House of Names

De: Colm Toibin

Narrado por: Juliet Stevenson, Charlie Anson, Pippa Nixon

* A Washington Post Notable Fiction Book of the Year
* Named a Best Book of the Year by NPR, The Guardian, The Boston Globe, St. Louis Dispatch

From the thrilling imagination of bestselling, award-winning Colm Tóibín comes a retelling of the story of Clytemnestra and her children—“brilliant…gripping…high drama…made tangible and graphic in Tóibín’s lush prose” (Booklist, starred review).

“I have been acquainted with the smell of death.” So begins Clytemnestra’s tale of her own life in ancient Mycenae, the legendary Greek city from which her husband King Agamemnon left when he set sail with his army for Troy. Clytemnestra rules Mycenae now, along with her new lover Aegisthus, and together they plot the bloody murder of Agamemnon on the day of his return after nine years at war.

Judged, despised, cursed by gods, Clytemnestra reveals the tragic saga that led to these bloody actions: how her husband deceived her eldest daughter Iphigeneia with a promise of marriage to Achilles, only to sacrifice her; how she seduced and collaborated with the prisoner Aegisthus; how Agamemnon came back with a lover himself; and how Clytemnestra finally achieved her vengeance for his stunning betrayal—his quest for victory, greater than his love for his child.

House of Names “is a disturbingly contemporary story of a powerful woman caught between the demands of her ambition and the constraints on her gender…Never before has Tóibín demonstrated such range,” (The Washington Post). He brings a modern sensibility and language to an ancient classic, and gives this extraordinary character new life, so that we not only believe Clytemnestra’s thirst for revenge, but applaud it. Told in four parts, this is a fiercely dramatic portrait of a murderess, who will herself be murdered by her own son, Orestes. It is Orestes’s story, too: his capture by the forces of his mother’s lover Aegisthus, his escape and his exile. And it is the story of the vengeful Electra, who watches over her mother and Aegisthus with cold anger and slow calculation, until, on the return of her brother, she has the fates of both of them in her hands.

Optime! What a great rendition of Fall of the House of Atreus and parts of the Oresteia!

Gripping, articulate, accurate to the Classic literary tradition. The speakers are fabulous. Character development is superb. This is a great listen!

Enjoyed… lots of surprises

This is the first book that I have read by this author. It was intriguing, kept my interest throughout and filled with surprises.

A brilliant book!

Where does House of Names rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Listening to, as opposed to reading this book, adds much to it. It is in the voices of Clytemnestra, Orestes and Elektra, each read by a different reader. And it is fitting to have a Greek legend read to you as it honors the ancient tradition of how the stories were told.

Any additional comments?

If you enjoyed The Master and The Testament of Mary, you will love The House of Names. Colm Toibin outdoes himself in this work. He combines his exceptional ability to imagine the life of legendary figures and make them human by giving them a voice, as well as leaving much to the imagination in what is said and what is unsaid, as in the relationship between Orestes and Leander.

Marvelous story, marvelous cast

Juliet Stevenson could read the phone book and I would be enchanted but all three narrators breathed so much life into this ancient story.

Greek myth revisited

loved the book and the narration . sorry it ended abruptly. wanted more about Orestes.

Hauntingly tragic, unfortunate ending

This retelling broke me, it’s was so beautifully told and rewritten, I can’t imagine the characters any other way now. However, the ending was dreadfully disappointing, and rather boring.

Exquisite retelling of ancient tale

Would you listen to House of Names again? Why?

A friend who had just read it recommended it to me. I had no idea what it was about and had I known, I probably would not have purchased it. But it was a wonderful, gripping and educational listen and I intend to recommend it far and wide.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

All the narrators did a splendid job but I am a big fan of Juliet Stevenson and enjoyed her reading the most.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It didn't make me laugh or cry. It brought alive plays I read in college eons ago and reawakened my understanding of a relevant historical period.

Any additional comments?

Toibin is a very fine writer and there is no one to whom I would not recommend this audible presentation. None of it is "hard," but I think a listener would get mesmerized by the book more swiftly than a reader.

Very well done

Overall I enjoyed the audio. However I couldn’t help thinking of the Orestia as I listened to the story unfold. The only disappointment was the way it ended. There was no trial, there was no prosecution from the Furies and no testimony from Apollo or Athena. I think that had the Gods been a part of the book then it would have been a five star knockout. Overall Orestes comes out like a weak emasculated character. But I did enjoy the book and the narration was fantastic!

Beautifully written and acted

With scenes retold from multiple viewpoints, this is a fascinating rendition of classic Greek drama and intrigue.

Enthralling

An amazing listen, captured me and had me going to the end. A great introduction to a reimaging of Greek classics.
The narration was pretty solid, with some minor pronunciation issues that didn't detract too much.
I'd highly recommend this book.