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The Silence of the Girls
The Silence of the Girls: A Novel | Pat Barker
From the Booker Prize-winning author of the Regeneration trilogy comes a monumental new masterpiece, set in the midst of literature's most famous war. Pat Barker turns her attention to the timeless legend of The Iliad, as experienced by the captured women living in the Greek camp in the final weeks of the Trojan War. The ancient city of Troy has withstood a decade under siege of the powerful Greek army, who continue to wage bloody war over a stolen woman--Helen. In the Greek camp, another woman watches and waits for the war's outcome: Briseis. She was queen of one of Troy's neighboring kingdoms, until Achilles, Greece's greatest warrior, sacked her city and murdered her husband and brothers. Briseis becomes Achilles's concubine, a prize of battle, and must adjust quickly in order to survive a radically different life, as one of the many conquered women who serve the Greek army. When Agamemnon, the brutal political leader of the Greek forces, demands Briseis for himself, she finds herself caught between the two most powerful of the Greeks. Achilles refuses to fight in protest, and the Greeks begin to lose ground to their Trojan opponents. Keenly observant and cooly unflinching about the daily horrors of war, Briseis finds herself in an unprecedented position to observe the two men driving the Greek forces in what will become their final confrontation, deciding the fate, not only of Briseis's people, but also of the ancient world at large. Briseis is just one among thousands of women living behind the scenes in this war--the slaves and prostitutes, the nurses, the women who lay out the dead--all of them erased by history. With breathtaking historical detail and luminous prose, Pat Barker brings the teeming world of the Greek camp to vivid life. She offers nuanced, complex portraits of characters and stories familiar from mythology, which, seen from Briseis's perspective, are rife with newfound revelations. Barker's latest builds on her decades-long study of war and its impact on individual lives--and it is nothing short of magnificent.
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GondorGirl
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Today's audiobook project has been painting this owlbear miniature for my Dungeons and Dragons campaign. He's very small, so it was a challenge to get in all the details I wanted, but overall, I'm happy with the result. Owlbears are my favorite fantasy creatures, and I think more books should use them. Forget dragons, owlbears are the future! 😁

Bonus: This is one of my favorite Greek historical fiction books.

#audiocrafting #dnd

Bookwomble Love an owlbear! 🤎 4mo
ShelleyBooksie OMG - I want an owlbear 4mo
Booksblanketsandahotbeverage He‘s adorable and fierce! 4mo
See All 6 Comments
dabbe 🤩🤩🤩 4mo
bookishbitch Wow! You did an amazing job! I've painted a few minis and it is NOT easy!! Well done!! 4mo
PuddleJumper That's amazing! It looks great 4mo
41 likes6 comments
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Jas16
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I was torn between two books this month but went with the one I have thought about more than once since finishing it. #readingbracket2023

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CoveredInRust
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This has the best opening I've read in a long time. So great!

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Jas16
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Pickpick

From queen to prize of war given to Achilles, the man who helped slaughter her family Briseis gives voice to a perspective of the Trojan war not told before. The concubines well versed in the brutality of war as they cater to the warriors, nursing their wounds and warming their beds, caring only about survival and not glory or victory. Another book that took me too long to get to because I really liked it.

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jahnna
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Pickpick

12th book of summer break

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Twainy
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Pickpick

🎧 Trojan war. Over > Helen. An Iliad retelling from the POV of a minor Queen‘s character (Briseis) that you should read. She was a spoil of war for Achilles of the Greeks who killed her husband & brothers.

The ending was sad.

A story of the women behind the scenes of war. Slaves, nurses, prostitutes, baby makers told in reflection many years later.

War is brutal. This is dark. Not a good time in history to be a woman. Good narration!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Twainy I will read more by this author! 13mo
Daisey Reviews of this always sound so good but also tough, so I‘ve never gotten around to picking it up. 13mo
Twainy @Daisey it‘s a good audio. I connected with the author‘s writing in verbal form. The characters are given some depth & you feel that there was much more to war than the field of battle. Historical novel. I listened to a Libby loan. 😁 13mo
33 likes3 comments
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Kimberlone
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Back to using all my unread #BOTM books for my #BookSpinBingo.

#Bookspin: The Silence of the Girls
#DoubleSpin: The Giver of Stars

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 13mo
52 likes1 comment
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hdhubbard
Mehso-so

6/10

A slave woman tells the story of the war between the Greeks and the city of Troy. Really interesting subject matter from the perspective of a minor queen captured and given as a war prize to Achilles. I wanted to like it a lot more than I actually did. I will read it again later as the premise of the book is really interesting.

