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skateybarb's review
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and War
paperback_moon's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book was written with quite beautiful language throughout. There was some variation in tone to reflect the different women’s voices in each chapter, which was also good.
It was a little difficult to differentiate between original mythological stories and characters and the author’s inventions, although perhaps a better educated reader would find this easier. There was also a lot of violent description throughout that at times felt unnecessary.
Despite the violence, a lot of the book was very emotionally well-written and many of the characters were easy to empathise with. It is true that the effect of war on women and children is often considered in a single sentence, perhaps a death toll, rather than in personalised stories. This was therefore more emotive for women to read, I think.
It was clear that the author’s intention here was to bring to light the experiences of women in Greek mythology, since these stories are often sidelined. Perhaps this was a new perspective at the time of writing, but to me it now feels a little overdone and unnecessary. Greek retellings are very popular at the moment, and I wasn’t sure if this book was truly trying to tell the stories of women, or just capitalising on the popularity of both feminism and Greek mythology. Because of this mix of perspectives too, there was regular switching between characters that did lend the story some confusion (especially with all the Greek names!).
It was a little difficult to differentiate between original mythological stories and characters and the author’s inventions, although perhaps a better educated reader would find this easier. There was also a lot of violent description throughout that at times felt unnecessary.
Despite the violence, a lot of the book was very emotionally well-written and many of the characters were easy to empathise with. It is true that the effect of war on women and children is often considered in a single sentence, perhaps a death toll, rather than in personalised stories. This was therefore more emotive for women to read, I think.
It was clear that the author’s intention here was to bring to light the experiences of women in Greek mythology, since these stories are often sidelined. Perhaps this was a new perspective at the time of writing, but to me it now feels a little overdone and unnecessary. Greek retellings are very popular at the moment, and I wasn’t sure if this book was truly trying to tell the stories of women, or just capitalising on the popularity of both feminism and Greek mythology. Because of this mix of perspectives too, there was regular switching between characters that did lend the story some confusion (especially with all the Greek names!).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Torture, Abortion, and Death of parent
Minor: Slavery, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
kris_tea516's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book is a modern epic. It follows the time just after the Trojan War and in parallel with “The Odyssey” but from the perspective of the women. This book tells the story of several women including Eris (goddess of discord & strife), Penthesilea (an Amazon queen), Thetis (mother of Achilles), Oenone (Paris’ wife), Penelope (Odysseus’s wife), and a few others.
I wasn’t sure I was going to like the book at first. There were so many perspectives & I was worried I was going to get lost in all the characters but the author did the narration for the audiobook and did an amazing job. She added sigh’s, sarcasm, and passion where just reading the physical book I think I would have missed.
Since this follows the aftermath of war, especially ancient world war, it deals with a lot of really hard realities that most definitely happened to the conquered people, particularly the women & children. It discusses the killing of children and the elderly, the enslavement and rape of women, the trauma of mothers losing their children and husbands (even a very traumatic scene where an infant is murdered). I know these things did (and likely still do) happen & it is good for us to face the realities of war & consider the cost but it is still very difficult to read. There were times I had to take a break to keep from breaking down.
I will say, my favorite character is Penelope and her “letters” to Odysseus and her growing anger and irritation with him. Her sarcasm was excellent and I wanted cry out, “You tell him, Penelope!”
If you enjoy Greek history and mythology, especially “The Iliad” &/or “The Odyssey,” I would highly recommend this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Deportation, and Pandemic/Epidemic
poppyinthebin's review against another edition
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore and Violence
Minor: Rape
not_another_ana's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.25
When a war was ended, the men lost their lives. But the women lost everything else.
Once all fighting has stopped, what happens to the women? The survivors, the wives, the sisters, the daughters, the fighters. Natalie Hynes takes the Iliad as a starting point to explore the lives of these women and the complicated and complex feelings they experience due to their fates. We get to observe the women of Troy deal with their grief after the fall of the city and their anxiousness at their unknown future, Penelope during her long wait for Odysseus and all the bitter feelings this inspires, even the goddesses make an appearance in here. Yet, with every single point of view I encountered, I still didn't feel a thing.
I think this book stretched itself too thin trying to include as many women as possible to back up its central thesis and reason of being, in an effort to cause a greater emotional impact it actually managed to do the opposite. With such a high quantity of characters, it's difficult to create interest in them or to give all the women a particular voice. On top of that you have diverse style, prose, and tone in each chapter, and a non linear narrative which muddles everything further. My experience was closer to reading vignettes than an actual fully realized book, a reference manual in a way.
My main gripe with this book is that it didn't feel like Hynes was saying anything new. In this day and age, it seems like every day there's a new "feminist" retelling of Greek myths and stories, the market is saturated enough that you need something to make you stand out and here it lacked anything distinct. I was especially bothered by the character of Calliope, clearly an author avatar, whose sole existence was to be a mouthpiece for Hynes and to go "get it?" hint hint at the reader. Yes, I actually got it from the very summary, I don't need to be led like a blind horse. For a story about women, I thought it revolved too much about the men, and yes it would be impossible to tell these stories without their influence, but perhaps the author could have focused more on the emotionality of these characters in the face of their individual situations. There was just this general sense of resignation permeating the book that made me disengage from the very beginning. Tragedy for tragedy's sake.
Maybe the feminist retelling was the friends we made along the way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Rape
catievalentino's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
avesmaria's review
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- 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? Yes
4.0
A complicated, complex journey into the depths of powerlessness.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, and War
Minor: Sexual assault
courtsport's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
What happened to the wives of Greek heroes and the daughters of Trojan warriors? Did their lives and tragedies matter any less than the men's? Haynes breathes life into the untold stories of the women of the Trojan war, weaving an intircate tapestry of grief and resilience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Body horror, Rape, Torture, Violence, and War
thewillowwood's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Incredible. Beautifully written, the audiobook was wonderful, first audiobook i’ve been able to complete with ease. A must read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and War
Moderate: Child death, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual harassment
listen, if you’ve read the iliad, similar topics and triggers apply.averyb35's review
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Read for Marks's Heroes of Troy Class, reread to finish the chapters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail