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nialiversuch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Excrement, Vomit, and Pregnancy
emilyandthewhippet's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation
Minor: Cannibalism
eza008's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Confinement, Infertility, Miscarriage, Self harm, Torture, Xenophobia, Excrement, Cannibalism, Abortion, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
strawberrytheauthor's review against another edition
It is very sexual and has so much rape in it. I realize that’s because it is a retelling of the Trojan War, but I did not like this. It is cruel.
However, the writing, while not my cup of tea, is quite good.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
theloveofwordss's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Kidnapping, Grief, and War
lindseyhall44's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Death, Rape, Slavery, Trafficking, Pregnancy, and War
Moderate: Infidelity
vmatias26's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and War
Moderate: Child death, Sexual assault, Violence, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infertility, Infidelity, Suicide, Torture, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
ananko's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and War
Moderate: Infidelity, Suicide, and Torture
syllareads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Because, make no mistake, this was his story - his anger, his grief, his story. I was angry, I was grieving, but somehow, that didn't matter. Here I was, again, waiting for Achilles to decide when it was time for bed, still trapped, still stuck inside his story, and yet with no real part to play in it"
The Silence of the girls is another retelling of the Iliad - or, well, rather the Battle of Troy and most specifically, its most well-known fighter, Achilles. The book lends itself to comparisons with Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller so I will get those right out of the way and say: these two books work rather well as companion books of the same story but from different perspectives - if you, by any chance haven't yet read both of them, I'd suggest starting with this one first, though, partly because Miller's prose is unrivaled in its tender bruising whereas Pat Barker did not snare me with her words but rather the story itself.
Told mostly from Briseis' perspectives, this Greek war camp is entirely different than the one Patroclus offers us in SoA. Gritty, dark, full of dangers for herself and the other women, she's thrust into camp after seeing her own brothers slaughtered before her eyes, where Achilles takes her as his war prize. Briseis endures, like all the other women as well, their grief silent and forgotten as they become mere things, slaves to the men who killed their family. This is not her story - as she herself says. This is merely her being unable to separate herself from her captors, the way all women's stories went during that time. This is a woman's life, tongue, and thoughts being used to portray the grand men of history - and portray them she does, her own disgust and hatred carefully hidden lest she die for it.
The only thing I did not like about this book as much was the prose; partly because comparisons with SoA did not do this book any favours and partly because Barker likes to insert slang words and idioms into the text that simply do not work in this context. This is also why I am deducing one star from its final rating - I can otherwise only highly recommend it but remind people to heed the content warnings: there are aplenty.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Grief