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Singout
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Pickpick

I love this: The Iliad, which I am pretty unfamiliar with, told from the perspective of Berseis: a Trojan princess who is captured and becomes the mistress of Achilles. I got swept up in the plot and the complexity of the characters, as well as the graphic portrayal of war and resistance of captured and enslaved women to gruelling abuse. I also loved how it alternated between first person and third person narration.
#Booked2022 #MythologyRetelling

TheKidUpstairs The sequel is good as well! 1y
Cinfhen Loved this too😄! Excited to read the sequel @TheKidUpstairs 1y
BarbaraTheBibliophage I love these retellings that highlight the women of myth! 1y
16 likes3 comments
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melissajayne
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Here‘s my #roll100 for November

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Cazxxx
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Pickpick

Very much enjoyed this feminist retelling of the Iliad which was emotional as well as dark and graphic. Many parts are difficult to read for the sheer suffering of the women, there are definitely some trigger warnings in this one
The story flowed nicely while the descriptions of people and places were rich and easily imagined
Looking forward to reading the next book!

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Curvybookgirl
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Pickpick

Not usually my thing but was intrigued to read this after hearing a review. I really did enjoy it. It‘s great to see these stories written from a woman‘s perspective. I will definitely be reading the next one

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DanaManiac
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Pickpick

4 ⭐️ This book was hard to read at some points because it can be hard to even read about human suffering, but is such a great retelling that held my interest from start to finish!

keys_on_fire Love the cover art! 2y
26 likes1 comment
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DanaManiac
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This arrived yesterday and I‘m very excited to crack it open on this sunny Sunday ☀️ #LMPBC

BookishBelle It was so good! 2y
DanaManiac @BookishBelle I‘m loving it so far! 2y
29 likes2 comments
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HeathHof
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Pickpick

Finished up this #lmpbc today. A pick from me but those last couple chapters were rough. 🥺
@Kdgordon88 @BookishBelle @DanaManiac

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HeathHof
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It's finally nice enough to be outside!! 🌞
Starting this one on lunch break!
#lmpbc

53 likes1 stack add
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HeathHof
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Hey group. How are you all doing this month? I recieved this today! Excited to get started!
@DanaManiac @Kdgordon88 @BookishBelle

kellyann28 Oh I read this last month and enjoyed it! It's a brutal read, though 2y
Deblovestoread Just finished The Fortunate Ones. It‘s going in the mail tomorrow. Sorry I‘m a few days late @BookishBelle 2y
BookishBelle I‘m still working on the book for my other group so no worries, @Kdgordon88 ! The Silence of the Girls was very good but @kellyann28 is right. It was brutal. 2y
58 likes3 comments
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BookishBelle
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Pickpick

The Silence of the Girls was very good! It was definitely not my usual read and a tad gross for my taste but it was so well done. I did not finish The Gilded Wolves so I do t feel like I should review it. I just never got into it. 🤷🏻‍♀️These are my #LMPBC reads for this last round and will both be in the mail today. #GroupV #GroupL

35 likes1 comment
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kellyann28
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Pickpick

This book was a traveling book (similar to LMPBC) and also ended up being my #DoubleBookSpin selection also! I overall enjoyed this one. It's a very dark and graphic book so I encourage you to check for Trigger Warnings beforehand. I do love mythology retellings, I'm glad they are becoming more popular in publication!

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Kimberlone
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Here is my April #BookspinBingo! Carried over all of the #BOTM books from last month. I am hoping I will have a more productive reading month in April, and I will finally make some progress of my BOTM backlog.

BookSpin: The Silence of the Girls
DoubleSpin: True Biz

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! Looks great!! 2y
melzen Looks nice, will you make one for may? 2y
44 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Deblovestoread
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I have one goal for #20in4. I need to finish the remaining chapters so I can mail my book timely for Group V. 8 or so chapters a night is doable.

