What stood out to me in Ithaca was North's ability to weave together personal and mythological elements. The writing is rich, and the characters are complex and relatable, making it easy to connect with the emotional undercurrents of the story. North captures the feeling of longing and the complexity of finding one's place in the world, whether physically or emotionally.

This novel is ideal for readers who appreciate literary fiction with a touch of mythology, as well as those who enjoy reflective, character-driven stories. Ithaca is a deep and moving exploration of life’s journey and what it means to truly return home.

I wanted exciting mythology with this but sadly found this one to be a little slow and dry compared to what I expected

Ithaca by Claire North is a brilliantly crafted reimagining of Greek mythology, focusing on the often overlooked perspective of Penelope during the years of Odysseus’ absence. This novel brings to life the trials and tribulations faced by Penelope as she navigates the political and personal challenges of ruling Ithaca in a patriarchal society.

Narrated by the goddess Hera with a snarky and acerbic wit, the story offers a unique lens on the mythological events and characters. Hera’s narration adds a layer of dark humor and critical commentary on the gender dynamics of the time, making the novel both entertaining and thought-provoking.

Penelope’s character is portrayed with depth and complexity, showing her cunning, wisdom, and strength as she deals with suitors, pirates, and the everyday management of her kingdom. The book highlights the resilience and agency of women in a male-dominated world, making it a powerful feminist retelling of the classic myth.

While some readers may find the historical and mythological details dense, the narrative’s rich prose and engaging plot more than compensate. Claire North successfully weaves together elements of historical fiction and mythological retelling, creating a story that is both immersive and enlightening.

Overall, Ithaca is a captivating read for fans of Greek mythology and feminist literature. It breathes new life into ancient myths and gives voice to the women whose stories have long been overshadowed.

As a fan of Greek mythology, I was so excited to read this book, however I've found that it didn't quite grip me as I was hoping. I will be giving it another read in the future, but for now I felt the story a bit dense and the characters not quite as engaging as I wished. The prose is beautiful and atmospheric, but overall the story didn't captivate me.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC.

Another fab historical read!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my review.

Claire North has been one of my favourite authors of recent years but I was truly surprised to see her switch genres from speculative fantasy to Greek mythology. In fairness, she is not the first author to travel back to that era to shine a feminist lens on a period which was objectively speaking horrific for women. It has been eye-opening for me in recent years to revisit these tales of heroism which captured my imagination as a child. When I tried to have a season of reading round Greek mythology, I was left with the crystal clear realisation that every single one of the heroes of the Golden Age and beyond were actually complete and utter bastards. Total shower of shits. Cannot emphasise enough. The result though is that a lot of these retellings end up being incredibly depressing - would North's take on Ithaca manage to find some sunshine or would it be another tale of misogyny and misery?

Seventeen years after the departure of King Odysseus, Ithaca is a kingdom on a knife edge. With him went all the men of working age and the women of Ithaca have had to learn to watch their own backs. But now the suitors are circling, draining the stores and constantly spoiling for a fight. Queen Penelope is trying to keep order while maintaining the fiction that a woman would never attempt to wield power. Working with her are her trusted band of maidservants, all of them determined to keep the realm at peace.

Given that Margaret Atwood has already written The Penelopiad, the question hovers over what this book really brings to the table in terms of discourse over the role of women in ancient mythology. We know that they had no rights, no dignity and no respect. We know that sexual violence was rampant and that where it occurred, blame was always laid at the woman's door. There is the horror over Odysseus' slaughter of all his wife's maids upon his return. Queen Penelope kept the plates spinning during her husband's absence but when he finally came back, he murdered all she held dear. There is no happily ever after here. But where The Penelopiad is part poetry, Ithaca is far more grounded in the everyday. How can Penelope get through another day without Ithaca descending into anarchy? Watching her is Hera, fallen queen of the Gods, trying to help but just as restricted as any of the human women.

Ithaca seems more like a real place in this version of the story. The tensions crackle. Penelope tries to rule without it ever seeming as though she is trying to be in charge. Telemachus stomps about trying to make everyone believe he is a fully grown man. The various suitors try to curry favour and gain advantage. And somewhere far off, Odysseus rolls about on a couch with Calypso the nymph. But even this back-biting den of betrayal can get a lot worse. There are pirates visiting once a month leaving a trail of destruction in an island low on protectors. And then Orestes and Electra turn up demanding assistance in avenging the death of their father, meaning that they require help to hunt down and execute their mother.

