carmen_angelica's review against another edition
2.0
2/5
Overall underwhelming, the book neither sticks to the known facts of the myth nor tells it in a refreshing way. Toibin takes creative liberty with the story for sure.
It also distances itself from (in my opinion) a pretty prominent theme in Greek mythology— the Greek gods. The novel mentions several times how “the time of the gods has come to a close” or that their power is fading. The language of the story also loses you as you read. At points it is flowery and ambiguous, but at others it quickly becomes plain.
And then there are just the things that annoy me, such as Agamemnon makes a comment that Cassandra’s prophecies help the Greeks win battles. This could not have happened. 1) In all versions of the story, Cassandra was cursed by Apollo to never be believed when she spoke a prophecy. 2) Cassandra was capture AT THE FALL OF TROY so I’m not sure what battles she could have helped with (if I’m wrong about the fact that there were no battles after the fall of Troy lmk). 3) And this one is just opinion, why would she care to tell him?
Toibin also described Cassandra as haughty and entitled when she arrives at the palace with Agamemnon, which annoys me quiet a bit. She was taken forcibly from her home, that was destroyed, and made into a concubine. I do not think she was haughty. She also knew this was were she would be murdered before she arrived, so I don’t think her description really matches her situation.
There are also entire new prominent characters added to the story, *cough cough* Leander. Maybe this is fine, but at this point I’m just not a fan of the book. When someone deviates from the original story that much, it makes me feel like I don’t know the original story as well as I would like.
Overall, would not recommend to Greek mythology fans. To me, it didn’t feel like a Greek myth, especially with the distance from the gods. The story telling was bland and you will end up wishing you spent your time on something else.
Overall underwhelming, the book neither sticks to the known facts of the myth nor tells it in a refreshing way. Toibin takes creative liberty with the story for sure.
It also distances itself from (in my opinion) a pretty prominent theme in Greek mythology— the Greek gods. The novel mentions several times how “the time of the gods has come to a close” or that their power is fading. The language of the story also loses you as you read. At points it is flowery and ambiguous, but at others it quickly becomes plain.
And then there are just the things that annoy me, such as Agamemnon makes a comment that Cassandra’s prophecies help the Greeks win battles. This could not have happened. 1) In all versions of the story, Cassandra was cursed by Apollo to never be believed when she spoke a prophecy. 2) Cassandra was capture AT THE FALL OF TROY so I’m not sure what battles she could have helped with (if I’m wrong about the fact that there were no battles after the fall of Troy lmk). 3) And this one is just opinion, why would she care to tell him?
Toibin also described Cassandra as haughty and entitled when she arrives at the palace with Agamemnon, which annoys me quiet a bit. She was taken forcibly from her home, that was destroyed, and made into a concubine. I do not think she was haughty. She also knew this was were she would be murdered before she arrived, so I don’t think her description really matches her situation.
There are also entire new prominent characters added to the story, *cough cough* Leander. Maybe this is fine, but at this point I’m just not a fan of the book. When someone deviates from the original story that much, it makes me feel like I don’t know the original story as well as I would like.
Overall, would not recommend to Greek mythology fans. To me, it didn’t feel like a Greek myth, especially with the distance from the gods. The story telling was bland and you will end up wishing you spent your time on something else.
geoff_benton's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
juliwi's review against another edition
3.0
I love Greek myths and legends so much. They were some of the first stories that ignited my passion for reading and literature and mythology, and they have been a constant companion. I know them in a way you know your childhood home. You can’t necessarily always picture it clearly, but if you close your eyes you always find your way around, remember which step creaks and where the cookies are hidden. As such, adaptations of them strike a double chord with me. They both excite me and worry me, because what are they going to do with my stories? I have had both good and bad experiences with these adaptations, and somehow House of Names falls in between. Thanks to Viking and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Something about House of Names left me wanting. On the surface there truly is nothing to complain about when it comes to Tóibín’s novel. He treats his characters with respect, he paints beautiful images with his words and has a number of high-stakes moments in his plot. And yet I never truly got involved with it all. Perhaps my standards were too high. When I visited Greece as a child I lived and breathed these stories, knew them inside out and was completely enraptured by them. Their drama, their language, their scope and depth; in comparison to it House of Names fell flat for me. A novel that did incredibly well at capturing the essence of Greek mythology was The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood, in which she made the character of Penelope her own while also sinking into the richness that the source material offered her. I liked the chapters around Clytemnestra and Electra, mainly because, like Penelope and Helen, they are sidelined in the originals, yet even those never go me truly got me excited. Also, strangely, in my edition of the book, their chapters are written from the first person, whereas Orestes’ chapters are third person, removing the reader even further from his character.