Thanks for hosting @Andrew65

53 likes1 stack add
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Samary
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Pickpick

This is more of a so-so and a half, I did like it, where my problem is, is that it‘s supposed to be told from the perspective of Briseis. So when the perspective switched to Achilles I found it off putting. Especially since it happened pretty far into the book.
If you wanna check it out go here: https://amzn.to/3Iox8uH

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GodsLioness
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I‘ve been reading a lot of Greek myth retellings, and the thing that stands out most is just how poorly women have been treated throughout history. We‘ve been pawns, chattel, spoils of war. Robbed of choice and agency. There were never any “good old days”

8 likes1 stack add
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ChaoticMissAdventures
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Pickpick

First book of 2022. I liked this I didn't love this. But how can you love a book about the traumas of war? I appreciate that the focus is on the Trojan slave women, and how she wrapped Brisei's story around the Homer story we know. I was a bit disappointed that the book was so Achilles heavy. I wanted the focus to be on the women, and though they are the captive slaves in a male dominated camp I was really hoping for more about the women

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j9brown
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Pickpick

This was really good, I actually wanted it to be longer! I kind of wish we got more of the women's POVs instead of Achilles's, since this was more about Briseis/the fate of the women than about him. Really good anyhow, though, would read more from this author for sure.

50 likes1 stack add
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ChaoticMissAdventures
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Here we go! Week one of 2022 #tbr #readinggoals

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Nessavamusic
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Pickpick

This grim, woman‘s perspective of the Trojan war is not a pleasant read but very well written. I do want to continue reading the next book. Again this is quite dark, probably entirely true accounting of the treatment of women during war. 4⭐️ Another square done for my #bookspinbingo tbr.

Texreader Maybe not the most scholarly source but having read the Indignities of Being a Woman as my source, apparently the ancient Greeks treated women atrociously regardless of war. 2y
Nessavamusic @Texreader oh this is historical fiction, but I‘m pretty sure most of history treated women atrociously 2y
66 likes3 comments
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Lcsmcat
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Friday night, a glass of wine, and a new book to start. 😀

LauraBrook Heaven! 2y
55 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Dalaine
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Pickpick

TW: rape and sexual abuse.
I know very little about Greek history /mythology but I really enjoyed this book. I love a story that centers the experiences of women and exposes the ugly side of romanticised histories we've grown up with.
This book does deal with rape but it never lingers on it. I find that authors can give into the gratuitous violence trope easily. So, I appreciate that the author didn't go into detail of the violence she explores.

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Nadjaj
Pickpick

Enjoyed this view of the Trojan war from a different perspective.

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Rissreads
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Pickpick

I loved the retelling of this story of the Trojan war from the point of view of Briseis who goes from being a Queen to Achilles slave. I found myself thinking about what is happening in Afghanistan at the moment and feeling sad for the women of that country. We still have such a long way to go with women‘s rights.

Smrloomis Such a long way indeed! In many places I‘m afraid… 3y
SamAnne I just put this on my TBR list. Reading A Thousand Ships right now and really enjoying it. 3y
Jeg I heard her on ABC RN on the weekend, very interesting discussion. 3y
31 likes3 comments
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Frankies.space
Mehso-so

Trojan war and Achilles. Meant to be a novel centering the women and their stories. I still felt it was mainly about the men and their egos.

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SassenachTheBookWizard
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Today's read!

mrsmarch I‘m finishing this one today! 3y
63 likes1 comment
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mrsmarch
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Vacay time!! This is the life — everyone at the beach and me home alone with the dog and a book!

ValerieAndBooks Enjoy your solitude!! 3y
27 likes1 comment
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mrsmarch
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#litsysummercamp #Day6 it isn‘t outdoor cooking per se, but vacation cooking…a mug from my mother in law‘s favorite beach breakfast place.

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mrsmarch
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Briseis describes how Achilles‘ face is tanned from his helmet, so that even un-armored he seems to be wearing the gear that protects him in battle. The character of Achilles is quite an enigma here, because we are stuck in Briseis‘ POV. He wears his armor even when he isn‘t wearing his armor, always protecting himself. A good read so far — I have eaten thru easily 100 pages tonight. #bookspin #August

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3y
28 likes1 comment
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mrsmarch
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#litsysummercamp Day 3: My idea of arts&crafts is the gardener‘s art. Today I rehabilitated a bed of Mentha ‘Kentucky colonel‘ that was struggling in the shade of a tree we couldn‘t remove until the neighbors removed their privacy fence — which happened two days ago. Hoping the mint “takes” in the new sunny bed.

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mrsmarch
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#Bookspin August…good choices for a vacation week!

16 likes1 comment
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HettyG
Mehso-so

I‘ve been ripping my way through this genre and found this to be on the more mediocre side with way better options out there including A Thousand Ships. I found the parts from Achilles‘ perspective not nearly as good and didn‘t really understand the point of them.