Still, the novel did feel rather overwhelmed by its huge cast list and I struggled to keep track of all of Penelope's handmaidens. I completely lost the thread of each of their personal attributes. They all felt fairly interchangeable even though North had clearly tried to imbue them with individuality. At one point I even considered abandoning the book altogether which I have never been tempted to do before with a Claire North novel. While I enjoyed Hera's narration and commentary, they almost belonged in a different book as Hera rather steals the show. Penelope becomes a supporting character where she probably ought to have been the lead.

Ithaca feels like a passion project for North. She clearly knows her stuff in terms of the classical background. I had been unaware of the background of Clytemnestra's first marriage and the brutal circumstances under which she became Agamemnon's wife. In the words of the classic musical Chicago, he had it coming. He only had himself to blame. The novel did leave me feeling more sympathetic to Electra but also far more interested in Orestes than I have ever been before. So Ithaca does have its compelling moments and I will be heading over to the sequel The House of Odysseus sooner or later. It is a depressing prospect though since it will doubtless feature the massacre of all the maidservants. But then so does so much of Greek mythology.

For a novel that was such a step change for North, I think it is unsurprising that it had its bumpy moments. Still, North does offer an innovative interpretation of Penelope's queendom and her vision of the gods on Mount Olympus was also intriguing. Ithaca celebrates the strength of women in the darkest of times, of the female ability to survive and endure. The women may not have ended up celebrated as shining heroes but it was their determination that Ithaca must survive which kept the kingdom intact. In protecting their homestead, they were perhaps the truer champions. A melancholy yet thoughtful spin on a tale almost as old as time, Ithaca celebrates the women who kept the home fires burning and who have been too long left unsung.

Having enjoyed various other myth retellings I was very much looking forward to reading this one, unfortunately it didn’t hit the mark for me, although well written in places the story failed to hold my attention.

Beautifully written, but just not my cup of tea. I really struggled with Hera as the biased narrator.

DNF @ 51%

I really wanted to love this. For some reason I've been very much on a greek myth retelling kinda mood this year, so I was very excited for a feminist retelling of the Odyssey. I wanted to see the other side of the story: what happened to Penelope and the other women of Ithaca while the men were gone? How did the women rule a kingdom without it looking like they did? How did Penelope manage to keep all her suitors at bay when everyone thought Odysseus would never return?

However, this was incredibly boring. Nothing happened, everyone was just sitting around waiting for Odysseus. And when it looked like something was going to happen, it was way too slow and I lost interest. The pacing was way off for me. I have been reading this book for over a month and I'm sorry but I cannot make myself finish it.

The only good thing about it is that it's narrated by Hera.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the early access to this book.

I love Greek myth retellings, and this is another good one to add to my collection!

A retelling of the story of Penelope, as she waits for the return of Odysseus, with Hera, the Queen of the Gods, as the narrator. The stories of Clytemnestra and Electra are also brought in. I normally enjoy retellings of the Greek myths but I found this too drawn out and slow. I lost track of some of the characters, as there were so many. Very little happens and it felt to me that some of the book was scene setting for later books - the author is writing several books about the ‘House of Odysseus’, so this wasn’t the complete story of Penelope. You would need to read the follow up books for that.

The author does create an impression of life for women in the Greek myths, and does make them the centre of the story.

If you enjoy reading books where authors spend a lot of time describing characters, their interactions with each other and their environment, then this may be for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance review copy.

Plot
Seventeen years ago, King Odysseus sailed to war with Troy, taking with him every man of fighting age from the island of Ithaca. None of them has returned, and the women of Ithaca have been left behind to run the kingdom.

Penelope was barely into womanhood when she wed Odysseus. While he lived, her position was secure. But now, years on, speculation is mounting that her husband is dead, and suitors are beginning to knock at her door.

No one man is strong enough to claim Odysseus' empty throne—not yet. But everyone waits for the balance of power to tip, and Penelope knows that any choice she makes could plunge Ithaca into bloody civil war. Only through cunning, wit, and her trusted circle of maids, can she maintain the tenuous peace needed for the kingdom to survive.

