Cover Image: The Women of Troy

The Women of Troy

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Member Reviews

Like all of Pat Barkers novels this one just hits the spot. Perfect for all of those who are interested in greek retellings and the writing is just beautiful.

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It’s taken me a long time to get round to reading and reviewing this book. I started it a couple of years ago but just didn’t get on with it, and put it to one side. But I hate having books lingering on my NetGalley list so I steeled myself to try again. Nope. Didn’t work. So I got the audio version and that was much better. Didn’t exactly convert me to the book but at least I managed to get through it and thus offer a considered opinion. My problem here is that I simply don’t like these modern retellings and reinterpretations. I can see why people write them and why people like reading them, but it doesn’t work for me. We can’t pretend that characters from the past were actually “just like us”. We can’t put a feminist spin on women who wouldn’t even have understood the concept. And although I’ve seen this book described as a feminist retelling, it doesn’t seem to do that, as most of it concerns the men. Briseis is our narrator for most of the book, but she’s hardly a beacon of feminine independence. And putting contemporary vernacular into the mouths of the characters jars with me. I’ve no doubt they had their equivalents of our cuss words, but hearing them voice our ones (frequently and repetitively) doesn’t ring true for me. Too much graphic sex in this book too. Not that I’m prudish about it, but it seems it only features as a way to popularise the story. Why try to impose 21st attitudes onto an ancient civilisation? The original Greek stories work just as well today without being reimagined. They are still powerful. They still work on so many levels. ….so let’s continue to read them without unnecessary intervention.

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I love being given the opportunity to update our school library which is a unique space for both senior students and staff to access high quality literature. This is definitely a must-buy. It kept me absolutely gripped from cover to cover and is exactly the kind of read that just flies off the shelves. It has exactly the right combination of credible characters and a compelling plot thatI just could not put down. This is a great read that I couldn't stop thinking about and it made for a hugely satisfying read. I'm definitely going to order a copy and think it will immediately become a popular addition to our fiction shelves. 10/10 would absolutely recommend.

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I love this authors writing. It is so immersive.
The pacing felt off in places. It was a good continuation of the story

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This was technically very proficient and I think for fans of the genre this will be a real winner. It's well written and an interesting exploration, but I've ultimately decided that Greek retellings aren't for me. This is very good and for fans I'd say give it a go! But it didn't grab me personally.

Thanks so much for the ARC though, as always. I enjoyed trying it!

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for me i couldnt get past the first section of the book, immediately graphic and lacking an adequate trigger warning it just wasnt for me. although im sure others will certainly love Barker's writings i had to dnf due to how uncomfortable the first scene alone made me

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I loved this book as much as the silence of the girls, the writing is beautiful and lyrical , the characters so well written , it’s a character driven story and I loved every second, thoroughly recommended

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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My review is mainly for the first one and because of how I felt I won’t be reading this book.

I felt the focus was too male orientated for a feminist retelling. I also found that some areas of the book is basically a history lesson rather than a novel.
I felt Barkers writing to be slow, uncaptivating and just lacking that wow factor. I didn’t click with any of the characters, I felt in some areas it was gruesome and had shock factors just for the sack of it rather than to actually add to the story. I feel her style maybe just isn’t for me and maybe that period isn’t for me as well. I heard so many good things and for me it just flopped.

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Excellent. This is about what happens after the fall of Troy, with the Greek fleet becalmed, King Priam unburied and the women of the royal house of Troy dealing with their fates in the camp. Briseis, thoughtful and capable, was an engaging narrator.

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As an avid lover of Greek mythology, this was always going to catch my attention. I've not read any of Pat Barker's previous works, so I have nothing to compare it to, but I enjoy her nuanced and beautiful language.

I think Barker manages to walk the fine line of remaining true to the source material whilst bringing a new tone to the story that feels natural. I probably should read her previous work. 'The Silence of the Girls' to get a more vivid picture, but I don't think it's strictly necessary to enjoy this in and of itself.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy!

