A review by rodiemom
Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Spoiler warning, but only if you don’t have any backstory of the Greek myths or the Trojan war.
This book is an interesting retelling of the Trojan War from the perspective of Clytemnestra, Agamemnon’s vengeful wife. The first half of the book slowly sets up the marriage of Helen to Menelaus and Clytemnestra to Agamemnon before it ever approaches Paris and Helen’s running off to trigger the war. The slow build has a lot more dialogue and bickering between the sisters as children and young women than I was expecting. It felt like the backstories of their childhood were dragging on too long, trying to compel the reader to empathize with the women and point out the misogyny of ancient Greece despite the strength of Spartan women. The author did that well, but often wandered into distracting details that takes the reader away from the point.
In all, I really enjoyed the book and especially the story told from the perspective of the women left behind in Greece. I just would have liked it a little more sharply edited. Definitely an enjoyable and worthwhile read.
This book is an interesting retelling of the Trojan War from the perspective of Clytemnestra, Agamemnon’s vengeful wife. The first half of the book slowly sets up the marriage of Helen to Menelaus and Clytemnestra to Agamemnon before it ever approaches Paris and Helen’s running off to trigger the war. The slow build has a lot more dialogue and bickering between the sisters as children and young women than I was expecting. It felt like the backstories of their childhood were dragging on too long, trying to compel the reader to empathize with the women and point out the misogyny of ancient Greece despite the strength of Spartan women. The author did that well, but often wandered into distracting details that takes the reader away from the point.
In all, I really enjoyed the book and especially the story told from the perspective of the women left behind in Greece. I just would have liked it a little more sharply edited. Definitely an enjoyable and worthwhile read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Murder, Rape, and War