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Elektra
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Fantasy (2022)The House of Atreus is cursed. A bloodline tainted by a generational cycle of violence and vengeance. This is the story of three women, their fates inextricably tied to this curse, and the fickle nature of men and gods.
Clytemnestra
The sister of Helen, wife of Agamemnon - her hopes of averting the curse are dashed when her sister is taken to Troy by the feckless Paris. Her husband raises a great army against them, and determines to win, whatever the cost.
Cassandra
Princess of Troy, and cursed by Apollo to see the future but never to be believed when she speaks of it. She is powerless in her knowledge that the city will fall.
Elektra
The youngest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, Elektra is horrified by the bloodletting of her kin. But, can she escape the curse, or is her own destiny also bound by violence?
Clytemnestra
The sister of Helen, wife of Agamemnon - her hopes of averting the curse are dashed when her sister is taken to Troy by the feckless Paris. Her husband raises a great army against them, and determines to win, whatever the cost.
Cassandra
Princess of Troy, and cursed by Apollo to see the future but never to be believed when she speaks of it. She is powerless in her knowledge that the city will fall.
Elektra
The youngest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, Elektra is horrified by the bloodletting of her kin. But, can she escape the curse, or is her own destiny also bound by violence?
341 pages, Hardcover
First published April 26, 2022
About the author
Jennifer Saint
6 books5,639 followersJennifer Saint is a Sunday Times bestselling author. Her debut novel, ARIADNE, was shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year 2021 and was a finalist in the Goodreads Choice Awards Fantasy category in 2021. Her second novel, ELEKTRA, comes out in 2022 and is another retelling of Greek mythology told in the voices of the women at the heart of the ancient legends.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,156 reviews
April 29, 2024
I cannot hope for the future, for I know what it is to become.
Whenever I'm in a reading slump and I need something to shake me out of my funk, Greek mythology is what I reach for. The tales of passion and tragedy, war and loss, glory and triumph always hit the right spot for me. So I'm a bit flummoxed that Elektra didn't turn out to be the reading experience I was hoping for.
Though the title would have you thinking this story is centered on one woman, it actually follows three separate women during the time of the Trojan War. Clytemnestra, wife of Agamemnon and mother of Elektra, was by far my favorite of the storylines. I was instantly swept up in her narrative and felt sympathy and heartbreak for her plight. We also follow Cassandra, a princess of Troy with the gift of foresight but the curse that none would believe her. While she isn't a big character in mythology, her story is definitely interesting.
Where this fell short for me is with Elektra. Her storyline feels one-dimensional, with her only trait being her obsession with her father and how great he is. Her perspective quickly becomes whiny and repetitive, and I could feel my eyes rolling around in my head whenever it's her turn. It's ironic that the character whose name is the title of this book is also the one I enjoyed the least and dreaded reading.
Another issue is the uneven pacing. Once you get past the exciting initial setup, it feels like things start to slow down. And since the Trojan War is well known in Greek mythology, a lot of what's in here isn't new. So when you put the two things together, a good chunk of the latter part of this book felt like a trudge, without the spark of something new and exciting to engage the reader.
A Greek mythology retelling, when done right, takes us into the hearts and minds of seemingly remote characters and makes them come alive. And so this story does too, though with mixed results. Clytemnestra and Cassandra's narratives were undeniably fascinating, and for that, this was a worthwhile read for me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also, my thoughts on:
Ariadne
Atalanta
~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Want to read
August 5, 2024The day might come when I'm tired of feminist mythology retellings.
But I wouldn't bet on it.
(If you like, come hang out with me on booktube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnfortunateA...)
But I wouldn't bet on it.
(If you like, come hang out with me on booktube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnfortunateA...)
September 8, 2023
i think because there have been sooo many greek mythology retellings over the past couple of years, especially when it comes to the illiad, my enjoyment has become a little diminished due to how similar they are all.
and, because of that, i think i now prefer reimaginings, rather than faithful retellings, which is what this book is.
this novel tells the stories of three women who are impacted by the trojan war - clytemnestra, elektra, and cassandra (why this book is named after only elektra, i couldnt tell you). and because i am already familiar with their stories, this didnt offer me anything new. its very true to the original tale and does a good job at giving a voice to these women. i just wish there had been a little more uniqueness to this book.
i think readers who want to get an expanded view of the effects of the trojan war, specifically when it comes to the women, this is a good book to pick up. i can easily see this being a 5 star read for many readers who are new to the greek myths.
↠ 3.5 stars
and, because of that, i think i now prefer reimaginings, rather than faithful retellings, which is what this book is.
this novel tells the stories of three women who are impacted by the trojan war - clytemnestra, elektra, and cassandra (why this book is named after only elektra, i couldnt tell you). and because i am already familiar with their stories, this didnt offer me anything new. its very true to the original tale and does a good job at giving a voice to these women. i just wish there had been a little more uniqueness to this book.
i think readers who want to get an expanded view of the effects of the trojan war, specifically when it comes to the women, this is a good book to pick up. i can easily see this being a 5 star read for many readers who are new to the greek myths.
↠ 3.5 stars
September 14, 2022
A telling / retelling of one of Greek mythologies best known stories - the siege of Troy as the author breathes life, personality and soul into the story of Troy and all the best known characters with a lot of new faces as this particular story focuses on the women of this timeless tale.
Clytemnestra, Cassandra and Elektra are the women bearing the brunt of a war created by men and gods, seemingly over Helen of Troy but also because they thrive on it. Summed up in a conversation with Elektra
“Can’t you see that it just goes on, over and over? The gods demand their justice, but we suffer for it, every time.”
Here we have women who carry the scars of war, seek retribution and in some cases become slaves to the victors, but what features heavily in the book is the relationship within families as sisters turn on sisters, mothers and daughters turn on each other but the more bitter hatred was saved for Agamemnon, by his wife
“Let him come back so that I can see his eyes as the light drains from them. Let him come back and die at the hands of his bitterest enemy. Let him come back so that I can watch him suffer. And let me make it slow.”
What I loved
✨✨✨✨✨ Well its Greek mythology and for me that brings its own air of mystery, intrigue and tragedy. A sub-genre I will never tire off.
✨✨✨✨ The story of Troy is fascinating and for those that want to know more of it, this books packs a lot into one novel, although it focuses on the women rather than the main characters like Achilles.
✨✨✨✨It is another feminist story, and these women are by no means shrinking violets. The wives, daughters, and mothers created their own brand of magic and menace as we learned of the dangers and terrible atrocities committed, by them, in the name of love, survival and revenge. Women who carried a grudge: unforgiving and unrelenting. However, I loved the portrayal and depth of Agamemnon’s character in the book – not likeable but it was great to see more depth and colour to this very powerful character in Greek mythology.
✨✨✨✨✨The book was incredibly well researched and kept true to some parts of the story while embellishing others like some of the marriages that took place and the deaths of some of the key characters.
✨✨✨✨The story telling flows and the author did really well to breathe life into centuries old myths and legends that makes the reader really connected with the story. Then there is a but…
What I didn’t like so much
⚠️I felt there wasn’t enough new material built into the story, so it felt like a ‘telling’ rather than ‘retelling’ of a story I was already very familiar with. If you don’t know much about these legendary tales then this would not be a problem, but for me I wanted a bit more originality in the whole story and I wanted more twists to a story I already knew. This is personal preference not a criticism.
⚠️The criticism I do have however, is that I missed the Greek tragedy and there was plenty of incidents, events, deaths, and curses to create the prefect atmosphere and build new drama, but the author did not quite get it right with the atmosphere, drama and sense of theatre we get from the writing. It felt rushed in places because there was so much to pack into the book. So in this case I would have been happy too read a longer book with detail that added to the story.
⚠️The interest was also mainly in the second half of the book, and completely absorbed me at the end with a more than satisfying ending as the characters wrestle with their moral dilemma and thirst for revenge because that was what tradition dictated.
An extremely compelling novel, particularly if you haven’t read much Greek mythology. However, I wanted a bit more drama and atmosphere to come through in the writing. Other than that, the positives do outweigh the less good parts and at 3.5 stars I am rounding up.
A very good book and a timeless story with fascinating characters.
Clytemnestra, Cassandra and Elektra are the women bearing the brunt of a war created by men and gods, seemingly over Helen of Troy but also because they thrive on it. Summed up in a conversation with Elektra
“Can’t you see that it just goes on, over and over? The gods demand their justice, but we suffer for it, every time.”
Here we have women who carry the scars of war, seek retribution and in some cases become slaves to the victors, but what features heavily in the book is the relationship within families as sisters turn on sisters, mothers and daughters turn on each other but the more bitter hatred was saved for Agamemnon, by his wife
“Let him come back so that I can see his eyes as the light drains from them. Let him come back and die at the hands of his bitterest enemy. Let him come back so that I can watch him suffer. And let me make it slow.”
What I loved
✨✨✨✨✨ Well its Greek mythology and for me that brings its own air of mystery, intrigue and tragedy. A sub-genre I will never tire off.
✨✨✨✨ The story of Troy is fascinating and for those that want to know more of it, this books packs a lot into one novel, although it focuses on the women rather than the main characters like Achilles.
✨✨✨✨It is another feminist story, and these women are by no means shrinking violets. The wives, daughters, and mothers created their own brand of magic and menace as we learned of the dangers and terrible atrocities committed, by them, in the name of love, survival and revenge. Women who carried a grudge: unforgiving and unrelenting. However, I loved the portrayal and depth of Agamemnon’s character in the book – not likeable but it was great to see more depth and colour to this very powerful character in Greek mythology.