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mackelie
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Pickpick

Briseis tells a different story of the Trojan war events and what it has meant to be a woman during these times. The story follows Achilles‘s life and the quarrel with Agamemnon involving Briseis.

I think the book was well written and had an accurate depiction of Briseis as a bed-slave. Even in this story, the women were just side characters and treated as pawns or war trophies further reaffirming the notion.

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LapReader
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As usual I took some books without leaving any. I am very naughty but when a book swap is overflowing, I don‘t feel too bad. It‘s Friday morn and my long weekend starts this evening. I plan on doing lots of reading and catching up on #LitsyLove letters as well as slow cooking and baking. This is the coldest winter we have had for a while and I am ready to be cosy. Two weeks after that the school holidays start and I will be doing much of the same.

Tamra I hope you enjoy Silence of the Girls! (edited) 3y
49 likes1 comment
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Ruthiella
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#Two4Tuesday

1. Athena/Minerva

2. The tagged book by Pat Barker.

Thanks for the tag @bthegood ! 😀

Feel like contributing @AlaSkaat @KarenUK @MsMelissa @ImperfectCJ ?

LeahBergen Athena is my fave, too. 🦉 3y
AlaSkaat I‘m not too familiar with Mythology. But I want to learn/read about it so thanks for tagging me anyway, I may find some good books to read!! 😆 3y
MsMelissa I could do this one except I don‘t have a favourite Greek/Roman God 😂 3y
See All 7 Comments
Ruthiella @AlaSkaat No worries! 😉 3y
Ruthiella @MsMelissa No worries! 😉 3y
MsMelissa I‘ve been sitting here trying to think of one though. 🤔 3y
TheSpineView Thanks for playing! 3y
34 likes7 comments
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TheKidUpstairs
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Highly recommended, this was one of my favourite reads last year.

#OppositeDay #Loud @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I think I have this one my kindle 📚 3y
73 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Freespirit
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this book. It‘s my first by Pat Barker but I shall be looking out for her others. Her writing is mesmerising.
A story of death and destruction, grief and rape ..this telling of part of the story of the war in Troy is told from a female perspective by Briseis a slave of Achilles. This is the story I know as The Iliad by Homer. I had to google names and places as I read...4 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#literature #history #retelling

CarolynM She wrote one of my all time favourite books 3y
Freespirit I am going to look out for it! @CarolynM 3y
Well-ReadNeck @Freespirit She has a new one coming out in August! 3y
See All 8 Comments
Freespirit Wow @Well-ReadNeck that sounds like a must read 💕 3y
CoverToCoverGirl Great book! 3y
kspenmoll Want to read this! 3y
Freespirit It‘s great @kspenmoll 💕 3y
54 likes2 stack adds8 comments
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sparrowssavvy
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Pickpick

This was a retelling of the Trojan war through the eyes of Briseis and the captive Trojan women. It was thought provoking and really presented a completely different angle on such a big historical event.

It really delved into topics about the historical roles of women, female identity and the trials of war. Beautifully written and easy to slide into, a wonderful read!

CoverToCoverGirl I really enjoyed this one. I‘m hoping to get to this one soon 3y
sparrowssavvy @CoverToCoverGirl I am actually hoping to read that one this month! 3y
CoverToCoverGirl So so happy you liked it! Such a great read! I still haven‘t read 3y
20 likes3 comments
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TheEllieMo
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Mehso-so

My January #BookSpin!

A retelling of the Iliad through the eyes of Briseis, the woman behind Achilles‘ 18-Chapter mega-sulk. I liked it, but didn‘t love it. Perhaps I went into it with the wrong expectation. I‘ve seen it talked about as a feminist take on the Greek myths, the Iliad from a woman‘s point of view, but really, it isn‘t. A significant %age of the book is from Achilles‘ POV, which made it feel as if Briseis wasn‘t interesting enough⬇️

TheEllieMo (Cont) in her own right to carry an entire book. It‘s an interesting enough story, but not the full “women‘s story” I was expecting. 3y
TheAromaofBooks Great review!! 3y
42 likes2 comments
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Lucy_Anywhere
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#TBRPile 📚 There was a woman at the heart of the Trojan War whose voice has been silent - till now. Discover the greatest Greek myth of all, retold by the witness that history forgot...

22 likes1 stack add
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S.Web
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this. I felt it was different enough from The Song of Achilles that both retelling are worthwhile reads. I didn‘t mind that a portion of the novel was from Achilles‘ POV. I think that made sense for this story, but I‘m excited for the sequel where hopefully the entire book will be from Briseis‘ POV.