The Women of Troy
A retelling of the classic Greek myth from the author of The Silence of the Girls
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Narrated by:
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Kristin Atherton
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By:
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Pat Barker
Summary
Brought to you by Penguin.
Following her bestselling, critically acclaimed The Silence of the Girls, Pat Barker continues her extraordinary retelling of one of our greatest myths.
Troy has fallen. The Greeks have won their bitter war. They can return home as victors - all they need is a good wind to lift their sails. But the wind has vanished, the seas becalmed by vengeful gods, and so the warriors remain in limbo - camped in the shadow of the city they destroyed, kept company by the women they stole from it.
The women of Troy.
Helen - poor Helen. All that beauty, all that grace - and she was just a mouldy old bone for feral dogs to fight over.
Cassandra, who has learned not to be too attached to her own prophecies. They have only ever been believed when she can get a man to deliver them.
Stubborn Amina, with her gaze still fixed on the ruined towers of Troy, determined to avenge the slaughter of her king.
Hecuba, howling and clawing her cheeks on the silent shore, as if she could make her cries heard in the gloomy halls of Hades. As if she could wake the dead.
And Briseis, carrying her future in her womb: the unborn child of the dead hero Achilles. Once again caught up in the disputes of violent men. Once again faced with the chance to shape history.
Masterful and enduringly resonant, ambitious and intimate, The Women of Troy continues Pat Barker's extraordinary retelling of one of our greatest classical myths, following on from the critically acclaimed The Silence of the Girls.
'Taut, masterly, wholly absorbing. Still one of the greatest stories ever written. A book that will be read in generations to come' Daily Telegraph on The Silence of the Girls
© Pat Barker 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021
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Critic reviews
As a novelist, Barker has always looked on the world with the combination of a cold eye and a sympathetic understanding. Her characterisation is sharp, her sympathy deep. She extends it even to the often brutal men.
Her overall achievement is to have taken one of the great myths of European history, something that has permeated Western culture for 3,000 years, and made something new and immediate of it.
It took me a while to familiarise myself with all the names and characters, as my memory of the Trojan War was somewhat lacking, so I found myself hitting the internet to gen up on who was who - but this is my failing, not a shortcoming of the book!
Please write another Pat Barker - maybe your take on the Odyssey?? Why not?
I felt I was in Troy!
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Great story
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Kristin Atherton is the best reader ever, just a really talented performer with credible and distinctive voices, bringing the story powerfully to life.
I learnt a lot, brushed up on some blind spots in my knowledge of history but most importantly was deeply moved by what women in all ages had to endure. The lesson for me is: Sisterhood is the only thing which helps us overcome the deep disadvantages and obstacles still in place.
A truly marvellous and inspiring experience.
History through a woman's eyes
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Excellent Sequel
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It’s so easy to picture the scenes in your head when these are read.
I absolutely love this
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