✨✨✨✨✨The book was incredibly well researched and kept true to some parts of the story while embellishing others like some of the marriages that took place and the deaths of some of the key characters.
✨✨✨✨The story telling flows and the author did really well to breathe life into centuries old myths and legends that makes the reader really connected with the story. Then there is a but…
What I didn’t like so much
⚠️I felt there wasn’t enough new material built into the story, so it felt like a ‘telling’ rather than ‘retelling’ of a story I was already very familiar with. If you don’t know much about these legendary tales then this would not be a problem, but for me I wanted a bit more originality in the whole story and I wanted more twists to a story I already knew. This is personal preference not a criticism.
⚠️The criticism I do have however, is that I missed the Greek tragedy and there was plenty of incidents, events, deaths, and curses to create the prefect atmosphere and build new drama, but the author did not quite get it right with the atmosphere, drama and sense of theatre we get from the writing. It felt rushed in places because there was so much to pack into the book. So in this case I would have been happy too read a longer book with detail that added to the story.
⚠️The interest was also mainly in the second half of the book, and completely absorbed me at the end with a more than satisfying ending as the characters wrestle with their moral dilemma and thirst for revenge because that was what tradition dictated.
An extremely compelling novel, particularly if you haven’t read much Greek mythology. However, I wanted a bit more drama and atmosphere to come through in the writing. Other than that, the positives do outweigh the less good parts and at 3.5 stars I am rounding up.
A very good book and a timeless story with fascinating characters.
May 21, 2022
First, the positives: Saint's interpretation of Clytemnestra is, by far, the best modern interpreration to date (imo). She was a character I've never really cared much about before, but after reading this, she's become one of my favorite Greek myth characters of all time. I *will* give Saint credit for the depth, nuance, and care she gave Clytemnestra. Her drowning, never-ending grief was portrayed so well, her fierce love for her children felt so tangible that it felt like *I* lost people beloved to me as well. Her character FINALLY given justice after all these centuries. And the sisterly bond between her and Helen was just ... *chefs kiss*. Also, Iphigenia's death scene was so gruesome and so well-done and Clytemnestra's raw pain after was quiet painful to read that I actually skimmed some because I couldn't handle the gore and grief anymore.
Negative stuff: this book is still no better than Ariadne, but it at least got a little bit interesting after Agammemnon's death. I feel like Saint's retellings just follow the original texts too closely, but that's on me, not her. With the stories of the characters she's chosen so well-defined and told already, she has very little leg room for her own added flair or take on them. Helen was painted in a light not so different from others': pretty, perfect, cunning Helen who could do no wrong. And I hate to compare her to Madeline Miller, because other reviewers must've done this countless times, but Miller's prose just shines through with her work, which is why there are just SO MANY memorable quotes from TSOA & Circe. The same, unfortunately, cannot be said for Saint. Her chapters, while the events themselves are highly compelling, the way she tells them is just dull. Simply dull. Yeah, someone's being murdered, mutilated, etc., but the way Saint describes it feels the same way as she might a grocery list. A few description of the weather, the palace pillars, palace floors, maybe people around them, and tada, scene's done. On to the next. And the next. Next. And the nex— [GUNSHOTS]
Elektra, while very much strong-willed and stubborn, gets exhausting after a while. I know Saint's just following the original text, but my GOD does Elektra get exhausting after a while. And she got sooo unbearably selfish near the end. I could understand her anger at her mother, but the way she was ready to sacrifice her brother to those horrible creatures, leave her best friend/husband who's been NOTHING but supportive and kind and patient with her, not sympathize with the other thousands of people who also had someone dear to them killed because of the war and NOT TO MENTION HER SISTER IPHIGENIA WHO WAS MURDERED all for a man who BARELY gave her any attention in the first place, the only meaningful interaction with the 2 of them is him giving her an ugly-ass dagger and ... petting of a dog? The whole thing where she TRIED TO REASON HER FATHER'S TAKING AND *RAPING* OF BRISEIS JUST LEFT ME SHOCKED. Seriously bitch? This dried little walnut cares as much about other women as she might a pebble stuck in her shoe. Elektra never truly cared about anyone apart from herself. Not even her husband, and you can't tell me otherwise. She thinks the whole world revolves around her and HER pain and noooooooo one will ever relate to poor, poor, Elektra. This is literally her every time she speaks: "Oh, woe is me! Woe is MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Jesus. Get your shit together girl.
Elektra seeked her father's approval so much and got SOOO blinded by the legacy of tHe miGhTy hOuSe oF aTrEuS and revenge that she willingly overlooked the fact that her father was a cruel, terrible, spiteful, petty and weak man, the cold-blooded murder of her sister, friendship of another sister, undeniable pain and grief of her poor mother, and the grim future she set for her brother; the rose-colored glasses of childhood nostalgia for pathetic little interactions she had with her father that MEANT NOTHING TO HIM blinded her ass so much to the truth that it's honestly so fucking frustrating. And that ending's supposed to be happy? Or hopeful? Fuck outta here. This book did the opposite for Elektra with it did with Clytemnestra for me. I've never really cared much about Elektra's character before, but after this, hope I NEVER read ANYTHING about this whining, revengeful little assbag ever again.
Cassandra, though. I would absolutely DIE for her.
Negative stuff: this book is still no better than Ariadne, but it at least got a little bit interesting after Agammemnon's death. I feel like Saint's retellings just follow the original texts too closely, but that's on me, not her. With the stories of the characters she's chosen so well-defined and told already, she has very little leg room for her own added flair or take on them. Helen was painted in a light not so different from others': pretty, perfect, cunning Helen who could do no wrong. And I hate to compare her to Madeline Miller, because other reviewers must've done this countless times, but Miller's prose just shines through with her work, which is why there are just SO MANY memorable quotes from TSOA & Circe. The same, unfortunately, cannot be said for Saint. Her chapters, while the events themselves are highly compelling, the way she tells them is just dull. Simply dull. Yeah, someone's being murdered, mutilated, etc., but the way Saint describes it feels the same way as she might a grocery list. A few description of the weather, the palace pillars, palace floors, maybe people around them, and tada, scene's done. On to the next. And the next. Next. And the nex— [GUNSHOTS]
Elektra, while very much strong-willed and stubborn, gets exhausting after a while. I know Saint's just following the original text, but my GOD does Elektra get exhausting after a while. And she got sooo unbearably selfish near the end. I could understand her anger at her mother, but the way she was ready to sacrifice her brother to those horrible creatures, leave her best friend/husband who's been NOTHING but supportive and kind and patient with her, not sympathize with the other thousands of people who also had someone dear to them killed because of the war and NOT TO MENTION HER SISTER IPHIGENIA WHO WAS MURDERED all for a man who BARELY gave her any attention in the first place, the only meaningful interaction with the 2 of them is him giving her an ugly-ass dagger and ... petting of a dog? The whole thing where she TRIED TO REASON HER FATHER'S TAKING AND *RAPING* OF BRISEIS JUST LEFT ME SHOCKED. Seriously bitch? This dried little walnut cares as much about other women as she might a pebble stuck in her shoe. Elektra never truly cared about anyone apart from herself. Not even her husband, and you can't tell me otherwise. She thinks the whole world revolves around her and HER pain and noooooooo one will ever relate to poor, poor, Elektra. This is literally her every time she speaks: "Oh, woe is me! Woe is MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Jesus. Get your shit together girl.
Elektra seeked her father's approval so much and got SOOO blinded by the legacy of tHe miGhTy hOuSe oF aTrEuS and revenge that she willingly overlooked the fact that her father was a cruel, terrible, spiteful, petty and weak man, the cold-blooded murder of her sister, friendship of another sister, undeniable pain and grief of her poor mother, and the grim future she set for her brother; the rose-colored glasses of childhood nostalgia for pathetic little interactions she had with her father that MEANT NOTHING TO HIM blinded her ass so much to the truth that it's honestly so fucking frustrating. And that ending's supposed to be happy? Or hopeful? Fuck outta here. This book did the opposite for Elektra with it did with Clytemnestra for me. I've never really cared much about Elektra's character before, but after this, hope I NEVER read ANYTHING about this whining, revengeful little assbag ever again.
Cassandra, though. I would absolutely DIE for her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2022
4.5⭐️
For readers who are familiar with the Classics and/or enjoy the plethora of retellings revolving around the Trojan War, it should not surprise you that there is not much about the Trojan War itself in the retellings that will strike you as completely new. But the beauty of Jennifer Saint’s Elektra lies in how the author chooses to highlight the perspectives of the women from these stories as told from their different vantage points. In Elektra, the author focuses on the “tainted” bloodline of the cursed House of Atreus and three women whose “fates inextricably tied to this curse, and the fickle nature of men and gods”. Our narrators are not on the battlefield and they don’t share the same loyalties or motivations - but Cassandra, Clytemnestra and Elektra are three women whose lives and destinies are irrevocably impacted by the events preceding, during and after the fall of Troy.
Cassandra, daughter of King Priam of Troy and Hecabe , blessed with prophetic vision that nobody believes, her warnings and pleas fall on deaf ears as Troy falls.
“Every word I speak is unwelcome. My throat is raw from the words that are torn from me when I touch someone, when I look into their eyes and see the blinding white truth. My prophecies rip out my insides, but still they come, unbidden, even as I quake at the consequences.”
Clytemnestra, wife of Agamemnon, King of Mycenae of the House of Atreus, mother of Iphigenia, Elektra and Orestes. Her rage resulting from Agamemnon’s sacrifice of her firstborn daughter Iphigenia in Aulis before the Trojan War wreaks havoc in Mycenae and the cursed House of Atreus
“In the light of the rising sun, I prayed that my husband would survive this war and come home safe to me. I wanted no Trojan soldier to take what was mine; no glory-seeking warrior to seize his chance of fame by plunging his sword into Agamemnon’s heart Let him come back, I hissed into the empty sky. Let him come back so that I can see his eyes as the light drains from them. Let him come back and die at the hands of his bitterest enemy. Let him come back so that I can watch him suffer. And let me make it slow.”
