Ithaca: The exquisite, gripping tale that breathes life into ancient myth (The Songs of Penelope)

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But housed within that addictive pacing was deep and moving commentary on the lack of autonomy given to Grecian women and how cruelly they were often treated.

The arid, rocky landscape is beautifully depicted and the characters are presented with a sleight of hand that is very rare, even when she is compared to the likes of Pat Barker and Madeline Miller. From the multi award-winning Claire North comes a daring, exquisite and moving tale that breathes life into ancient myth, and tells of the women who stand defiant in a world ruled by ruthless men. She also holds nothing back while voicing her own brutally honest opinions about some of the "heroes" and how poets and bards wax eloquent while singing praises of their exploits, often neglecting to mention the contributions of their female counterparts or the lesser known mortals who have played an important role in their success. The groundwork laid for the sequels leaves relationships to be repaired and characters to face further growth. What I did not do, was delve into the historiography of the period or dedicate myself to nine months of non-stop reading in academic libraries, and consequently have immediate imposter syndrome.Thankfully, Penelope is incredibly clever, and she maintains this balance deftly and with astounding subtlety.

Das ist vom Konzept her schon sehr schlüssig, auch wenn ich vielleicht nicht unbedingt die Zielgruppe bin. The author also used modern words and phrases scattered throughout the work which completely broke the little immersion there was with this book. There are moments when she is scathing in her critique of men and disdain for the ancient poets, and moments where she is softer in the fondness she feels for her queens. What she doesn't understand is why, being the way it is, society is so insufferably stupid, run by flaming idiots.Yes, some writing was beginning to seep into the Greek world at this time, but not on a daily or meaningful basis. The voices and world are distinctly the Greek myths we all know and yet there is so much more depth.

Penelope, despite her son’s fault, despite his reluctance to treat his mother with any ounce of the respect she deserves, loves him nonetheless, which makes their relationship so heartbreaking.In some ways, it is unfair to make that comparison anyway because she has truly carved out a niche for herself with this foray into ancient Greece. The balance she was able to strike between respecting the material while also delivering snark and sarcasm in a way that brightened the story without ever making light of it, was astounding.

Given that there is a question of female power here, and how it’s wielded, it made sense to have these stories told by figures of ultimate female power – goddesses themselves – but goddesses who might also be aware of how their power is being diminished by events unfolding. The characters still feel remote at the end of it, but the story and the language are deeply satisfying.Keeping one's own son, self, and people alive - now that's going to take a much wilier person than Odysseus. Athena loves it when a hunky warrior clad in bronze kneels before her inner sanctum, and when a man violated a woman upon her altar, it was the woman whose hair she turned to snakes in retribution for this sacrilege. 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. After quite a few years, however, the suitors that have been a guest in her home are turning restless, making it harder and harder for Penelope to postpone the inevitable.