Review
I was really looking forward to this as I had heard that it was giving Penelope her time in the sun so I was slightly upset when I didn't connect to it at all. Claire North is a brilliant writer and her use of my favourite, slightly unhinged goddess Hera as the narrator was a masterstroke as you see her getting more and more enraged by the actions of those in Ithaca but the other characters fell flat for me.

It was a good two thirds of the book before anything of substance really happened and as for Penelope's whining teenage son - well if my teenage nephew acted like that... The addition of Elektra and my girl Clymenestra (forever done dirty in my opinion) were really good and gave the story its faithful spark but like I said the rest just left me with a meh feeling.

Points are given for staying extremely faithful to the myth and making Hera the narrater and cementing her as the OG of the Goddesses but apart from that I really can't get excited about this book at all. That being said I will probably look at the rest of the series to see if I get better feelings about it.

Rating
3/5

Recommend
If you love your myth retellings without reserve then yes, otherwise no

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Myths have always fascinated me and whenever there's a new release centered around this, I try not to let it slip away.
In itself Ithaca is not bad, the reading is smooth, but I found it chaotic at times.
Too many characters that are not given the right importance and get lost in the narrative so much that, first of all, I lost the person who was narrating. Despite this, would I recommend it? Yes and I will be sure to read the books to come.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC. I really enjoyed reading this book and I can't wait to read more by this author.

Miss Claire North –or should I say Catherine Webb– has revived my dormant greek mythology phase. I'm a diehard Percy Jackson stan, but for a long time that's been the extent of my mythology knowledge. So Ithaca was an interesting and (for the most part) accessible take on the story of Odysseus.

It's marketed as a feminist retelling but really it's just the oft-overlooked story of the women of Ithaca, told by the queen of women, Hera herself. This story was very character driven so could seem a bit slow –and I dont have the best relationship with character-driven stories (looking at you, Normal People) – but I really liked it and found myself enjoying the fact that there wasn't an earth-shattering revelation or life-altering conflict every other chapter.

One thing I will say is that the writing style changed a lot. The prose was incredible. swooping even. But then it just changed to very a modern and informal style without warning, especially in the dialogue, (Was that intentional???) and yanked me out of the story each time, which was a shame.
moral of the story? dont mention fart jokes. simple as.

as far as I am aware, this was a very faithful and close retelling of the actual story of Penelope. Which I liked because, if you're going to retell a famous story and get a bunch of things inaccurate, it will piss my inner nerd off (unless it serves a particular purpose). The pacing was a little too slow for my liking and the story mainly focuses on Penelope, without focusing so much on the plot which was fine since she was an interesting character to read from but I'm also not the biggest fan of character driven stories, so be aware of this. overall, a good retelling, would recommend. I've also heard it resembles a lot Margaret Atwood's Penelopiad, so I might pick it up soon. 4 stars

“I who have nothing to lose that the poets have not already taken from me, only I will tell you the truth. I, who part the veil of time, will tell those stories that only the women tell.”

Ithaca is the first book in The Songs Of Penelope series by award-winning, best-selling British author, Claire North. On Ithaca, Penelope, queen of the western isles, has already waited eighteen years for her husband, Odysseus to return from Troy. But that, and politely tolerating the hundred suitors vying for her hand (because surely Odysseus is dead?!) are not the only things on her mind.

Pirates have been raiding her villages, Illyrians, she’s meant to believe, but privately she’s not convinced. And since none of their men returned from Troy, Ithaca has very few men of the right age, ability or training to defend against these raids. Calling on those suitors, who are more concerned for their own interests, is unlikely to help; accepting a suitor, as the Council suggests, would likely result in bloodshed between the rest, and danger to herself and her son, Telemachus.

And just to add another wrinkle to the cloth, Orestes and Elektra turn up from Mycenae with news of Agamemnon’s murder, convinced that their murdering mother, her cousin Clytemnestra, has sought refuge on Ithaca.

But while the men: the Council, the suitors and their fathers, her son, all regard the women as unimportant, of no account, Penelope is no mental slouch. She and her women have been quietly busy behind the scenes: all those grieving widows and mothers, those fatherless daughters, the women who have been farming and hunting and crafting and trading in the absence of their men will be, it turns out, not only prepared to, but with a bit of training, also capable of, defending Ithaca.