Elektra, daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, unflinching in her loyalty to her father chooses to justify his actions as the will of the Gods and will do anything to exact revenge on those who were responsible for her father’s demise.
“ I have always wanted to grow up to be the woman he thought I would become, the woman I could have been, if only he had been able to stay. To live up to the name he gave me.”
A major part of the narrative is shared between Elektra, Cassandra and Clytemnestra- each of whom gives us a brief picture of the significant events that impact their lives before, during and after the fall of Troy. Only after almost ¾ of the novel does Elektra’s voice become stronger in the narrative. There is a lot packed into the novel without it becoming too tedious. There is a certain amount of repetition but given that each of the narrators tells the story from different vantage points, nowhere did I lose interest. Cassandra’s narrative was heartbreaking as was Clytemnestra’s agony in witnessing Iphigenia’s death. The author is brilliant in her portrayal of the strong emotions and complexities in these women- Clytemnestra’s rage and agony, Cassandra’s innocence, despair and frustration and Elektra’s loyalty, anger and desire for revenge. The scenes between Cassandra and Clytemnestra were stunning in their emotional depth despite rarely anything being said between the two. The complicated mother-daughter relationship between Clytemnestra and Elektra, each obsessed with their respective quest for revenge, was brilliantly penned. Elektra does not come across as very likable but I think hers was probably the most complicated character to develop, a task that the author does expertly. Many of her actions and motivations might not feel justified but she is her father’s daughter and is unapologetic in her quest to avenge her father’s death and willing to sacrifice and bear the consequences of her actions.
Author Jennifer Saint masterfully weaves the multiple PoVs together with elegant prose and superb characterizations in a well-paced and intense narrative. While I enjoyed Jennifer Saint’s Ariadne, which I thought was an impressive debut, I found Elektra to be a more powerful and absorbing novel. I would not hesitate to recommend this to those with a fondness for feminist retellings of stories from the Greek myths. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and eagerly look forward to more from this author in the future.
For readers who are familiar with the Classics and/or enjoy the plethora of retellings revolving around the Trojan War, it should not surprise you that there is not much about the Trojan War itself in the retellings that will strike you as completely new. But the beauty of Jennifer Saint’s Elektra lies in how the author chooses to highlight the perspectives of the women from these stories as told from their different vantage points. In Elektra, the author focuses on the “tainted” bloodline of the cursed House of Atreus and three women whose “fates inextricably tied to this curse, and the fickle nature of men and gods”. Our narrators are not on the battlefield and they don’t share the same loyalties or motivations - but Cassandra, Clytemnestra and Elektra are three women whose lives and destinies are irrevocably impacted by the events preceding, during and after the fall of Troy.
Cassandra, daughter of King Priam of Troy and Hecabe , blessed with prophetic vision that nobody believes, her warnings and pleas fall on deaf ears as Troy falls.
“Every word I speak is unwelcome. My throat is raw from the words that are torn from me when I touch someone, when I look into their eyes and see the blinding white truth. My prophecies rip out my insides, but still they come, unbidden, even as I quake at the consequences.”
Clytemnestra, wife of Agamemnon, King of Mycenae of the House of Atreus, mother of Iphigenia, Elektra and Orestes. Her rage resulting from Agamemnon’s sacrifice of her firstborn daughter Iphigenia in Aulis before the Trojan War wreaks havoc in Mycenae and the cursed House of Atreus
“In the light of the rising sun, I prayed that my husband would survive this war and come home safe to me. I wanted no Trojan soldier to take what was mine; no glory-seeking warrior to seize his chance of fame by plunging his sword into Agamemnon’s heart Let him come back, I hissed into the empty sky. Let him come back so that I can see his eyes as the light drains from them. Let him come back and die at the hands of his bitterest enemy. Let him come back so that I can watch him suffer. And let me make it slow.”
Elektra, daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, unflinching in her loyalty to her father chooses to justify his actions as the will of the Gods and will do anything to exact revenge on those who were responsible for her father’s demise.
“ I have always wanted to grow up to be the woman he thought I would become, the woman I could have been, if only he had been able to stay. To live up to the name he gave me.”
A major part of the narrative is shared between Elektra, Cassandra and Clytemnestra- each of whom gives us a brief picture of the significant events that impact their lives before, during and after the fall of Troy. Only after almost ¾ of the novel does Elektra’s voice become stronger in the narrative. There is a lot packed into the novel without it becoming too tedious. There is a certain amount of repetition but given that each of the narrators tells the story from different vantage points, nowhere did I lose interest. Cassandra’s narrative was heartbreaking as was Clytemnestra’s agony in witnessing Iphigenia’s death. The author is brilliant in her portrayal of the strong emotions and complexities in these women- Clytemnestra’s rage and agony, Cassandra’s innocence, despair and frustration and Elektra’s loyalty, anger and desire for revenge. The scenes between Cassandra and Clytemnestra were stunning in their emotional depth despite rarely anything being said between the two. The complicated mother-daughter relationship between Clytemnestra and Elektra, each obsessed with their respective quest for revenge, was brilliantly penned. Elektra does not come across as very likable but I think hers was probably the most complicated character to develop, a task that the author does expertly. Many of her actions and motivations might not feel justified but she is her father’s daughter and is unapologetic in her quest to avenge her father’s death and willing to sacrifice and bear the consequences of her actions.
Author Jennifer Saint masterfully weaves the multiple PoVs together with elegant prose and superb characterizations in a well-paced and intense narrative. While I enjoyed Jennifer Saint’s Ariadne, which I thought was an impressive debut, I found Elektra to be a more powerful and absorbing novel. I would not hesitate to recommend this to those with a fondness for feminist retellings of stories from the Greek myths. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and eagerly look forward to more from this author in the future.
December 5, 2022
Primarily Clytemnestra's story, with excellent depictions of her grief. Also following Cassandra, gifted to see the future, but with a catch. The third perspective was that of Elektra, and the weakest characterisation of the three.
September 21, 2022
“He will feel this too, and worse...Let him come back so that I can se his eyes as the light drains from them. Let him come back and die at the hands of his bitterest enemy. Let him come back so that I can watch him suffer. And let me make it slow.”
3.5 ⭐️
Ok, so if you know the Trojan War, there isn’t a great deal of new material here. And having recently read A Thousand Ships and The Women of Troy, maybe it was just too much similar.
Don’t get me wrong I adore Greek mythology. My degree was in classical civilisations - so it meant this was a straight forward read, I knew who everyone was and what was going to happen.
I think I preferred Ariadne by Jennifer Saint as I was less familiar with that story. Also I found Elektra infuriating. Her constant obsession with her dad Agamemnon was just hard for me to grasp.
I am fully team Clytemnestra and so I found Elektra’s whining about her mother quite tiresome.
But my absolute fave had a POV. Cassandra is my favourite character from Greek myth so I loved reading her view.
Overall, a mixed bag.
3.5 ⭐️
Ok, so if you know the Trojan War, there isn’t a great deal of new material here. And having recently read A Thousand Ships and The Women of Troy, maybe it was just too much similar.
Don’t get me wrong I adore Greek mythology. My degree was in classical civilisations - so it meant this was a straight forward read, I knew who everyone was and what was going to happen.
I think I preferred Ariadne by Jennifer Saint as I was less familiar with that story. Also I found Elektra infuriating. Her constant obsession with her dad Agamemnon was just hard for me to grasp.
I am fully team Clytemnestra and so I found Elektra’s whining about her mother quite tiresome.
But my absolute fave had a POV. Cassandra is my favourite character from Greek myth so I loved reading her view.
Overall, a mixed bag.
May 16, 2022
Where to begin with this book? I guess with a disclaimer:
I'm usually VERY careful and suspicious about retellings and "feminist takes". The reason is that what is called feminism nowadays, to me, is revenge porn. Every man's an enemy. URGH.
Nevertheless, I wanted to read this if only for my love of mythology and I am glad that I did despite this not being as good as the author's previous book.
For those who don't know:
Elektra is the youngest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agememnon. Yep, the Agamemnon who led the war against Troy after his younger brother's wife had been "kidnapped" (we don't really know if Helen went there voluntarily or not) by Paris. If he did it to indeed help his brother or because Troy was so rich and he wanted the spoils as well as the fame, we'll also never know for sure.
The fact remains, however, that all the able-bodied men of Greece went to fight the Trojans. The rest, as they say, is history (or mythology in this case).
But this book is about three women - Elektra, Clytemnestra and Cassandra. The latter was surprising to me since she wasn't related and thus didn't really fit despite what happened to her after the fall of Troy. I guess she was included because it gave the author the opportunity to show a Trojan POV. To me, it didn't work as it didn't smoothly tie back in with the other two women.
We learn of Helen's marriage to Menelaus and why she chose him; of Clytemnestra's marriage to Agamemnon and her giving birth to all their children; of Elektra's childhood; of Cassandra's curse and why she received it from the god Apollo. Then, there is the war and the return of Agamemnon and ... more.
Sadly, this book was … kinda disappointing. I don't want to say boring because I love the story of Troy and all these people involved in it, but here we are. Why? Because the author didn't just use women's perspectives but the POVs of women LEFT BEHIND. All we get to know is hearsay, rumor and reports. The women learn of events but never partake (except for Cassandra's POV).