Tóibín writes very well. He sets scenes up perfectly, captures emotions and mindsets very well and at the end of the book you want more. I personally wanted more because I knew were the story was going and because I was curious how Tóibín would handle it. But I’ve also seen other reviewers saying they wanted more. And yet it is told in a way I can only call dispassionate. The House of Atreus is a doomed house, a cursed house, full of murder, betrayal and vengeance, yet Tóibín brings to it the same passion you would to a shopping list. My problem with House of Names, I think, lies with that he tries to justify or moralize why what happens had to happen. Agamemnon had to sacrifice Iphigenia because he was under pressure from his army. As an outraged mother and sidelined queen, revenge seems a natural option for Clytemnestra. As the only son, Orestes has to avenge his father, even if he is perhaps not quite convinced of it himself. The Greek stories allow for destiny, they deal in absolutes and don’t require moralizing because we recognize that push from destiny. Greek tragedy didn’t really deal with the psychology behind their characters, yet Aeschylus and the others filled their characters with life. By moralizing and attempting to explain, much of the magic is lost and in the end none of the characters are truly likeable. This was my first Tóibín read, and although House of Names convinced me he is a good writer, I don’t know if I’ll want to pick up another one of his books anytime soon.
Although I enjoyed House of Names, it didn’t blow me away or engrossed me as much as I had hoped. The characterization was there, but left me wanting for something deeper, something more true to the source. House of Names would make for an easy introduction to adaptations of Greek mythology, without requiring a massive knowledge of said mythology.
For full review: http://universeinwords.blogspot.ro/2017/10/review-house-of-names-by-colm-toibin.html
Something about House of Names left me wanting. On the surface there truly is nothing to complain about when it comes to Tóibín’s novel. He treats his characters with respect, he paints beautiful images with his words and has a number of high-stakes moments in his plot. And yet I never truly got involved with it all. Perhaps my standards were too high. When I visited Greece as a child I lived and breathed these stories, knew them inside out and was completely enraptured by them. Their drama, their language, their scope and depth; in comparison to it House of Names fell flat for me. A novel that did incredibly well at capturing the essence of Greek mythology was The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood, in which she made the character of Penelope her own while also sinking into the richness that the source material offered her. I liked the chapters around Clytemnestra and Electra, mainly because, like Penelope and Helen, they are sidelined in the originals, yet even those never go me truly got me excited. Also, strangely, in my edition of the book, their chapters are written from the first person, whereas Orestes’ chapters are third person, removing the reader even further from his character.
Tóibín writes very well. He sets scenes up perfectly, captures emotions and mindsets very well and at the end of the book you want more. I personally wanted more because I knew were the story was going and because I was curious how Tóibín would handle it. But I’ve also seen other reviewers saying they wanted more. And yet it is told in a way I can only call dispassionate. The House of Atreus is a doomed house, a cursed house, full of murder, betrayal and vengeance, yet Tóibín brings to it the same passion you would to a shopping list. My problem with House of Names, I think, lies with that he tries to justify or moralize why what happens had to happen. Agamemnon had to sacrifice Iphigenia because he was under pressure from his army. As an outraged mother and sidelined queen, revenge seems a natural option for Clytemnestra. As the only son, Orestes has to avenge his father, even if he is perhaps not quite convinced of it himself. The Greek stories allow for destiny, they deal in absolutes and don’t require moralizing because we recognize that push from destiny. Greek tragedy didn’t really deal with the psychology behind their characters, yet Aeschylus and the others filled their characters with life. By moralizing and attempting to explain, much of the magic is lost and in the end none of the characters are truly likeable. This was my first Tóibín read, and although House of Names convinced me he is a good writer, I don’t know if I’ll want to pick up another one of his books anytime soon.
