Elektra
Author: Jennifer Saint
Published by: Wildfire
Pages: 341
Format: Hardback
My Rating ★★★★★
Published by: Wildfire
Pages: 341
Format: Hardback
My Rating ★★★★★
The House of Atreus is cursed. A bloodline tainted by a generational cycle of violence and vengeance. This is the story of three women, their fates inextricably tied to this curse, and the fickle nature of men and gods.
Clytemnestra
The sister of Helen, wife of Agamemnon - her hopes of averting the curse are dashed when her sister is taken to Troy by the feckless Paris. Her husband raises a great army against them and determines to win, whatever the cost.
Cassandra
Princess of Troy, and cursed by Apollo to see the future but never to be believed when she speaks of it. She is powerless in her knowledge that the city will fall.
Elektra
The youngest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, Elektra is horrified by the bloodletting of her kin. But can she escape the curse, or is her own destiny also bound by violence?
Clytemnestra
The sister of Helen, wife of Agamemnon - her hopes of averting the curse are dashed when her sister is taken to Troy by the feckless Paris. Her husband raises a great army against them and determines to win, whatever the cost.
Cassandra
Princess of Troy, and cursed by Apollo to see the future but never to be believed when she speaks of it. She is powerless in her knowledge that the city will fall.
Elektra
The youngest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, Elektra is horrified by the bloodletting of her kin. But can she escape the curse, or is her own destiny also bound by violence?
My thoughts:
Elektra covers what happens leading up to the Trojan War as well as the aftermath of the war itself. For readers who are familiar with the Classics and/or enjoy the many retellings revolving around the Trojan War, it should not surprise you that there is not much about the Trojan War itself in the retellings that will strike you as completely new. But the beauty of Jennifer Saint’s Elektra lies in how the author chooses to highlight the perspectives of the women from these stories as told from their different vantage points. Female characters are often overlooked in mythology and only seen as pawns to marry off, so it's refreshing to see the story from their points of view.
This was a daunting myth to have chosen for her second novel, and yet Jennifer Saint has made this monumental subject her own. The ways she has chosen to fill in the gaps, to change perspectives, to add depth to the women’s choices and behaviour was so exciting to read. It made aspects of the myth come alive for me like never before. The writing is highly compelling and Jennifer Saint manages to give life to female characters from centuries ago.
Clytemnestra is best known as the murderer of her husband, the leader of the Greeks, Agamemnon, as depicted in Aeschylus’s play Agamemnon. Elektra is her daughter by Agamemnon who, along with her brother Orestes, works to avenge their father by killing their mother. Cassandra is the infamous princess of Troy who was given a cursed gift from Apollo wherein no one believes her prophecies, so where does she fit into this family drama? Well after the battle of Troy, Agamemnon claims her as his ‘prize’ and brings her home to Mycenae.
All three women’s voices are completely compelling and individual. Life is rarely kind to the women in Greek tragedies as they live in fear of either the whims of the gods or of men. It is an absolutely thrilling read. The writing is rich, and the pace never lets up.
I was really impressed with Saint’s handlings of the complex themes of the story. She didn’t hide away from the more graphic or morally difficult parts of the stories and instead contextualises them and creates a beautifully told, gripping and devastating novel, perfect for both readers familiar with the story and those who are not.
This was a beautifully moving and tragic tale of women's suffering at the hands of men, living with the decisions and choices made by men, remaining strong despite many obstacles. Elektra tells a passionate, heart-breaking story involving some of the most famous women in Greek mythology.
Jennifer Saint is fast becoming one of my favourite writers, and I cannot wait to see what she does next with her book on Atalanta.
Overall reaction:
Elektra covers what happens leading up to the Trojan War as well as the aftermath of the war itself. For readers who are familiar with the Classics and/or enjoy the many retellings revolving around the Trojan War, it should not surprise you that there is not much about the Trojan War itself in the retellings that will strike you as completely new. But the beauty of Jennifer Saint’s Elektra lies in how the author chooses to highlight the perspectives of the women from these stories as told from their different vantage points. Female characters are often overlooked in mythology and only seen as pawns to marry off, so it's refreshing to see the story from their points of view.
This was a daunting myth to have chosen for her second novel, and yet Jennifer Saint has made this monumental subject her own. The ways she has chosen to fill in the gaps, to change perspectives, to add depth to the women’s choices and behaviour was so exciting to read. It made aspects of the myth come alive for me like never before. The writing is highly compelling and Jennifer Saint manages to give life to female characters from centuries ago.
Clytemnestra is best known as the murderer of her husband, the leader of the Greeks, Agamemnon, as depicted in Aeschylus’s play Agamemnon. Elektra is her daughter by Agamemnon who, along with her brother Orestes, works to avenge their father by killing their mother. Cassandra is the infamous princess of Troy who was given a cursed gift from Apollo wherein no one believes her prophecies, so where does she fit into this family drama? Well after the battle of Troy, Agamemnon claims her as his ‘prize’ and brings her home to Mycenae.
All three women’s voices are completely compelling and individual. Life is rarely kind to the women in Greek tragedies as they live in fear of either the whims of the gods or of men. It is an absolutely thrilling read. The writing is rich, and the pace never lets up.
I was really impressed with Saint’s handlings of the complex themes of the story. She didn’t hide away from the more graphic or morally difficult parts of the stories and instead contextualises them and creates a beautifully told, gripping and devastating novel, perfect for both readers familiar with the story and those who are not.
This was a beautifully moving and tragic tale of women's suffering at the hands of men, living with the decisions and choices made by men, remaining strong despite many obstacles. Elektra tells a passionate, heart-breaking story involving some of the most famous women in Greek mythology.
Jennifer Saint is fast becoming one of my favourite writers, and I cannot wait to see what she does next with her book on Atalanta.
Overall reaction:
