Clytemnestra

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Other than reading Circe, by Madeline Miller, it’s been ages since I read up on any Greek mythology. Early in the novel, a priestess delivers a prophecy that ‘the daughters of Leda will be twice and thrice wed…and they will all be deserters of their lawful husbands’ and over the course of the story we see this prediction begin to come true. From just the small bits and pieces of the character I’d read before, I knew she was someone I connected with and wanted to know more about, and this look into her mind was just flawlessly executed.

The author did a really good job of making the reader throw their lot in with Clytemnestra and feel that the things she does are inevitable considering how she has been wronged. There are large time jumps — ranging from a few months to fifteen years — between sections of Clytemnestra’s story.She’s a strong character from the outset, hard but fair, notably kind to her younger sisters, and closely bonded to her beautiful sister (not twin here) Helen.

I did think this one was a little slow in the beginning and the lapses of time seemed to not develop growth in the characters, but overall I found this an enjoyable story. Costanza Casati’s debut novel is a creative retelling of the life of Clytemnestra, a classical heroine of Greek mythology. But in Casati’s novel, she is a fiery figure, still fueled by a burning desire for revenge, but never painted as delusional. But the characterizations of the brutal Agamemnon, of Clytemnestra, of her twin sister the beautiful Helen, of Clytemnestra’s weird lover and later husband Aegisthus, of her invented protector Leon, and of Odysseus are strong. This well written take on Greek mythology follows Clytemnestra, the daughter of the Spartan king and the wife of Agamemnon.Clytemnestra is a woman ambitious and driven, determined to carve out power for herself in a world stacked against her.

There is alot to enjoy, in Clytemnestra a book readers simply won’t want to put down, or, be able to. Revenge is, of course, a dish best served cold and even though she has to wait years, she gets that revenge. A heroine of fierce spirit caught in a world ruled by men , finding a way through with a sharp, unquenchable courage . No mention of real motive was ever made, simply that she betrayed him, and for this betrayal, she was then killed by her own children!Beautifully told in a style that pays nimble homage to classic Greek mythology , Clytemnestra is a rich and compelling read , and even more so for every woman who has ever had to fight to reclaim her power . So is the description of Clytemnestra’s hatred for Agamemnon and of her enduring grief for her eldest daughter, Iphigenia, whom Agamemnon had personally sacrificed at Aulis to secure from the gods the wind that would allow the Greek army to sail to Troy after Paris had taken Helen there. This trend continued in her marriage to Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae, who, to satisfy the gods before the Trojan war, sacrifices their daughter Iphigenia. Worst of all, in both situations, Agamemnon’s actions are not only condoned, but even enabled by men close to Clytemnestra such as her father and her friend Odysseus. Clytemnestra is written in present tense, which is never going to be a style I particularly like, but otherwise I found this book very enjoyable.

The narrative follows Clytemnestra from her early life as a Princess of Sparta, her relationship with her siblings, her subsequent marriage to her first husband and the tragic events that lead to her marriage to Agamemnon and her life as his wife and mother to his children and the events that follow. Knowing that the author made so good of a job that I was thrown into the story and left with a smile. It's interesting to read more about her, and get the picture of a much more complex and powerful woman (Melissa U). The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. Come down the travelators, exit Sainsbury's, turn right and follow the pedestrianised walkway to Crown Walk and turn right - and Coles will be right in front of you.The usually lauded hero reveals unfathomable depths of cruelty and violence in scenes that made my stomach spin. The thing I particularly enjoyed about this novel – and the thing that makes it different from others I’ve read – is that it focuses not just on Clytemnestra and Helen, whose stories are well known, but also on their other siblings.