Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Women of Troy by Pat Barker

62 reviews

booktalker's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Death of parent, Murder, and Sexual harassment

akamystica's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Pregnancy, and War

Une bonne suite au Silence des Vaincues, évidemment on pâtit de la mort d’Achille et Patrocle du précédent tome et de l’attente des Grecs pour retourner chez eux. J’ai trouvé le rythme un peu lent bien que justifié. Comme le premier tome c’est une immersion incroyable dans un camp militaire grec à l’Antiquité, on voit comment les femmes y étaient traitées et la déchirure entre le patriotisme de Briséis et son appartenance nouvelle à la Grèce en tant qu’épouse d’un soldat grec et mère de l’enfant d’Achille.

caelfind's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

“Because isn’t that, ultimately, the way we cope with grief? There’s nothing sophisticated or civilised about it. Like savages, we ingest our dead.”

This was an exquisite story of the complexities of war, freedom, and womanhood, set amidst the immediate aftermath of the Fall of Troy. Barker crafts a harrowing, raw tale, never flinching from the realities of ancient warfare, and offering us fresh, nuanced depictions of well-known characters. Her characterisation is the shining star of this book; the characters’ deeply complex, and sometimes contradictory, personalities perfectly mirror the horrific war they grapple with. The Greeks must find a way to return home and face the violence they wrought, while the women wait to meet their uncertain futures. And all the while, the countless dead seem to hover in the corner of every hut, watching with judgemental eyes. This was a truly masterful work and I can’t wait to pick up the third book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery

Moderate: Death, Sexual assault, Violence, Murder, and War

Minor: Child death

mblanke's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative sad fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and War

Minor: Animal death

lauramay_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and War

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Torture, Medical content, Trafficking, and Injury/Injury detail

theothergrl's review against another edition

hopeful sad tense 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? Yes

4.0

I really enjoyed The Women of Troy as a sequel. It was really interesting to read more about the politics of the camp, especially through the POV of a seer navigating these power dynamics very consciously. It was great to read an author write that power is the root of all the violence and misogyny, that these things are distributed by normal men, 'good' men.
I didn't enjoy it as much as the 1st, and I felt there was fatphobia that wasn't just through the 'eyes of the men' as it claims. So I give it a 4.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and War

Moderate: Alcoholism, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol

Minor: Torture and Vomit

katy_bee's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

I enjoyed this book for the start and middle but knocked a bit off my score for the end. I appreciate that by building on the Greek myths there was a limit to plot points but it felt a little lacking in clear resolution to me. 

Nevertheless I like retellings and this one engaged with the idea of what it actually means to be given as a prize of war- pretty bleak. The way the women were trying to find ways to be - and stay true to themselves- in terrible circumstances was compelling and felt well handled

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Kidnapping, Grief, Pregnancy, and War

Minor: Torture

ckyoung's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism

Moderate: Death, Rape, and Pregnancy

historychatter's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

chilivanilli28's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Murder

Moderate: Pregnancy