Add to that the fact that any book with this title should be done with the war sooner and focus more on the psychology of the women and the lead-up to what Clytemnestra does, how it all ties back into the family curse this book is supposedly about. The way it was done here it kinda fell flat, sadly, and was too drawn out at the same time. A pity, really.
And once we get to the "action", it's over in two sentences and then the book keeps droning on and on and on for far too long yet again.
Worst of it, I came to loathe Elektra. Especially considering that this was a (feminist) retelling, it was aggravating to read that the girl first didn't acknowledge that her mother was using a man / boy to get revenge for Agamemnon's crime (as if only men could do that), while making excuses for her father despite him having killed her older sister, only to then turn on her mother for not seeing that everyone must be doing everything to please the gods (effectively not caring about her supposedly beloved sister) and plotting to murder Clytemnestra to avenge Agamemnon. *bangs head against the wall*
Not to mention how she thinks Cassandra should feel so glad (!) to have been kidnapped by Agamemnon because the place she lives in now is so pretty and a palace like the one Cassandra grew up in and how being raped by a king (especially one like her fantastic father) is such an honor. *tears out own hair*
No, the book wasn't written badly. The writing was solid. Until it resembled more of a rambling. The author certainly CAN write. It was also not the lack of "magic" (the only supernatural thing was Apollo spitting into Cassandra's mouth).
Maybe this was originally a short(er) story but the publisher wanted a higher page count from the author after her previous success. I don’t know. All I know is that I just couldn't love this as much as I had hoped. In fact, I might have been generous with my rating.
P.S.: I laughed at Cassandra musing about how the war "ended" not with a bang but with a wimper against all expectations because isn't this often the way (with the book itself, too, ironically)?
I'm usually VERY careful and suspicious about retellings and "feminist takes". The reason is that what is called feminism nowadays, to me, is revenge porn. Every man's an enemy. URGH.
Nevertheless, I wanted to read this if only for my love of mythology and I am glad that I did despite this not being as good as the author's previous book.
For those who don't know:
Elektra is the youngest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agememnon. Yep, the Agamemnon who led the war against Troy after his younger brother's wife had been "kidnapped" (we don't really know if Helen went there voluntarily or not) by Paris. If he did it to indeed help his brother or because Troy was so rich and he wanted the spoils as well as the fame, we'll also never know for sure.
The fact remains, however, that all the able-bodied men of Greece went to fight the Trojans. The rest, as they say, is history (or mythology in this case).
But this book is about three women - Elektra, Clytemnestra and Cassandra. The latter was surprising to me since she wasn't related and thus didn't really fit despite what happened to her after the fall of Troy. I guess she was included because it gave the author the opportunity to show a Trojan POV. To me, it didn't work as it didn't smoothly tie back in with the other two women.
We learn of Helen's marriage to Menelaus and why she chose him; of Clytemnestra's marriage to Agamemnon and her giving birth to all their children; of Elektra's childhood; of Cassandra's curse and why she received it from the god Apollo. Then, there is the war and the return of Agamemnon and ... more.
Sadly, this book was … kinda disappointing. I don't want to say boring because I love the story of Troy and all these people involved in it, but here we are. Why? Because the author didn't just use women's perspectives but the POVs of women LEFT BEHIND. All we get to know is hearsay, rumor and reports. The women learn of events but never partake (except for Cassandra's POV).
Add to that the fact that any book with this title should be done with the war sooner and focus more on the psychology of the women and the lead-up to what Clytemnestra does, how it all ties back into the family curse this book is supposedly about. The way it was done here it kinda fell flat, sadly, and was too drawn out at the same time. A pity, really.
And once we get to the "action", it's over in two sentences and then the book keeps droning on and on and on for far too long yet again.
Worst of it, I came to loathe Elektra. Especially considering that this was a (feminist) retelling, it was aggravating to read that the girl first didn't acknowledge that her mother was using a man / boy to get revenge for Agamemnon's crime (as if only men could do that), while making excuses for her father despite him having killed her older sister, only to then turn on her mother for not seeing that everyone must be doing everything to please the gods (effectively not caring about her supposedly beloved sister) and plotting to murder Clytemnestra to avenge Agamemnon. *bangs head against the wall*
Not to mention how she thinks Cassandra should feel so glad (!) to have been kidnapped by Agamemnon because the place she lives in now is so pretty and a palace like the one Cassandra grew up in and how being raped by a king (especially one like her fantastic father) is such an honor. *tears out own hair*
No, the book wasn't written badly. The writing was solid. Until it resembled more of a rambling. The author certainly CAN write. It was also not the lack of "magic" (the only supernatural thing was Apollo spitting into Cassandra's mouth).
Maybe this was originally a short(er) story but the publisher wanted a higher page count from the author after her previous success. I don’t know. All I know is that I just couldn't love this as much as I had hoped. In fact, I might have been generous with my rating.
P.S.: I laughed at Cassandra musing about how the war "ended" not with a bang but with a wimper against all expectations because isn't this often the way (with the book itself, too, ironically)?
July 29, 2023
Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
For many, it was Percy Jackson. For me, it was Elektra that made me fall in love with Greek mythology. I'm a little late to the obsessing-over-Greek-myths club, but better late than never!
Following the story of three different but interconnected women, Elektra takes an insightful look at the complex, rich, albeit sometimes tragic relationships between mother and daughter, as well as the devastation of war on both sides of the battle. While I didn't know much of the stories of Elektra, Clytemnestra, and Cassandra before reading, I was able to catch on easily to their roles.
Each character was written with the utmost care, particularly the three main woman, in such a way that I was able to discern one's emotions and actions from one another early on in the story. This is something I find particularly important in books including multiple viewpoints; I could tell one woman from another, and I wanted to hear every perspective in turn. None of the women's stories were a disappointment, and therefore, none of the chapters became boring. Admittedly, I didn't particularly like Elektra, as a person, but her story was just as interesting to me as the others'.
Next comes the writing: beautiful and poetic, yet not forced. The creative language used in Elektra only made the story richer, and didn't feel like a tool to fluff up an otherwise disappointing author's writing.
I was also impressed that Saint was able to include such a long span of time in just one book, and then make it flow naturally. But that's just what she did.
I don't say it often, but this is an easy five-star book for me. Jennifer Saint is truly a talented writer, and I will definitely be picking up more of her stories in the future.
My Website | My YA Thriller Books | My Bookish Podcast | My Linktree | IG | TWTR
For many, it was Percy Jackson. For me, it was Elektra that made me fall in love with Greek mythology. I'm a little late to the obsessing-over-Greek-myths club, but better late than never!
Following the story of three different but interconnected women, Elektra takes an insightful look at the complex, rich, albeit sometimes tragic relationships between mother and daughter, as well as the devastation of war on both sides of the battle. While I didn't know much of the stories of Elektra, Clytemnestra, and Cassandra before reading, I was able to catch on easily to their roles.
Each character was written with the utmost care, particularly the three main woman, in such a way that I was able to discern one's emotions and actions from one another early on in the story. This is something I find particularly important in books including multiple viewpoints; I could tell one woman from another, and I wanted to hear every perspective in turn. None of the women's stories were a disappointment, and therefore, none of the chapters became boring. Admittedly, I didn't particularly like Elektra, as a person, but her story was just as interesting to me as the others'.
Next comes the writing: beautiful and poetic, yet not forced. The creative language used in Elektra only made the story richer, and didn't feel like a tool to fluff up an otherwise disappointing author's writing.
I was also impressed that Saint was able to include such a long span of time in just one book, and then make it flow naturally. But that's just what she did.
I don't say it often, but this is an easy five-star book for me. Jennifer Saint is truly a talented writer, and I will definitely be picking up more of her stories in the future.
My Website | My YA Thriller Books | My Bookish Podcast | My Linktree | IG | TWTR
April 28, 2023
4,5 ☆
《The history of the family was full of brutal murder, adultery, monstrous ambition, and rather more cannibalism than one would expect.》
There couldn't be a better opening sentence for me, I was instantly hooked and couldn't put the book down.
'Elektra' is a beautiful, haunting, twisted, and fascinating Greek retelling, inextricably bound to tragedy, mystery, intrigue, and retribution. The portrayal of the female narrators was well written, and there was vigor to the characters. At certain points, I felt the blood dripping off the pages, creating a pool of dark satisfaction. I yearned for revenge myself and submerged into the depth of this riveting tale. A good book is when you immerse yourself into reading and are simply absorbed by the story, which is the case for me.
《The history of the family was full of brutal murder, adultery, monstrous ambition, and rather more cannibalism than one would expect.》
There couldn't be a better opening sentence for me, I was instantly hooked and couldn't put the book down.
'Elektra' is a beautiful, haunting, twisted, and fascinating Greek retelling, inextricably bound to tragedy, mystery, intrigue, and retribution. The portrayal of the female narrators was well written, and there was vigor to the characters. At certain points, I felt the blood dripping off the pages, creating a pool of dark satisfaction. I yearned for revenge myself and submerged into the depth of this riveting tale. A good book is when you immerse yourself into reading and are simply absorbed by the story, which is the case for me.
June 7, 2022
I'm tired of authors "rewriting" classic myths in a feminist way and failing to do anything original with them. It's not feminist if your female heroines don't have personalities or agency. The characters in this book weren't characters: they were symbols and shadows meant to convey a murky higher message. Though they had more agency than they do in the myths, they lacked any real complexity after the start of the Trojan War. To be fair, I'm a Classics nerd, so my standards for this sort of book are rather high. Regardless, Elektra fell flat. The titular character was the worst of the three, and while I liked Clytemnestra at the start (I REALLY hate Agamemnon) she lost all personality in Act Two. Cassandra could have been interesting, but the author leaned into the helpless victim a little too much for my taste. As for Elektra, she came across as a spoiled brat. Now I recognize that I don't have to like any of the characters for the book to be good, and that some characters are written with the intention of being unlikable. However, I do need to feel something about them other than annoyance, which I did not do here.