“Take it from a queen – the greatest power we women can own is that we take in secret.”

Using the goddess Hera as her narrator, North’s quick summary of the situation that many other poets describe, is refreshingly frank, and quite delightful. Hera’s commentary on events and players, on the affairs of gods and mortals, is irreverent, insightful and often darkly funny. “The poets will tell you a lot about the heroes of Troy. Some details they have correct; in others, as with all things, they lie. They lie to please their master. I sing for no creature’s pleasure but my own, and can attest that what you think you know of the last heroes of Greece, you do not know at all.”

Even novices to the Greek myths and legends will be able to, with perhaps only a cursory check of Wikipedia, thoroughly enjoy North’s treatment of Penelope’s story. This is Greek myth at its most palatable and entertaining, and the second instalment, House Of Odysseus, is eagerly anticipated.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK.

I really did have good expectations for this book as I love most the recent books in this genre. Unfortunately this didn't capture my attention at all, there were a lot of characters, which not a bad thing, but I really couldnt keep track of who was who. Not one for me, but I think others will enjoy it more

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

I like the re-telling of old myths that’s why this book seemed perfect for me. I really liked the idea of telling the story from Heras point of view, it opens new perspectives and helps to recreate the Greek feeling that the Gods are a part of human lives. Also the chosen situation is quite interesting, we know a lot about the Odysseus himself and his journey, but his home land and his wife are only a kind of footnote in the story. That is why I completely understand the chosen subject of the story. The female characters are well drawn and interesting, the male characters were for me a bit stereotypical or just sketchy and not fully developed (with some exceptions). This made the reading and the enjoyment of the book a bit difficult, as the names confused me a lot and the male characters blurred into each other often.
I can recommend the book, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I expected.

ITHACA BY CLAIRE NORTH

I was excited to read this retelling of ‘The Penelopiad’ from Greek mythology. Feminist Greek mythology retellings is a sub-genre I really enjoy and I count ‘Circe’ as one of my top books of all time, so I had high expectations for this one.

Ithaca is an island in Greece, known mostly for being the kingdom of Odysseus. This tale follows the lives of the wives and mothers left behind when Odysseus and his men leave for first the Trojan war and while they take their sweet time (years!) returning. Penelope, Odysseus wife is left holding her vulture-like suitors at bay, not knowing whether her husband is alive or dead. She quietly rules her kingdom behind the scenes using her femininity and her wifehood/motherhood as a shield, as she is unable to rule directly when women are so disregarded. The story also follows the lives of her cousin Clytemnestra who snaps after killing her husband and Elektra, Clytemnestra’s daughter, as they struggle to hold onto whatever power they can wield as women.

The choice to have Hera, goddess of wives and mothers as the narrator is a choice both inspired and equally limiting. Hera can observe more and give a wider arching narrative than if it had been from Penelope’s perspective, but this in turn distances the reader from the characters we are supposed to relate to. She is an unreliable narrator in the fact that the narrative lurches from character to character, never giving enough to make any one characterization feel well-rounded. I enjoyed the character of Penelope and felt she was depicted well and it was nice to have wives and mothers in the spotlight for once, but I felt the author clearly had some preference for the stronger, more ‘difficult’ characters which Hera clearly mourned. Overall, the story was less about the events and more a lament for the forgotten women of history and the roles they play.

The narration was a little over the place, shifting perspectives all the time which made it in parts hard to read. The prose was beautiful but slow-paced and I found myself initially continually picking the book up and then putting it back down and finding excuses to do something else. It really picked up in the last third and if the book had been as fast-paced earlier I think I would have enjoyed it more, but maybe that is personal preference.

I feel this book has a very specific audience in mind and would make a good book club pick for a group of women aged late thirties plus who can relate to the feeling of feminist rage and hopelessness caused by gaps in domestic labour and decision making. I think fans of Madeleine Miller and Natalie Haynes would enjoy this book, as it is very similar.

This is a hard book to rate because there are parts where it is wonderfully written, but not enough happens for it to be storyline driven and it is too distanced from the protagonists for you to really appreciate the character development. This book is looking to be a duology and I will probably pick up the sequel to read but it won’t jump to the top of my TBR.

3 stars.