The Silence of the Girls

A Novel

De: Pat Barker

Narrado por: Kristin Atherton, Michael Fox

From the Booker Prize-winning author of the Regeneration trilogy comes a brave and masterful retelling of The Iliad, as experienced by the captured women living in the Greek camp in the final weeks of the Trojan War.

Shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award • Finalist for the Women’s Prize for Fiction

One of the Best Books of the Year: NPR, The Washington Post, The Economist, Financial Times

Here is the story of the Iliad as we’ve never heard it before: in the words of Briseis, Trojan queen and captive of Achilles. Given only a few words in Homer’s epic and largely erased by history, she is nonetheless a pivotal figure in the Trojan War. In these pages she comes fully to life: wry, watchful, forging connections among her fellow female prisoners even as she is caught between Greece’s two most powerful warriors. Her story pulls back the veil on the thousands of women who lived behind the scenes of the Greek army camp—concubines, nurses, prostitutes, the women who lay out the dead—as gods and mortals spar, and as a legendary war hurtles toward its inevitable conclusion. Brilliantly written, filled with moments of terror and beauty, The Silence of the Girls gives voice to an extraordinary woman—and makes an ancient story new again.

Amazing narration!

I have read several books retelling Greek mythology in which the female perspective was primary. But Kristen Atherton made this one stand out. Not that I didn’t like the male narrator, but his voice was third person, while Kristen brought Briseis to life. Well done.

Stupendous!

After reading some of the reviews put forth for this title I was preparing myself to be disappointed. I had been looking for something that was along the same wave length of Madeline Miller. I will listen to another of her books and if it evokes the same feelings, I will consider her as good or maybe better. Please don’t sleep on this book. It is fabulous.

Wonderful adaptation

Excellent story. Well worth read whether you're a fan of the classics or not. Very human. Very moving.

the Cushing was unnecessary

could have been worse, could have been better, ending was anticlimactic and a bit disappointing ngl.

Very Dark but good

This book is thoughtful, nuanced and well written. It does what it is set out to do and highlights the way the male centric view we all have of historical events completely silences or sidelines the story of the women in them. It is hard to read though. Definitely a downer.

trigger warnings below



While there are not many very graphic rape scenes, rape is constantly occurring and even more frequently objectification and degradation of women is almost worse. These is also a good amount of discussion of violence against children. While it is an excellent piece of literary work I wouldn't recommend it to myself, knowing these kinds of books affect my mood.