Although I enjoyed House of Names, it didn’t blow me away or engrossed me as much as I had hoped. The characterization was there, but left me wanting for something deeper, something more true to the source. House of Names would make for an easy introduction to adaptations of Greek mythology, without requiring a massive knowledge of said mythology.
For full review: http://universeinwords.blogspot.ro/2017/10/review-house-of-names-by-colm-toibin.html
girlbossclytemnestra's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
theatomicblonde22's review against another edition
2.0
I'm not entirely sure how to express my feelings in a short, succinct review of this book. I love a good myth retelling, and I'd heard this one comes highly recommended. It's my first Colm Tóibín book and his writing definitely beautiful. The book is broken up into three narrative sections - Clytemnestra, Orestes, and Electra - and spans from the beginning of the Greek's journey to fight the Trojans and ends many years later after the murders of *spoiler?* both Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. I really, really enjoyed Clytemnestra's sections, where we get to see the raw emotion of a mother mourning her child and the buildup of her resentment and hatred towards her husband. But, that's sort of where the enjoyment ends for me... Orestes' chapters were very boring and I honestly don't recall more than half of it (granted, it's the entire middle half of the book) and Electra struct me as a floundering, also useless portrayal of what should have been a compelling character. The ending of the book was, for me, completely unsatisfying and delves VERY little into the aftermath of Orestes' matricide. No furies chasing him, no attempt to cleanse himself of the blood of such a crime, nope. None of that. The book literally ends in the middle of his wife (who is not the mythological cousin he DOES marry) in labor about to have a baby that's not actually his. I almost feel like that was a huge waist of an 8 hour audiobook.
fictionfan's review
4.0
Dysfunctional family...
When Agamemnon decides to sacrifice his daughter to the gods to gain their support for his war, his wife Clytemnestra plots a bloody and horrific revenge. In her grief and rage, she doesn't consider the profound effects her actions will have on her surviving children – Electra, silently watching as her mother finds herself at the mercy of her lover and fellow conspirator, Aegisthus; and young Orestes, exiled from his home and facing many dangers as he fights for survival.
This retelling of the Greek tragedy is given in three voices. Clytemnestra comes first and it's through her eyes, the eyes of a mother, that we see Agamemnon's trickery and the horror of Iphigenia's sacrifice. Tóibín shows us the full brutality of both Agamemnon's act and Clytemnestra's revenge in all their blood-soaked horror. Clytemnestra tells us what she thought, said, did, but it's in the gaps between that the reader learns how she felt – helpless in the face of a savagery she shares. Agamemnon's murder is frighteningly well done, but then Clytemnestra finds herself, not the mistress but the property of Aegisthus, a man revealed as a cold and cruel tyrant.
On the night of the murder, Orestes is kidnapped and held with the sons of other important men, all hostages to ensure their families' compliance with the new regime. After some time, Orestes falls under the influence of Leander, who persuades him to escape along with a third boy, Mitros. Orestes' section tells of the boys' lives as they find ways to survive until they reach manhood. Again, there are some scenes of brutality but there is also love in this section as the boys, isolated from their own families, create a kind of family of their own.
I found these first two sections excellent – Clytemnestra's full of bitterness and rage, Orestes' softer and quieter despite the episodes of violence. Unfortunately, after that point the book fell away for me rather. The third section is seen from Electra's point of view. Ignored by her mother and grieving her father, Electra has inherited the family desire for revenge, but somehow I didn't find this as convincing as Clytemnestra's vengefulness. And when Orestes returns as a man, I fear I found him rather pale and insipid. Tóibín's writing is always rather understated when it comes to emotions, and that usually works wonderfully for me – his descriptions of the actions and thoughts of his characters is enough to allow me to feel I understand the emotions that are driving them without Tóibín having to spell them out. And that's how I felt about Clytemnestra and the younger Orestes. But with Electra and the older Orestes, the understatement is less successful, leaving me struggling to empathise with either.