May 15, 2022
I have long been a fan of Greek mythology, and when I see a new retelling, I instantly gravitate towards it. I really enjoyed Jennifer Saint's previous book, Ariade, and was excited to get a chance to read Elektra! As it happened, I read this shortly after reading Clare Heywood's excellent Daughters of Sparta, which tells much the same story, albeit in a different manner. I don't want to dwell on comparing the two, though I did feel Daughters of Sparta was, perhaps, done with a greater commitment to historical detail. For example, in the way the women behaved, their curbed freedoms, even the way the names were spelled, which was somewhat inconsistent in Elektra, where the author chose only to spell er name with the "K" as would have been correct, but Clytemnestra and Cassandra with "Cs", though, as far as I know, there is not letter "c" in Greek. Nitpicky, I know, just something I noticed, yet which, of course, did not take away from the overall telling of the tale. Besides, I am no scholar, so likely there is a reason for this discrepancy, which I simply do not know.
The story itself was familiar to me, and yet I felt engaged from start to finish. I have always seen Clytemnestra as a victim, Agamemnon as a monster, and so this version of the story appealed to me. I don't want to give anything away fro the readers who are unfamiliar with the story, but I felt for all the characters, so many women who were used as pawns in the games of men and gods and suffered for it. The writing flowed well, and there was no choppiness when Saint switched from one POV to another, though the most compelling chapters for me were the ones told by Clytemnestra.
If you are a fan of mythology or retellings, this may very well be for you. I am certainly looking forward to seeing what Jennifer Saint comes up with next!
Thanks to Flatiron Books for a copy of Elektra by Jennifer Saint in exchange for an honest review.
Find my book reviews and more at https://maliayz.wixsite.com/princessa...
The story itself was familiar to me, and yet I felt engaged from start to finish. I have always seen Clytemnestra as a victim, Agamemnon as a monster, and so this version of the story appealed to me. I don't want to give anything away fro the readers who are unfamiliar with the story, but I felt for all the characters, so many women who were used as pawns in the games of men and gods and suffered for it. The writing flowed well, and there was no choppiness when Saint switched from one POV to another, though the most compelling chapters for me were the ones told by Clytemnestra.
If you are a fan of mythology or retellings, this may very well be for you. I am certainly looking forward to seeing what Jennifer Saint comes up with next!
Thanks to Flatiron Books for a copy of Elektra by Jennifer Saint in exchange for an honest review.
Find my book reviews and more at https://maliayz.wixsite.com/princessa...
March 18, 2022
4*****
I mean I’m putting a spoiler up but does it count as a spoiler when these poems and plays have been around for over 2000 years??
The house of Atreus is cursed- through generations of murder, usurping’s of the throne of Mycenae, and cannabalism. We are introduced to this house of Atreus in the generation of Menelaus and Agamemnon. First through Agamemnon’s marriage to Clytemnestra; then his daughter Elektra; and then his slave and captive, Cassandra.
This book starts us off with before the Trojan war; Helen is in Sparta looking for a suitor and men from all over Greece have heard of her beauty and want her for a wife… apart from Agamemnon who meets Clytemnestra (and Odysseus, who finds interest in Penelope, Helens cousin). We witness Clytemnestra’s journey to Mycenae, the birth of their children… and of course the start of the Trojan war, as well as many more events that take place.
Despite the title being “Elektra” this actually has 3 perspectives: Elektra, Clytemnestra and Cassandra. We see Elektra as a young girl with her love for Agamemnon as a father, (which in parts reminded me so much of the Oedipus complex by Freud- which was rather disturbing to read) and her hell bent on revenge for the murder of him by her mother. We see Clytemnestra as she spends 10 years of the Trojan war planning her murder of Agamemnon, especially after he murdered their first daughter, Iphigenia. And lastly, we see things from Cassandra’s POV; a Trojan princess with the gift of prophecy.. but the curse of no one believing in her.
Jennifer Saint has jam-packed this full of myth and plays in only under 400 pages. You can see how the author has done her research: retelling the Orestia by Aeschylus; covering Troy and parts of the Odyssey from Homer; the plays “Helen”, “Iphigenia in Aulis”, “Helen”, “Elektra” and the “Trojan Women” by Euripides; and “Elektra” by Sophocles. She has done this all so smoothly through the voices of our three main characters.
Now onto the characters:
I found Elektra really hard to sympathise with at times- she is a selfish character and her empathy for others is hardly there. She chooses not to see things from Clytemnestra’s POV where her father, Agamemnon (Clytemnestra’s husband) purposely murders and sacrifices Iphigenia for a wind to take the army to Troy. Instead as Elektra takes the view of the sacrifice being god ordained- she cannot understand why Clytemnestra is grieving and hating her father. She then spends her time on out thinking about revenge. She also doesn’t seem to care about others around her- especially how she treats her friend Georgios and has a weird Oedipus complex about Agamemnon.
Clytemnestra I loved to read about!! I found her to be super fascinating. Jennifer Saint also wrote the death of Iphigenia with so much sadness from the point of view of Clytemnestra, that you are grieving with her (this is the scene that made me cry).
She then spends the next 10 years planning to murder her husband when he comes home from Mycenae and see her trying to hold power in court. But we also get to see her as a mother before Troy and after, providing Cassandra with death to escape her torment (this scene was wrote really beautifully too despite it being about death).
Cassandra was one of my favourites to read about. We read her terrible curse from Apollo as she refuses him to rape her (literally whenever Apollo appears on the scene in any myth you know someone will be sexually assaulted). How she’s tormented by visions and people choosing not to believe her- how she’s an outcast. Her inability be believed and stop Troy from destruction. Reading about Cassandra was probably my favourite.
There was much of this that I loved- Jennifer Saint has wrote another fantastic retelling and I enjoyed how certain aspects she’s twisted to suit her own narrative. I especially love her inclusion of the Erinyes as they are my favourite!
The only issue I have is that there have been many of retellings featuring Troy and Clytemnestra/Helen recently and so nothing particularly new came to light of me.
Thank you to NetGalley for the Arc!
I mean I’m putting a spoiler up but does it count as a spoiler when these poems and plays have been around for over 2000 years??
The house of Atreus is cursed- through generations of murder, usurping’s of the throne of Mycenae, and cannabalism. We are introduced to this house of Atreus in the generation of Menelaus and Agamemnon. First through Agamemnon’s marriage to Clytemnestra; then his daughter Elektra; and then his slave and captive, Cassandra.
This book starts us off with before the Trojan war; Helen is in Sparta looking for a suitor and men from all over Greece have heard of her beauty and want her for a wife… apart from Agamemnon who meets Clytemnestra (and Odysseus, who finds interest in Penelope, Helens cousin). We witness Clytemnestra’s journey to Mycenae, the birth of their children… and of course the start of the Trojan war, as well as many more events that take place.
Despite the title being “Elektra” this actually has 3 perspectives: Elektra, Clytemnestra and Cassandra. We see Elektra as a young girl with her love for Agamemnon as a father, (which in parts reminded me so much of the Oedipus complex by Freud- which was rather disturbing to read) and her hell bent on revenge for the murder of him by her mother. We see Clytemnestra as she spends 10 years of the Trojan war planning her murder of Agamemnon, especially after he murdered their first daughter, Iphigenia. And lastly, we see things from Cassandra’s POV; a Trojan princess with the gift of prophecy.. but the curse of no one believing in her.
Jennifer Saint has jam-packed this full of myth and plays in only under 400 pages. You can see how the author has done her research: retelling the Orestia by Aeschylus; covering Troy and parts of the Odyssey from Homer; the plays “Helen”, “Iphigenia in Aulis”, “Helen”, “Elektra” and the “Trojan Women” by Euripides; and “Elektra” by Sophocles. She has done this all so smoothly through the voices of our three main characters.
Now onto the characters:
I found Elektra really hard to sympathise with at times- she is a selfish character and her empathy for others is hardly there. She chooses not to see things from Clytemnestra’s POV where her father, Agamemnon (Clytemnestra’s husband) purposely murders and sacrifices Iphigenia for a wind to take the army to Troy. Instead as Elektra takes the view of the sacrifice being god ordained- she cannot understand why Clytemnestra is grieving and hating her father. She then spends her time on out thinking about revenge. She also doesn’t seem to care about others around her- especially how she treats her friend Georgios and has a weird Oedipus complex about Agamemnon.
Clytemnestra I loved to read about!! I found her to be super fascinating. Jennifer Saint also wrote the death of Iphigenia with so much sadness from the point of view of Clytemnestra, that you are grieving with her (this is the scene that made me cry).
She then spends the next 10 years planning to murder her husband when he comes home from Mycenae and see her trying to hold power in court. But we also get to see her as a mother before Troy and after, providing Cassandra with death to escape her torment (this scene was wrote really beautifully too despite it being about death).
Cassandra was one of my favourites to read about. We read her terrible curse from Apollo as she refuses him to rape her (literally whenever Apollo appears on the scene in any myth you know someone will be sexually assaulted). How she’s tormented by visions and people choosing not to believe her- how she’s an outcast. Her inability be believed and stop Troy from destruction. Reading about Cassandra was probably my favourite.
There was much of this that I loved- Jennifer Saint has wrote another fantastic retelling and I enjoyed how certain aspects she’s twisted to suit her own narrative. I especially love her inclusion of the Erinyes as they are my favourite!