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Loved that we picked up with the same characters but felt this book was nowhere near as strong as the "The Silence of the Girls". It felt too similar yet was just a less interesting tale overall.

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I really enjoyed reading The Silence of the Girls, so when I discovered Pat Barker's sequel on NetGalley I had to submit a request.

I loved the continuation of Briesis's story. Alike most women of Greek mythology, especially in the sagas of the Trojan War, Briseis's voice goes unheard. But seeing her forming these alliances with Hecuba and Calchus in order to survive and get revenge on the Greeks just continues her amazing character development. Only this time Briseis is having to protect her unborn child, the blood of the infamous warrior Achilles, from the aftermath of the fall of Troy.

The language Barker uses is so smooth and flows just how I like it, it allows the story to move at a natural pace, and for all the different settings within the story to be seen perfectly in the mind.

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I love Pat Barker’s writing so I did enjoy this book, however it is not as good as her debut novel ‘the silence of the girls’. I would highly recommend that book over this one.

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This book picks up where Silence of the Girls left off. Briseis narrates the story after the fall of Troy. With Achilles dead and Briseis being pregnant with his child, she is married to Alcimus. She is now a woman of 'status', but despite this she still feels a connection and responsibility for the enslaved women because of her history.
This is such a powerful read and j loved learning more about ancient Greece & greek mythology through this novel.

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The next instalment from the Queen of mythical Greek retellings is back with a vengeance.

In The Women of Troy we pick up from where we left off in The Silence of the Girls. Our protagonist Briseis is back, but now she's not quite a slave, but not quite free. Having already lost everything - her life, loves, freedom in the first book, she now has to face losing the one support system she knew in the camps - her friends.

Beautifully and hauntingly written - The Women of Troy takes all the amazing things about the first book and matures them even further. Yes, it is not necessarily as dark or as harrowing - or maybe I just became desensitised to it?! But what you get in this book is the reality of a life utterly changed, because there is no 'happily ever after' or 'when it gets better' for these girls, there is just the same awful everyday survival instinct, for the rest of their lives.

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Pat Barker is one of my favourite authors, and I was excited to read this after enjoying "The Silence of the Girls" so much.

Briseis as narrator is once again fascinating, and the story updates the reader on the changes in her life since the last installment (married to Alcimus but pregnant with Achilles' child). The pacing is slightly slower this time around but it works for this story.

I enjoyed this so much that I bought a hardback copy as soon as it was released, and was lucky enough to score a signed copy from a local independent bookshop.

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A wholly engaging novel dealing with the aftermath of the fall of Troy and how now that the Greeks have won they are awaiting favourable winds to sail home after all these years of war and seige with their spoils of gold, treasures, weapons and stolen women. This is a tale told through Brisis's eyes telling of the fate of these captured slaves who in another lifetime had been princesses, noblewomen and slaves and their courage despite the cruelty they suffered. Brisis has had a hard time as a slave but she is now marries to Alcimus but secretly carrying the child of the late Achilles. This ancient tale is brought alive through the events in the camp as the winds don't come to take them home and old suspicions, feuds and festering anger leads to a very dangerous situation in camp and one learns of young, but naive, Amina, the aged Hecuba and wild eyed Cassandra the unheeded seer who tries to warn them about what will happen next. Brisis endeavours to support the women but peacetime is a more dangerous time. Excellent retelling of the ancient tale by Pat Barker making it feel alive to the reader.

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I’ve been really getting into historical retellings so was delighted to be accepted to read this one and found the premise enjoyable while being factual

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the gifted copy for me to review

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Pat Barker has a fantastic way with words, her lyrical story telling made this a joy to read.
The story was gripping and kept me interested throughout, it was also lovely to be reunited with Briseis, she was the best part of this book for me.

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I adore Pat Barker's writing, and as expected this was beautifully crafted. As others have mentioned, however, I felt the focus was too male orientated for a feminist retelling.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

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