Tóibín's writing is excellent as always, especially powerful when showing the brutality in the earlier passages. But I found the latter half lacked that power and that, added to my lack of sympathy for the younger characters, meant I was left rather unmoved by their eventual fates. Of course, it's an essential read for any fan of Tóibín, and it's quite probable that my slight disappointment is largely caused by my overly high expectations. But it's not one I would recommend as an introduction to his work – for me, it doesn't quite reach the heights of many of his earlier books. 3½ stars for me, so rounded up.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Scribner.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
When Agamemnon decides to sacrifice his daughter to the gods to gain their support for his war, his wife Clytemnestra plots a bloody and horrific revenge. In her grief and rage, she doesn't consider the profound effects her actions will have on her surviving children – Electra, silently watching as her mother finds herself at the mercy of her lover and fellow conspirator, Aegisthus; and young Orestes, exiled from his home and facing many dangers as he fights for survival.
This retelling of the Greek tragedy is given in three voices. Clytemnestra comes first and it's through her eyes, the eyes of a mother, that we see Agamemnon's trickery and the horror of Iphigenia's sacrifice. Tóibín shows us the full brutality of both Agamemnon's act and Clytemnestra's revenge in all their blood-soaked horror. Clytemnestra tells us what she thought, said, did, but it's in the gaps between that the reader learns how she felt – helpless in the face of a savagery she shares. Agamemnon's murder is frighteningly well done, but then Clytemnestra finds herself, not the mistress but the property of Aegisthus, a man revealed as a cold and cruel tyrant.
None of us who had travelled, however, guessed the truth for one second, even though some of the others standing around, maybe even most of them, must have known it. But not one of them gave a sign, not a single sign.
The sky remained blue, the sun hot in the sky, and the gods – oh yes, the gods! - seemed to be smiling on our family that day, on the bride-to-be and her young brother, on me, and on her father as he stood in the embrace of love, as he would stand eventually in the victory of battle with his army triumphant. Yes, the gods smiled that day as we came in all innocence to help Agamemnon execute his plan.
On the night of the murder, Orestes is kidnapped and held with the sons of other important men, all hostages to ensure their families' compliance with the new regime. After some time, Orestes falls under the influence of Leander, who persuades him to escape along with a third boy, Mitros. Orestes' section tells of the boys' lives as they find ways to survive until they reach manhood. Again, there are some scenes of brutality but there is also love in this section as the boys, isolated from their own families, create a kind of family of their own.
I found these first two sections excellent – Clytemnestra's full of bitterness and rage, Orestes' softer and quieter despite the episodes of violence. Unfortunately, after that point the book fell away for me rather. The third section is seen from Electra's point of view. Ignored by her mother and grieving her father, Electra has inherited the family desire for revenge, but somehow I didn't find this as convincing as Clytemnestra's vengefulness. And when Orestes returns as a man, I fear I found him rather pale and insipid. Tóibín's writing is always rather understated when it comes to emotions, and that usually works wonderfully for me – his descriptions of the actions and thoughts of his characters is enough to allow me to feel I understand the emotions that are driving them without Tóibín having to spell them out. And that's how I felt about Clytemnestra and the younger Orestes. But with Electra and the older Orestes, the understatement is less successful, leaving me struggling to empathise with either.
Tóibín's writing is excellent as always, especially powerful when showing the brutality in the earlier passages. But I found the latter half lacked that power and that, added to my lack of sympathy for the younger characters, meant I was left rather unmoved by their eventual fates. Of course, it's an essential read for any fan of Tóibín, and it's quite probable that my slight disappointment is largely caused by my overly high expectations. But it's not one I would recommend as an introduction to his work – for me, it doesn't quite reach the heights of many of his earlier books. 3½ stars for me, so rounded up.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Scribner.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
adrianacheerios's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75