The only issue I have is that there have been many of retellings featuring Troy and Clytemnestra/Helen recently and so nothing particularly new came to light of me.
Thank you to NetGalley for the Arc!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2022
"I wonder how we can hold up the weight of our destiny on just our shoulders."
°•*⁀➷
This was quite the re-telling. Told from three very different women's point of view. A Mother, and two daughters. Two princesses and a Queen. Defined by their titles, looked down upon for their gender. It was powerful, unkind and rich in myth. Just like any re-telling should be.
I loved it. More, I was moved with it.
Clytemnestra grew up in Helen of Troy's shadow. She was a second choice (even when she wasn't). Yet she ended up married to a "great" hero all the same, Agamemnon. Clouded by grief over his choices, her life becomes tainted with ending his. A mother's grief.
Cassandra, the Princess of Troy, named the mad daughter. She says no to a God and is cursed with the sight while no one will believe a word she says. Plagued by knowledge, and unbelieved, she does essentially go mad. But only in the way someone not believed can. All because she said no. A woman's grief.
Elekra, Clytemnestra and Agamemnon's daughter, blinded by love. She can't understand that the God's are cruel, that maybe her father was wrong for all he did, and clouded by grief over his loss, her life becomes tainted with ending her mother's. A daughter's grief.
Though grief is universal, how we feel and react to it is not. I loved (while I hated) every second of walking through their grief and seeing all the different ways one deals with it. I hope Jennifer Saint never stops writing about greek mythology. I'll read absolutely anything she writes.
I also wanted to say that I think it's absolutely beautifully that in every re-telling I read, there's always a mention of how drowned Achilles is in his grief after Patroclus left the land of the living. A specific quote, "He would not burn his beloved's body until he had sated his vengeance" gave me the chills. I love that it's a universal thought that they were in love, that... they are half each other's soul, as the poet's say (The Song of Achilles).
- Paige
°•*⁀➷
This was quite the re-telling. Told from three very different women's point of view. A Mother, and two daughters. Two princesses and a Queen. Defined by their titles, looked down upon for their gender. It was powerful, unkind and rich in myth. Just like any re-telling should be.
I loved it. More, I was moved with it.
Clytemnestra grew up in Helen of Troy's shadow. She was a second choice (even when she wasn't). Yet she ended up married to a "great" hero all the same, Agamemnon. Clouded by grief over his choices, her life becomes tainted with ending his. A mother's grief.
Cassandra, the Princess of Troy, named the mad daughter. She says no to a God and is cursed with the sight while no one will believe a word she says. Plagued by knowledge, and unbelieved, she does essentially go mad. But only in the way someone not believed can. All because she said no. A woman's grief.
Elekra, Clytemnestra and Agamemnon's daughter, blinded by love. She can't understand that the God's are cruel, that maybe her father was wrong for all he did, and clouded by grief over his loss, her life becomes tainted with ending her mother's. A daughter's grief.
Though grief is universal, how we feel and react to it is not. I loved (while I hated) every second of walking through their grief and seeing all the different ways one deals with it. I hope Jennifer Saint never stops writing about greek mythology. I'll read absolutely anything she writes.
I also wanted to say that I think it's absolutely beautifully that in every re-telling I read, there's always a mention of how drowned Achilles is in his grief after Patroclus left the land of the living. A specific quote, "He would not burn his beloved's body until he had sated his vengeance" gave me the chills. I love that it's a universal thought that they were in love, that... they are half each other's soul, as the poet's say (The Song of Achilles).
- Paige
April 16, 2022
2.5⭐️
This was the biggest slog & took me way longer than necessary to read because I never wanted to pick it up.
I was excited for this but ultimately was a huge let down. I was not impressed by the writing and as another reviewer put it, it was “a mile wide and two feet deep”. It attempted to cover so much ground but none of it contained depth or was written in a way that made me feel for any of the characters (ok a tiny bit for Clytemnestra). & While covering so much ground it still felt 50 pages too long and so repetitive. I only need to be told once or twice that when the Greeks return from war their mothers will be older and their children grown & that Clytemnestra has waited 10 years to seek her revenge & that Elektra has waited another 10 for the same but it’s repeated over and over. This could have been stronger had it been a more in depth story focusing solely on Clytemnestra or Cassandra but the three POV’s made the story weaker and more surface level.
& Elektra is insufferable! This isn’t a feminist retelling & I don’t feel this brings any new insight to this well known story. :/
This was the biggest slog & took me way longer than necessary to read because I never wanted to pick it up.
I was excited for this but ultimately was a huge let down. I was not impressed by the writing and as another reviewer put it, it was “a mile wide and two feet deep”. It attempted to cover so much ground but none of it contained depth or was written in a way that made me feel for any of the characters (ok a tiny bit for Clytemnestra). & While covering so much ground it still felt 50 pages too long and so repetitive. I only need to be told once or twice that when the Greeks return from war their mothers will be older and their children grown & that Clytemnestra has waited 10 years to seek her revenge & that Elektra has waited another 10 for the same but it’s repeated over and over. This could have been stronger had it been a more in depth story focusing solely on Clytemnestra or Cassandra but the three POV’s made the story weaker and more surface level.
& Elektra is insufferable! This isn’t a feminist retelling & I don’t feel this brings any new insight to this well known story. :/
June 25, 2024
4.5/5 ⭐
The story of a wife betrayed by her husband, a daughter betrayed by her mother and a princess turned priestess who has never felt love or respect in her life.
A beautiful retelling of the famous scene of the Trojan War everyone knows, seen through the eyes of three hardly-tried but strong, smart and gifted women of mythology, Cassandra, Clytemnestra and Elektra.
Officially, Jennifer Saint is one of my auto-read authors because the way her reinterpretation of the Greek myths is full of life, force and spark.
The story of a wife betrayed by her husband, a daughter betrayed by her mother and a princess turned priestess who has never felt love or respect in her life.
A beautiful retelling of the famous scene of the Trojan War everyone knows, seen through the eyes of three hardly-tried but strong, smart and gifted women of mythology, Cassandra, Clytemnestra and Elektra.
Officially, Jennifer Saint is one of my auto-read authors because the way her reinterpretation of the Greek myths is full of life, force and spark.
August 13, 2023
3⭐️ i feel like existential crisis, greek mythology retelling and tragic love stories had a threesome and the result was this book
August 2, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
Elektra by Jennifer Saint is a retelling of the classic Greek myth of the same name. It is narrated by three women. First Clytemnestra, the sister of Helen of Troy, the woman famed for launching a thousand ships. She is also the wife of Agamemnon the king who leads this massive siege of Troy to retrieve Helen, the wife of his brother, Menelaus.Next we have Cassandra the princess of Troy who upon refusing the god Apollo’s advances was cursed to be able to foretell the future but never be believed. Finally we have Elektra the youngest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon. She is fiercely loyal to her father and becomes bitterly estranged from her mother. Much is written of the men, gods and demigods who fought the 10 year Trojan war but very little is ever portrayed about the.women effected by it. By writing this utilizing the 3 female narrators we finally get the female perspective.
I’m Not going to summarize the book any further since it’s a well known story. Suffice it to say it is a twisted tale of vile acts committed and the subsequent feeliings of hurt and betrayal. But mostly it is the tale of revenges planned and executed that makes this a true Greek tragedy.
Due to the numerous storylines and characters involved the book could have become quite confusing. With Ms. Saints considerable writing skills the book avoids this problem and is clearly laid out and entertaining. Utilizing well defined, three dimensional characters and believable dialogue the book for the most part flows easily. Only in the lead up to the climax of the book did I find the story dragged a-bit and became boring.
I listened to Elektra on audiobook and liked this version quite well. I only have one small issue. I wished the chapters were given headings with the name of the speaker. I found that I had no problem discerning Clytemnestra’s voice as it is the voice of a mature woman. I did however have a fair amount of difficulty, in the beginning, determining which character was speaking Cassandra or Electra. I had to wait until enough narrative was given to identify which. I feel the voices of the two women were just too alike, both being young and having a similar tone to their voices.
Despite these minor issues, being a lover of Greek mythology I truly enjoyed this novel and can confidently recommend it.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley. This fact in no way influenced my review.
Elektra by Jennifer Saint is a retelling of the classic Greek myth of the same name. It is narrated by three women. First Clytemnestra, the sister of Helen of Troy, the woman famed for launching a thousand ships. She is also the wife of Agamemnon the king who leads this massive siege of Troy to retrieve Helen, the wife of his brother, Menelaus.Next we have Cassandra the princess of Troy who upon refusing the god Apollo’s advances was cursed to be able to foretell the future but never be believed. Finally we have Elektra the youngest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon. She is fiercely loyal to her father and becomes bitterly estranged from her mother. Much is written of the men, gods and demigods who fought the 10 year Trojan war but very little is ever portrayed about the.women effected by it. By writing this utilizing the 3 female narrators we finally get the female perspective.
I’m Not going to summarize the book any further since it’s a well known story. Suffice it to say it is a twisted tale of vile acts committed and the subsequent feeliings of hurt and betrayal. But mostly it is the tale of revenges planned and executed that makes this a true Greek tragedy.
Due to the numerous storylines and characters involved the book could have become quite confusing. With Ms. Saints considerable writing skills the book avoids this problem and is clearly laid out and entertaining. Utilizing well defined, three dimensional characters and believable dialogue the book for the most part flows easily. Only in the lead up to the climax of the book did I find the story dragged a-bit and became boring.
I listened to Elektra on audiobook and liked this version quite well. I only have one small issue. I wished the chapters were given headings with the name of the speaker. I found that I had no problem discerning Clytemnestra’s voice as it is the voice of a mature woman. I did however have a fair amount of difficulty, in the beginning, determining which character was speaking Cassandra or Electra. I had to wait until enough narrative was given to identify which. I feel the voices of the two women were just too alike, both being young and having a similar tone to their voices.
