragedy that draws power from contrast. It is disturbingly violent at times and hazily, near-nostalgically reflective at others, the writing itself crafting powerful immersion within the protagonist’s world and mindset. Its characters and interpretation of events are thoughtfully, evocatively written with depth in every aspect. It raises questions about the truth in a legacy, the sides of stories-- and people!-- overlooked or covered up, and the way people justify injustice itself. This is a brutally powerful novel with a fascinating lead character and message about the cost of being remembered. I loved it.

Content Warnings

kirkspockreads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This book comes out Spring 2023, and I was given this ARC by NetGalley for review.
Critique: This book is too long. Lots of parts need to be cleaned up or cut out altogether and in many places the tense is mixed up. But, since this is an ARC, I suppose that is to be expected and there is still some editing to be done. The author uses metaphor a lot and it gets old quickly. I had to get my copy of Edith Hamilton’s “Mythology” out at one point so I could figure out who some of the characters were and how they fit into the world. I think a map also would have been helpful too. Some of us never got the chance to take an Ancient Greek course in college.
However, this is still a pretty good book. Clytemnestra is a fierce and well-rounded character, as are many of the other members of her family and her children. I especially liked Helen and Timandra. Timandra needs her own book.
I knew most of what was going to happen to Clytemnestra because of The Iliad, but I was very confused by why

Tyndareus, her father, would betray her and let Agamemnon kill her first wife and son and then marry her. The reason for that political alliance needed to be explained better.

And why did the book end when it did? I want to know more about what happens to her after she

murders Agamemnon (what a bastard he was). Does her son come back for his revenge? What about Electra?

Overall, a decent read, and I’m sure anyone who liked Madeline Miller’s works will enjoy this one too.

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