A Thousand Ships
Author: Natalie Haynes
Published by: Mantle
Pages: 348
Format: Hardback
My Rating ★★★★
This was never the story of one woman, or two. It was the story of all of them…
In the middle of the night, Creusa wakes to find her beloved Troy engulfed in flames. Ten seemingly endless years of brutal conflict between the Greeks and the Trojans are over, and the Greeks are victorious. Over the next few hours, the only life she has ever known will turn to ash…
The devastating consequences of the fall of Troy stretch from Mount Olympus to Mount Ida, from the citadel of Troy to the distant Greek islands, and across oceans and sky in between. These are the stories of the women embroiled in that legendary war and its terrible aftermath, as well as the feud and the fatal decisions that started it all…
Powerfully told from an all-female perspective, A Thousand Ships gives voices to the women, girls and goddesses who, for so long, have been silent.
My thoughts
A Thousand Ships is a fascinating classical retelling that explores the lead-up-duration and aftermath of the Trojan War, told entirely from the perspective of the women involved: giving voices to nearly two dozen females ranging from slaves, wives, mothers, daughters, sisters, nymphs, and goddesses.
There are some very familiar faces including: Helen, Penelope, Aphrodite and Hera, but there’s also a lot of lesser-known female characters whose stories are equally gripping and entertaining to read about. I loved that there were some characters that appeared throughout the book in different situations, as well as short vignettes from women who appeared briefly and only once. The combination worked well, and created a really compelling and vivid picture of war: both legendary and sprawling, but also deeply personal and thought provoking.
The whole book is incredibly readable, and I very quickly became completely engrossed. The author writes the women’s voices with a subtle hint of humour and knowledge that makes them all surprisingly relatable, whether the character is playing the part of a hero, victim or villain.
I particularly enjoyed reading Penelope’s chapters, as her character and sense of humour emerges through a series of letters she has written to Odysseus, her absent husband. Her letters provide a great deal of wit and much-needed moments of humour. I also really liked reading about strong women who fought alongside the men during the War, such as the Amazon Penthesilea.
A Thousand Ships is undoubtedly a powerful feminist read that considers all the various ways a woman can be strong, even when they’re relatively powerless and in terrible situations. The characters are complex, fascinating and portrayed with such attention to detail that it really feels like Haynes has gotten inside each woman’s head perfectly.
The book simply and effectively allows readers to ponder the question of what if what the women went through was consider as important as the men?
The forgotten women are brought to life in this moving, intelligent and witty book. Haynes drew inspiration from Homer’s Iliad and his Odyssey, Virgil’s Aeneid, and several classical Greek plays. Her detailed knowledge of Greek mythology clearly shines through her skilful storytelling and makes for an extremely entertaining read. It is a perfect portrait of the true cost of conflict. You absolutely must read this book!
Overall reaction:
Published by: Mantle
Pages: 348
Format: Hardback
My Rating ★★★★
This was never the story of one woman, or two. It was the story of all of them…
In the middle of the night, Creusa wakes to find her beloved Troy engulfed in flames. Ten seemingly endless years of brutal conflict between the Greeks and the Trojans are over, and the Greeks are victorious. Over the next few hours, the only life she has ever known will turn to ash…
The devastating consequences of the fall of Troy stretch from Mount Olympus to Mount Ida, from the citadel of Troy to the distant Greek islands, and across oceans and sky in between. These are the stories of the women embroiled in that legendary war and its terrible aftermath, as well as the feud and the fatal decisions that started it all…
Powerfully told from an all-female perspective, A Thousand Ships gives voices to the women, girls and goddesses who, for so long, have been silent.
My thoughts
A Thousand Ships is a fascinating classical retelling that explores the lead-up-duration and aftermath of the Trojan War, told entirely from the perspective of the women involved: giving voices to nearly two dozen females ranging from slaves, wives, mothers, daughters, sisters, nymphs, and goddesses.
There are some very familiar faces including: Helen, Penelope, Aphrodite and Hera, but there’s also a lot of lesser-known female characters whose stories are equally gripping and entertaining to read about. I loved that there were some characters that appeared throughout the book in different situations, as well as short vignettes from women who appeared briefly and only once. The combination worked well, and created a really compelling and vivid picture of war: both legendary and sprawling, but also deeply personal and thought provoking.
The whole book is incredibly readable, and I very quickly became completely engrossed. The author writes the women’s voices with a subtle hint of humour and knowledge that makes them all surprisingly relatable, whether the character is playing the part of a hero, victim or villain.
I particularly enjoyed reading Penelope’s chapters, as her character and sense of humour emerges through a series of letters she has written to Odysseus, her absent husband. Her letters provide a great deal of wit and much-needed moments of humour. I also really liked reading about strong women who fought alongside the men during the War, such as the Amazon Penthesilea.
A Thousand Ships is undoubtedly a powerful feminist read that considers all the various ways a woman can be strong, even when they’re relatively powerless and in terrible situations. The characters are complex, fascinating and portrayed with such attention to detail that it really feels like Haynes has gotten inside each woman’s head perfectly.
The book simply and effectively allows readers to ponder the question of what if what the women went through was consider as important as the men?
The forgotten women are brought to life in this moving, intelligent and witty book. Haynes drew inspiration from Homer’s Iliad and his Odyssey, Virgil’s Aeneid, and several classical Greek plays. Her detailed knowledge of Greek mythology clearly shines through her skilful storytelling and makes for an extremely entertaining read. It is a perfect portrait of the true cost of conflict. You absolutely must read this book!
Overall reaction: