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Robert B. LammTop Contributor: Historical Fiction Books

Another Brilliant Retelling of Homer (and More)

Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2019

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I can't believe that this book has not received more media coverage (i.e., rave reviews). Perhaps it's because it's British or perhaps because Madeline Miller (rightly) sucks lots of the air of Homeric retellings out of the room. However, it's a wonderful book that tells the story of the Iliad and the Odyssey from the perspectives of the women involved, from Penelope to Cassandra and even Penthisilea (the Amazon). And it does so brilliantly.

While the book is arguably a feminist approach to Homer, it is not in any way a screed or a manifesto. Rather, it makes its point -- largely, that women are just a heroic as men in war -- by the simple and straightforward device of great storytelling. Ms. Haynes tells the story in the first and third persons, depending upon who the subject of the chapter is, and she uses a wonderful epistolary device for Penelope, as she writes to her missing husband Odysseus in growing frustration at his never-ending absence. But regardless of the approach, she knocks it out of the park.

Wow!

LinzFizz

The other side of the war

Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2019

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I am a big fan of myth retellings and this one did not disappoint, telling the stories of the women involved in the Trojan War, and largely avoiding Helen. I particularly loved Penelope's evolution through out the ten years of the Odyssey, and the Cassandra chapters, but even the lesser known characters, all had something to contribute, all added to the flip side of the narrative of the women and children who remain when the battles are won and lost.

AE

Derivative and tedious rehash with little true female perspective

Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2019

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This book is a dull rehash of some pivotal events from the Iliad and Odyssey ostensibly from the point of view of the female characters. In reality, it is simplistic and utterly predictable, and the female voices come across of superficial, snarky commenters on the standard narrative rather than individuals with their own experiences and perspectives. A much better, albeit still very flawed, alternative is The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker.

MMc

Vividly reimagined Greek epic tales from the women's perspective

Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2020

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Maynes is darkly funny. Her take on the aftermath of the Trojan war from the Trojan women's perspective vividly portrays their plight. Some are as bloodthirsty as their men. Others find ways to maintain their dignity in the face of enslavement (or even sacrifice). She interweaves this main plot line with two others -- how and why the Greek gods started the Trojan War (her description of Aphrodite and men's reaction to her cracked me up), and her retelling of the lesser gods' stories were new to me. Penelope's letters to Odysseus as he fails to come home insightfully criticize his quest for (vain) glory--they simultaneously express derision with sarcastic humor, frustration, and warmth toward Odysseus. I'm definitely going to hunt up more of her books.

Taylor

If you liked “Circe” you will like this retelling of Troy!

Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2020

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A great retelling of Troy!

Michaela Lukesova

Eternal glory means nothing for those left behind..

Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2019

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Finally a book offering a different perspective to the ancient stories full of eternal glory for the great warriors of old. Finally a book telling the stories of women left behind to whatever fate had planned for them. Amazingly written, clever, moving, real. Makes you wonder about the shortsightedness and shallowness of the values most ancient stories celebrate.

openmypages

A Thousand Ships

Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2019

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This was a beautiful retelling of the Trojan war. The characters were rich and the details fleshing out a well known story were perfect. Highly recommend this one!

Suzanne Kammerer

Very well written and exceptional stories

Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2020

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This was a gift to a genealogist and avid reader. She loved it. Said it was very interesting, well written, and exceptional stories. Highly recommended reading.

Top reviews from other countries

insomniac

A wonderful read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 28, 2019

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Haynes has, to quote her Calliope: “...picked up the old stories and I have shaken them until the hidden women appear in plain sight."

This is a great read. It helped (me, anyway) that from other ancillary reading I’m beginning to get a handle on the Iliad and the Odyssey. Putting women firmly at the centre of everything (and men at the periphery), Haynes really fleshes out the female characters, giving them an inner life and drive if not agency and autonomy.

Her Trojan women stoically face their destinies, though their distress is well-written (especially the Andromache chapters), Penelope provides with mounting impatience a dryly humorous third-hand retelling of Odysseus’s adventures, and the goddesses are shown up for their petty jealousies and behaviour.

I enjoyed every page, every chapter, and appreciated the non-linear and multiple focalisation and narrators.

Thank you Natalie Haynes. I feel I know you from your books, radio appearances and times I’ve seen you at a British Museum event.

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Mr. William Shaffer

Magnificent Masterpiece

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 12, 2019

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Congratulations and abundant thanks to Natalie Haynes for writing this estra-ordinary magnificent masterpiece on the retelling of Troy through the experiences of all the women, mortals, goddesses and everything in-between. I was completely caught up in this saga that I have read so much about through many other books, ALWAYS from the point of view of the men. And that is so limiting and prevents great truths from being revealed. But no more. In A Thousand Ships, the reader experiences Troy, what led up to the war, the war itself and all the ensuing consequences in full glory and a depth of truth and understanding never before achieved through all other writers before Ms. Haynes came along.
Someone tried to tell the author that you cannot compare the pain and suffering of those who died in a war to those who stayed home because it is much worse to fight the war. What total nonsense! Pain and suffering is not limited by nor less valued because one is fighting or not fighting in a war. Everyone suffers in so many ways, and all experienced suffering is equal in its experience and equal in its need to be told.
The reader is given a vast array of women narrators -- Trojan women, Greek women, Goddesses, nymphs, The Furies -- and they ALL have magnificent tales and the deepest insights to share. Men who before were two-dimensional heroes or losers are given a fuller depiction, and the result is dazzling. Men you thought were great heroes were also filled with fear, ego, lust, greed, envy and jealousy and sometimes downright stupidity. Every character in the Trojan War, including the all too-humanlike gods and goddesses are so much more fascinating. The depth of character study in men and women, mortal and immortal is astounding. So much deepest truth of human nature is revealed in this expertly written novel. It deserves every literary prize that is available.
Bravo, Natalie Haynes! And thank you for giving humanity this incredible gift of insight, understanding and truth.

Claire B

a fresh take on the Trojan war

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 21, 2019

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I never read the Illiad or the Odyssey... But I've always been interested in ancient Greece. Not only does this book basically retell the story of Troy, it does so in a novel way, from the women's perspective. So we hear from Helen (the beautiful one who supposedly caused the war), and Penelope (the one who is waiting for Odysseus to return home), and several other women that I'm afraid I hadn't heard of and some I had vaguely heard of. I really enjoyed this wonderful retelling of the ancient tale. Finally I understand what the fuss is about!

Claire h

Not another take on the Trojan women

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 28, 2019

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Compared with pat barkers silence of the girls it’s hard to see how this book has added anything to the superb play by Euripides the Trojan women . Disappointed read. There are some great modern takes on the Trojan war this is not one of them

Di

Essential reading

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 27, 2019

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I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling of the Trojan War from the female perspective. In the past year, there have been a few books out that focus on the females of the Greek myths and this book did not disappoint. I preferred this to Barker’s ‘Silence of the Girls’. Haynes’ characters felt a lot more authentic somehow. Both authors portrayed a sensitive subject matter empathetically, but Haynes definitely had the edge, and better understanding of the Ancient Greek culture and time. My one criticism of this book is the depiction of Penelope’s story. We simply received a retelling of the Odyssey by Penelope, when Haynes could have taken the opportunity to explore this fascinating and complex character in depth. Overall, this book is excellent. Folk should read it.

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