BOOK REVIEW: A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes

 I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

I’ve read many different takes on the Trojan War story. I don’t know why I’m addicted to it. It’s always painful and tragic. I know what’s going to happen and the outcome never changes. And yet, I keep reading them because the stories are so compelling.

A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes is the latest addition. This is a story of the Trojan women. Haynes frames it as the project of Calliope, a muse, who sees that war is more than the endless tale of men sacking cities and showing off their strength. She wants to inspire her poet to focus on the women who suffered equally or more so, whose sacrifices were every bit as great, and who behaved with as much courage or as much perfidy as the men. But rather than focus on one or two women, from pre-war to post-war, Calliope wants the poet to show them all. The tragedy is personal and collective. 

The story is told in vignettes and takes place primarily in the war’s aftermath. The main characters are the well-known Trojans: Hecabe, Andromache, Cassandra, Briseis, etc. A few chapters focus on the goddesses and nymphs. And there are chapters that show the points of view of some of the Greek women. (Penelope’s letters, full of longing, annoyance, and humor are some of my favorite chapters.) 

While most of the stories are familiar, there are some (Theano, Laodamia, Oenone, etc.) that I hadn’t heard of before. They were all moving in different ways.

The writing is beautiful and the scope of the book is impressive. I think this book will be best enjoyed by those who already have a grasp of the basics of the war and some of the main players so that the short stories have the relevant context. But it could also be read as an introduction to the Trojan War, seeing it first from the viewpoint of the women who lived through it and bore the consequences of it.

MAILBOX MONDAY: The Song of Troy by Colleen McCullough

Mailbox Monday is a meme originated by Marcia at A Girl and Her Books. It's now being rotated through different blogs monthly. Bloggers can share info about the new books they've obtained during the week. This month the host is Staci at Life in the Thumb. Come visit and check out links to see what we're reading (or planning to read soon!)

For all my good intentions about not acquiring new books for awhile, I took a weekend jaunt to Half-Price Books on Saturday. My kids dragged me. They were culling their shelves, making room for back-to-school. I came across an old novel by one of my favorite novelists, Colleen McCullough. I don't know how I missed this one, since I've read nearly all her books and this is certainly right up my alley. I had to grab it while I had the chance.

The Song of Troy by Colleen McCullough is (obviously) the story of the Iliad. It's told from multiple viewpoints. Each of the main actors get to tell his/her side of the tale. I love this epic tragedy. I've read multiple versions over the years. I also love McCullough's writing style. So I'm looking forward to seeing her take on this classic love story-adventure.

YA BOOK REVIEW: The Odyssey by Gareth Hinds

When I saw that there was a new graphic novel version of Homer’s epic story of Odysseus wandering his way back to Ithaca from Troy, I thought I’d have a look. I’ve never read a graphic novel before, but I’ve been curious about the genre since it seems to be exploding in popularity. Moreover, I've read several adaptations of The Odyssey over the years and almost always enjoy seeing how different authors present the material.

The Odyssey by Gareth Hinds is a fine rendition of the tale. (I’m not going to summarize the familiar plot.) This version is a very quick read. (Almost too quick-which may mean I didn’t ponder the pictures as much as I should have?) It builds tension nicely at the end. And it is a beautiful book. The artwork is impressive.

If you like graphic novels and want a taste of this classic work, I recommend the book. If you want a quick overview of what happens in the Odyssey and enjoy illustrations, I also recommend this. I think what keeps me from being more glowingly enthusiastic is that I’m just more of a words-on-a-page person than a visual person. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but somehow I prefer the thousand words. I’m not very good at scrutinizing panels of pictures and figuring out what’s going on. I need the labels or the dialogue bubbles. Is that impatience on my part or is it just a difference in the way my brain works?

ESCAPE TO THE PAST WITH: Penelope's Daughter by Laurel Corona

It’s hard to imagine more complete, complex, gorgeous tragedy than what Homer accomplished with the Iliad and the Odyssey. With such an extraordinary depth to their scenes and themes, it’s no wonder these epics have been mined for nuggets time and again. Each character in the tale—experiencing the events differently but within a framework that readers will recognize—is a gold mine of possibility.

One latest take on the story, Laurel Corona’s Penelope’s Daughter, is a worthy addition to the genre. Corona examines the myth from the standpoint of those Odysseus left behind in Ithaca when he reluctantly went off to Troy. But rather than telling the story through the eyes of the steadfast and wily Penelope, Odysseus’s wife, the author invents a new point-of-view character, Xanthe, their daughter.

Because she was born after the hero has sailed to Troy, Odysseus is unaware his daughter even exists. Xanthe grows up in a court in a state of suspended animation, waiting for her father’s return. Her youth is spent primarily learning to weave, despairing of her brother, Telemachus, who seems destined to fall short of everyone’s hopes, and doing her best to please her mother. Penelope has too many troubles; Xanthe wants her mother to pay more attention to her, but doesn’t want to be another burden. When the long-awaited news comes that the war is over, everyone expects Odysseus to come home. He does not, and things take a turn for the worse. Suitors not only contend for Penelope’s hand in order to inherit Ithaca’s throne, but spin plots around Telemachus and Xanthe. For her own safety, Xanthe is sent to live with Helen-no-longer-of-Troy. There she matures to young womanhood. However, she cannot hide from her destiny forever. Eventually, her brother fetches her home where her future is to be decided alongside that of her family’s, as soon as (or if ever) Odysseus returns...

This is a beautifully written story, ripe with skillful imagery, that captures the essence of the epic in an original way. It is rich in the details of every day life. The female characters are strong and sympathetic. And I very much enjoyed viewing Helen and Penelope from this new perspective.