Scan barcode
secre's review
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-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? It's complicated
3.0
I probably ought to have read The Silence of the Girls first. I didn't actually check before starting it and only remembered that Pat Barker was on my 'to read' list. So when it came up as a Kindle deal, I snatched it and started reading. I therefore felt a tad lost to begin with. I'd missed the first chunk of the tale and, not being particularly good with my mythology to begin with, found myself floundering. None of the characters are explained - the assumption being that you've either read the first book or that you at least know your Greek historical figures. I had neither. It's therefore a mark of the author's skill that after a few chapters she managed to ground me in the narrative.
Our narrator is Briseis, wife of the late Achilles and now married to Alcimus whilst carrying Achilles child. It's a clever choice of narrator as her position allows her a view into both the male and the female spheres, even if she is mostly with the women. It's slow, and offers glimpses into the lives of the women taken from Troy, those with far less freedom than Briseis herself. Where I think it lets itself down is that despite being the 'women of Troy', it still largely centres itself on the men. Part of this is undeniably necessary; it is the men making all the decisions in camp and their behaviour has a direct impact on the women. However, the switch into the men being the narrators felt unnecessary and detracted from the story I think Barker was trying to tell.
Because this should have been the story of the powerless, the enslaved, the crushed. The women whose children had been taken and killed. Those who had lost husbands, fathers, sons and unborn child. Those taken into slavery and given no choice as to where their lives would inevitably lead. Yet I felt those voices were often muted, with more time being given to the enslavers, the rapists, the killers. It would have been a more powerful novel if those muted by time and historical retelling were given that voice. I felt Natalie Haynes managed it better in A Thousand Ships, which is a book that has stayed with me since I read it.
I'm still interested in reading the first in the series, but I'll go into it with a little more hesitation now. Because this was certainly well written. Parts of it were poignant and moving. But it didn't really do what I thought it was going to do.
Our narrator is Briseis, wife of the late Achilles and now married to Alcimus whilst carrying Achilles child. It's a clever choice of narrator as her position allows her a view into both the male and the female spheres, even if she is mostly with the women. It's slow, and offers glimpses into the lives of the women taken from Troy, those with far less freedom than Briseis herself. Where I think it lets itself down is that despite being the 'women of Troy', it still largely centres itself on the men. Part of this is undeniably necessary; it is the men making all the decisions in camp and their behaviour has a direct impact on the women. However, the switch into the men being the narrators felt unnecessary and detracted from the story I think Barker was trying to tell.
Because this should have been the story of the powerless, the enslaved, the crushed. The women whose children had been taken and killed. Those who had lost husbands, fathers, sons and unborn child. Those taken into slavery and given no choice as to where their lives would inevitably lead. Yet I felt those voices were often muted, with more time being given to the enslavers, the rapists, the killers. It would have been a more powerful novel if those muted by time and historical retelling were given that voice. I felt Natalie Haynes managed it better in A Thousand Ships, which is a book that has stayed with me since I read it.
I'm still interested in reading the first in the series, but I'll go into it with a little more hesitation now. Because this was certainly well written. Parts of it were poignant and moving. But it didn't really do what I thought it was going to do.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Rape, and Slavery
matthiasreads's review against another edition
dark
reflective
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Murder, Pregnancy, and War
z_reads_books's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Beautifully written, a tragic tale come to life. I truly love and appreciate the author’s writing style. The tone was serious and reflective, challenging the views of the patriarchy and exploring the nature of humankind and our motives.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Violence, and War
megb64's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Rape, Violence, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and War
c_wilkinson's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Rape and War
thehyacinthgirl's review
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, War, and Injury/Injury detail
mooglemania's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Fatphobia, Miscarriage, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, and War
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
Honestly mid. Plot goes nowhere. Characters unlikable, especially the Trojans. Somehow manages to make a book about the Trojan side of the war where the Trojans are more unlikable than the Greeks. The MC is so inconsistent (and not in a character growth kind of way, in a character has no real alliegance sort of way) and is constantly criticising traumatised women and comparing them to one another and just being the worst. Meanwhile the Greeks are portrayed as these backwards savages who have no respect for anything but the MC is still bending over backwards to praise them every chance she gets. Honestly the author writes well but has no business writing these stories. Can't take these Greek soldiers with their "ullo guv'nor" British accents seriously.helenaramsay's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I liked this much more than the first book in the series (maybe more because I read rather than listened to this one and could control more about the experience?) but still found the plot rather boring (moreso than the first one) and the characters generally quite dull. The story covers a period of a few weeks and there is only one central plot point which I found to be resolved incredibly quickly, almost flippantly, when it finally became the focus of the book rather late on. Most of the book is a further exploration of characters involved- agreeably more focused on the actions of women this time than men as I found annoying with the last book- but the protagonist still lacks something captivating or inspiring. If the book were written in the third person rather than through Briseis' eyes, I really don't think you would lose much.
I did like Hecuba, Andromache, and Ritsa though, and would enjoy reading more about women like them if the series continues.
I did like Hecuba, Andromache, and Ritsa though, and would enjoy reading more about women like them if the series continues.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Murder, and War
Moderate: Child death, Slavery, and Violence
liviaes's review
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Suicide, Violence, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and War
Moderate: Animal cruelty