Despite these minor issues, being a lover of Greek mythology I truly enjoyed this novel and can confidently recommend it.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley. This fact in no way influenced my review.
Want to read
February 16, 2022If it's about Greek mythology, I automatically add it to my to-read list
The fact that it's about the House of Atreus particularly has me shaking my computer hard, like I can make the book fall out through time and space and right into my lap
The fact that it's about the House of Atreus particularly has me shaking my computer hard, like I can make the book fall out through time and space and right into my lap
August 3, 2022
I love the way Jennifer Saint re-tells Greek mythology while centering the experiences of women rather than men. Elektra did exactly that- telling the story of the Trojan War through the lens of three women for whom the heroic battle leads to personal tragedy. It's a story about women in a patriarchal world with little power, trying to claw their way to some kind of agency in their own lives, only to find themselves caught in a cursed cycle of violence, trauma, revenge, and familial harm.
Clytemnestra is the sister of Helen and wife of Agamemnon.
Cassandra is a princess of Troy and priestess to Apollo, cursed to see the future and never be believed.
Elektra is the youngest daughter of Cytemnestra and Agamemnon.
Together they weave a fresh perspective on this oft-retold tale. If you're familiar with the mythology, you will see things coming, but it doesn't lessen the painful impact. This manages to recontextualize events and choices in terms of family relationships, motherhood, and trauma. Where women trying their best to protect the people they love sometimes do terrible things or cause unknown harm. Where women being shrugged off as crazy or emotional by men leads to the downfall of an entire city. It's a striking book and gave me exactly what I was hoping for.
Clytemnestra is the sister of Helen and wife of Agamemnon.
Cassandra is a princess of Troy and priestess to Apollo, cursed to see the future and never be believed.
Elektra is the youngest daughter of Cytemnestra and Agamemnon.
Together they weave a fresh perspective on this oft-retold tale. If you're familiar with the mythology, you will see things coming, but it doesn't lessen the painful impact. This manages to recontextualize events and choices in terms of family relationships, motherhood, and trauma. Where women trying their best to protect the people they love sometimes do terrible things or cause unknown harm. Where women being shrugged off as crazy or emotional by men leads to the downfall of an entire city. It's a striking book and gave me exactly what I was hoping for.
March 30, 2022
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I don't really have anything nice to say about this. I do not like how Saint does her retellings and this was especially terrible for me. Elektra is an insufferable title character I have no empathy for and Cassandra is as useless to the plot as her curse makes her to those around her. Clytemnestra always deserved better and I don't understand why you would write an entire retelling and do it the exact same as the source material, but call it "feminist" because it's from a woman's POV.
There is no satisfaction here in this story, and I started getting so bored that I was sure I would DNF it. We have progressed past the need for retellings of the Trojan War/Illiad with no twists. It's been done. We can move on now.
I don't really have anything nice to say about this. I do not like how Saint does her retellings and this was especially terrible for me. Elektra is an insufferable title character I have no empathy for and Cassandra is as useless to the plot as her curse makes her to those around her. Clytemnestra always deserved better and I don't understand why you would write an entire retelling and do it the exact same as the source material, but call it "feminist" because it's from a woman's POV.
There is no satisfaction here in this story, and I started getting so bored that I was sure I would DNF it. We have progressed past the need for retellings of the Trojan War/Illiad with no twists. It's been done. We can move on now.
December 4, 2022
In the last few years, The Iliad and Greek Mythology has been fertile ground for authors. In particular, the retelling of myths and stories from minor characters, specifically the female characters. If you love Greek Mythology, it’s been a great couple of years.
Jennifer Saint has thrown her hat into the ring retelling the story of the curse of the House of Atreus. A curse that is a vicious circle of revenge and retribution, blood repaid with blood. I will not write any spoilers for those who have not read the story, but the curse is only the background, the history of how King Agamemnon rose to the throne. This story belongs to three women with Agamemnon relegated to an ancillary role.
Clytemnestra, is Agamemnon’s wife, and the sister of Helen. She has waited ten long years plotting revenge on her husband.
Cassandra, is the daughter of King Priam. A priestess of Apollo who is blessed with the power of foresight but cursed for these visions never to be believed. Her predictions have branded her a Madwoman, and she is a Trojan pariah, even amongst her own royal family.
Elektra, is the daughter of Agamemnon, just a child when he sails for Troy. She sees her father as a true Greek Hero, uniting the states and sailing away to rescue Helen.
It is about the effect and consequences the Trojan War has on these women. How it affects them and their lives personally, during and after the war.
For lovers of Greek Mythology, it is wonderful to see the world from the eyes and perspective of these women. Feel their pain, and experience their anger, their lust for revenge, their tragic painful loss.
Five stars from me, but if you don’t love the Iliad, or Greek Mythology, it may not reach that level for you. It is still well written and a great story of revenge though.
If you enjoy these retellings, you will probably enjoy
The Song of Troy – Colleen McCullough
A Thousand Ships – Natalie Haynes
“Silence of The Girls” and “The Women of Troy” – Pat Barker
“Song of Achilles” and “Circe” by Madeline Miller
The War at Troy – Lindsay Clarke
The Songs of the Kings – Barry Unsworth
House of Names – Colm Toibin
Ransom – David Malouf
Jennifer Saint has thrown her hat into the ring retelling the story of the curse of the House of Atreus. A curse that is a vicious circle of revenge and retribution, blood repaid with blood. I will not write any spoilers for those who have not read the story, but the curse is only the background, the history of how King Agamemnon rose to the throne. This story belongs to three women with Agamemnon relegated to an ancillary role.
Clytemnestra, is Agamemnon’s wife, and the sister of Helen. She has waited ten long years plotting revenge on her husband.
Cassandra, is the daughter of King Priam. A priestess of Apollo who is blessed with the power of foresight but cursed for these visions never to be believed. Her predictions have branded her a Madwoman, and she is a Trojan pariah, even amongst her own royal family.
Elektra, is the daughter of Agamemnon, just a child when he sails for Troy. She sees her father as a true Greek Hero, uniting the states and sailing away to rescue Helen.
It is about the effect and consequences the Trojan War has on these women. How it affects them and their lives personally, during and after the war.
For lovers of Greek Mythology, it is wonderful to see the world from the eyes and perspective of these women. Feel their pain, and experience their anger, their lust for revenge, their tragic painful loss.
Five stars from me, but if you don’t love the Iliad, or Greek Mythology, it may not reach that level for you. It is still well written and a great story of revenge though.
If you enjoy these retellings, you will probably enjoy
The Song of Troy – Colleen McCullough
A Thousand Ships – Natalie Haynes
“Silence of The Girls” and “The Women of Troy” – Pat Barker
“Song of Achilles” and “Circe” by Madeline Miller
The War at Troy – Lindsay Clarke
The Songs of the Kings – Barry Unsworth
House of Names – Colm Toibin
Ransom – David Malouf
May 16, 2022
I was looking forward to this because I've read the Sophocles and am familiar with the whole Freudian aspect from within Psychology and frankly, it was just nicely MESSED up as a tragedy.
So why didn't I fall in love with this particular book?
It was competent enough, and as I was reading it, at least through the halfway point, I kept thinking it was OKAY, assiduously so, but something was bothering me. The women who are left behind are literally left behind the biggest, most exciting battle of Greek antiquity. Troy. For over a decade. All the action takes place elsewhere, and all we have to go on here is a tragedy before papa goes off to lead the army of the Greeks, the tragedy caused by the same jerk, and we're pretty much stuck in the heads of those who were left behind.
Mind you, this is a messed up tragedy that even gets the furies involved, but most of that is AFTER the war is won.
In this, it's mostly a whimper and daddy worship and mommy hating her husband and taking a lover and then going "Oh, My" when crap hits the fan. And then we have some of the OTHER more memorable female characters from across Greece, on the other side of the war, to give a counterpoint, but it's weird and hardly necessary at all except to bring in the action that has been so missing from the primary tale.
So here I am, wondering what the hell is the point. Except for a sequence that could have been finished in a hundred pages, all the exciting stuff is off-page and I frankly kinda hated every single character in the book.
It's kinda sad, but it's true. Pity can only take me so far. A good tragedy should also make us CARE about the victims. The original play was better.
So why didn't I fall in love with this particular book?
It was competent enough, and as I was reading it, at least through the halfway point, I kept thinking it was OKAY, assiduously so, but something was bothering me. The women who are left behind are literally left behind the biggest, most exciting battle of Greek antiquity. Troy. For over a decade. All the action takes place elsewhere, and all we have to go on here is a tragedy before papa goes off to lead the army of the Greeks, the tragedy caused by the same jerk, and we're pretty much stuck in the heads of those who were left behind.
Mind you, this is a messed up tragedy that even gets the furies involved, but most of that is AFTER the war is won.
In this, it's mostly a whimper and daddy worship and mommy hating her husband and taking a lover and then going "Oh, My" when crap hits the fan. And then we have some of the OTHER more memorable female characters from across Greece, on the other side of the war, to give a counterpoint, but it's weird and hardly necessary at all except to bring in the action that has been so missing from the primary tale.
So here I am, wondering what the hell is the point. Except for a sequence that could have been finished in a hundred pages, all the exciting stuff is off-page and I frankly kinda hated every single character in the book.
It's kinda sad, but it's true. Pity can only take me so far. A good tragedy should also make us CARE about the victims. The original play was better.
May 3, 2022
The House of Atreus carried a curse. A particularly gruesome one, even by the standards of divine torment.
Three women. Three different stories. In Elektra, the author weaves the stories of Clytemnestra, Cassandra, and Elektra together, allowing us to witness events during the Trojan War from their perspective. Life is rarely kind to the women in Greek tragedies as they live in fear of either the whims of the gods or of men.
When I read Ariadne, the previous book by the author, I would grow frustrated with the main character for not taking more control over her own life. Looking back, I was probably harsher on her than I should have been. But I cannot say the same for the women in Elektra. Unlike Ariadne who I wished took more control, the women in Elektra took decisive actions that forever changed the course of their story. But as much as I appreciate how they took more initiative, it is difficult, if not impossible, to ignore how some of those choices are just simply flawed and come with terrible consequences.
In thinking about the three women, I hate to lump Cassandra together with Clytemnestra and Elektra. Cassandra is much more sympathetic and I found myself growing frustrated on her behalf. Seeing the future, but never believed. And if someone did believe her, the future remain unchanged due to that individuals own obstinance. My only concern regarding her story is that I couldn’t make sense of why everyone thought she was mad or disturbed. Or perhaps it is more appropriate to say I never could figure out why she couldn’t provide a reasonable voice to what she was seeing. You don’t have to know everything that will occur in the future in order to say “This small thing is what I saw.”
But for Clytemnestra and Elektra… Where does one even start. The author does an excellent job of showing all the steps that led to the path this mother and daughter took and to the consequences that you know are inevitable. But still…Elektra. Her singular focus on a father she barely knew. Her fixation and devotion to the idea of a man that clearly did not exist, I could never understand. But what struck me at times was how little regard she had for women experiencing cruelty at the hands of the gods and men. Her lack of empathy and sympathy shows how small her emotional range is and I can’t help but wonder if she is a caricature of herself and not fleshed out or if it is the best way to explain what is potentially a mental disorder. It is clear that Clytemnestra ignored her, which added to Elektra’s problems, but I find that Elektra should have been able to reach some reasonable conclusions to past events that she willfully chose to ignore.
The book evokes so many thoughts and emotions that I never could pin one thought down in regards to the characters. I would feel so incredibly sad for Clytemnestra and then several pages later so frustrated with her. The women are complex and it shows by their decisions and with the rationale and motives behind those decisions. In the end, the stories of each of the women and the build up of all the pieces kept me thoroughly engaged. Often I found myself reading longer than I had originally planned.
Thanks to Netgalley and Flatiron Books for the advanced reader copy and opportunity to provide an honest review.
Three women. Three different stories. In Elektra, the author weaves the stories of Clytemnestra, Cassandra, and Elektra together, allowing us to witness events during the Trojan War from their perspective. Life is rarely kind to the women in Greek tragedies as they live in fear of either the whims of the gods or of men.
When I read Ariadne, the previous book by the author, I would grow frustrated with the main character for not taking more control over her own life. Looking back, I was probably harsher on her than I should have been. But I cannot say the same for the women in Elektra. Unlike Ariadne who I wished took more control, the women in Elektra took decisive actions that forever changed the course of their story. But as much as I appreciate how they took more initiative, it is difficult, if not impossible, to ignore how some of those choices are just simply flawed and come with terrible consequences.
"Every word I speak is unwelcome." – CASSANDRA
In thinking about the three women, I hate to lump Cassandra together with Clytemnestra and Elektra. Cassandra is much more sympathetic and I found myself growing frustrated on her behalf. Seeing the future, but never believed. And if someone did believe her, the future remain unchanged due to that individuals own obstinance. My only concern regarding her story is that I couldn’t make sense of why everyone thought she was mad or disturbed. Or perhaps it is more appropriate to say I never could figure out why she couldn’t provide a reasonable voice to what she was seeing. You don’t have to know everything that will occur in the future in order to say “This small thing is what I saw.”
But for Clytemnestra and Elektra… Where does one even start. The author does an excellent job of showing all the steps that led to the path this mother and daughter took and to the consequences that you know are inevitable. But still…Elektra. Her singular focus on a father she barely knew. Her fixation and devotion to the idea of a man that clearly did not exist, I could never understand. But what struck me at times was how little regard she had for women experiencing cruelty at the hands of the gods and men. Her lack of empathy and sympathy shows how small her emotional range is and I can’t help but wonder if she is a caricature of herself and not fleshed out or if it is the best way to explain what is potentially a mental disorder. It is clear that Clytemnestra ignored her, which added to Elektra’s problems, but I find that Elektra should have been able to reach some reasonable conclusions to past events that she willfully chose to ignore.
The book evokes so many thoughts and emotions that I never could pin one thought down in regards to the characters. I would feel so incredibly sad for Clytemnestra and then several pages later so frustrated with her. The women are complex and it shows by their decisions and with the rationale and motives behind those decisions. In the end, the stories of each of the women and the build up of all the pieces kept me thoroughly engaged. Often I found myself reading longer than I had originally planned.
Thanks to Netgalley and Flatiron Books for the advanced reader copy and opportunity to provide an honest review.
Read
March 31, 2023DNF @ 50% very boring and absolutely NOT a fantasy.
March 4, 2023
Finally, one day I will be tired of Trojan War's retellings but not today and definitely not with this book!
We all know the story, the curse of House of Atreus, fratricide, sacrificing daughter; a long war that began in the name of only one woman; and the prophecy for the seventh child of Queen Hecabe.
How the tale I knew so well could be so Engaging and Heartbreaking still.
This is the story of three women at the heart of the Trojan War whose "their fates inextricably tied to this curse, and the fickle nature of men and gods."
Clytemnestra,the sister of Helen, wife of Agamemnon, a mourning mother!
Elektra,the youngest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, is the light of her father.
Cassandra, Princess of Troy, cursed by Apollo to see the future but never to be believed when she speaks of it.
What a great read, I hardly can express my feeling, the story goes on magical, beautiful and fascinating.
Surprisingly and Unbelievably I enjoyed every bit of it! This book was amazing and one of my best reads of this year, one of my best mythology.
Yes, I was surprised because we are talking about Elektra and her mother, Clytemnestra; can't love them both, every time you should hate one of them, but not in this book!
For that, I raise my hands for the brave women, no matter where they are or how they fight!
My huge thanks to Headline Audio via NetGalley for giving me a chance to listen to Elektra by Jennifer Saint, I have given my honest review. Each main character of this book is very well narrated by Beth Eyre, Jane Collingwood and Julie Teal.
Quotes
You’re a woman. But war is the business of men.
When I had seen all those suitors clamour in the hall for Helen, I had believed they were there because they loved her, but I had been wrong. They hated her. They hated her because she was so beautiful and because she made them want her so much. Nothing brought them more joy than the fall of a lovely woman. They picked over her reputation like vultures, scavenging for every scrap of flesh they could devour.
How did they have the stomach for the fight still, I wondered. How could it be possible to rise every morning to that same grim, relentless slaughter, and then drink and sleep and wake to do it all again?
There is no dignity in being poor. It is a grinding, exhausting existence, and every morning I wake and stare at the dry, plain walls, which seem to shrink closer around me every day.
The gods demand their justice, but we suffer for it, every time.
Atalanta Jennifer Saint 5⭐️
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
We all know the story, the curse of House of Atreus, fratricide, sacrificing daughter; a long war that began in the name of only one woman; and the prophecy for the seventh child of Queen Hecabe.
How the tale I knew so well could be so Engaging and Heartbreaking still.
This is the story of three women at the heart of the Trojan War whose "their fates inextricably tied to this curse, and the fickle nature of men and gods."
Clytemnestra,the sister of Helen, wife of Agamemnon, a mourning mother!
Elektra,the youngest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, is the light of her father.
Cassandra, Princess of Troy, cursed by Apollo to see the future but never to be believed when she speaks of it.
What a great read, I hardly can express my feeling, the story goes on magical, beautiful and fascinating.
Surprisingly and Unbelievably I enjoyed every bit of it! This book was amazing and one of my best reads of this year, one of my best mythology.
Yes, I was surprised because we are talking about Elektra and her mother, Clytemnestra; can't love them both, every time you should hate one of them, but not in this book!
For that, I raise my hands for the brave women, no matter where they are or how they fight!
My huge thanks to Headline Audio via NetGalley for giving me a chance to listen to Elektra by Jennifer Saint, I have given my honest review. Each main character of this book is very well narrated by Beth Eyre, Jane Collingwood and Julie Teal.
Quotes
You’re a woman. But war is the business of men.
When I had seen all those suitors clamour in the hall for Helen, I had believed they were there because they loved her, but I had been wrong. They hated her. They hated her because she was so beautiful and because she made them want her so much. Nothing brought them more joy than the fall of a lovely woman. They picked over her reputation like vultures, scavenging for every scrap of flesh they could devour.
How did they have the stomach for the fight still, I wondered. How could it be possible to rise every morning to that same grim, relentless slaughter, and then drink and sleep and wake to do it all again?
There is no dignity in being poor. It is a grinding, exhausting existence, and every morning I wake and stare at the dry, plain walls, which seem to shrink closer around me every day.
The gods demand their justice, but we suffer for it, every time.
Atalanta Jennifer Saint 5⭐️
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
September 13, 2022
This book's name should've been Clytemnestra in my opinion 🤷🏻♀️ she was such a QUEEN🔥 fucking hated Elektra tho lol.
October 23, 2023
reads like a student trying to reach the word-count on an essay: 300 pages of exposition and filler. It feels like the characters are sitting around and stalling until enough pages have passed since the last murder so that they can kill someone else.
December 11, 2022
Alternative title: Daddy Issues (The Greek Mythology Version)
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