A Thousand Ships
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- Create Date：2021-01-29 04:19:21
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Natalie Haynes
- ISBN：9780063065390
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Summary
Notes From Your Bookseller
In A Thousand Ships， Calliope， goddess of poetry， takes us through the Trojan War — where women become the deserving center of the most epic story ever told。 A fresh entry into a burgeoning category of modern retellings， this story collection is a beautiful doorway to the inimitable ancient works。
“With her trademark passion， wit， and fierce feminism， Natalie Haynes gives much-needed voice to the silenced women of the Trojan War。”—Madeline Miller， author of Circe
Shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction， a gorgeous retelling of the Trojan War from the perspectives of the many women involved in its causes and consequences—for fans of Madeline Miller。
This is the women’s war， just as much as it is the men’s。 They have waited long enough for their turn 。 。 。
This was never the story of one woman， or two。 It was the story of them all 。 。 。
In the middle of the night， a woman wakes to find her beloved city engulfed in flames。 Ten seemingly endless years of conflict between the Greeks and the Trojans are over。 Troy has fallen。
From the Trojan women whose fates now lie in the hands of the Greeks， to the Amazon princess who fought Achilles on their behalf， to Penelope awaiting the return of Odysseus， to the three goddesses whose feud started it all， these are the stories of the women whose lives， loves， and rivalries were forever altered by this long and tragic war。
A woman’s epic， powerfully imbued with new life， A Thousand Ships puts the women， girls and goddesses at the center of the Western world’s great tale ever told。
Editor Reviews
11/16/2020
The women of the Trojan War take center stage in this excellent take on the Greek classics from Haynes （The Ancient Guide to Modern Life）。 Hopping through nearly a dozen perspectives， Haynes provides an enthralling reimagining of the lives of women from both Troy and Greek culture。 There is Calliope， the muse who resents the poets demanding she supply them with inspiration; Andromache， who goes from princess to spoil of war when her husband， Hector， is killed by Achilles; and Penelope， who writes biting letters to Odysseus， asking him why it is that he doesn’t feel any urge to come home to her and their son。 There are also the royal heroines， such as Clytemnestra， who seeks revenge against Agamemnon for sacrificing their daughter; and Helen， who is weary of being constantly blamed for her role in beginning the war and for plots and prophecies she has no power to stop。 Cassandra， cursed with prophesies no one will ever believe， struggles to function when she knows exactly what will become of her and her family after the war。 Haynes shines by twisting common perceptions of the Trojan War and its aftermath in order to capture the women’s experiences。 Readers who enjoyed Madeline Miller’s Circe will want to take a look。 （Jan。）
Reviews
readwithaimee
，
I had incredibly high hopes for this book and it delivered （and then some）。 A Thousand Ships is absolutely stunning right from the first chapter。 It toggles between different perspectives， all of which are women affected in some way by the Trojan War。 We get to visit some characters a few times， and others are only mentioned once - but the impact is never diminished。 These are stories of grief， loss， strength， grace， pain and revenge。 If you're a fan of Circe or Song of Achilles， this is an absolute MUST read for you。
Alba
，
{2。5 Stars} "One man loses his wife and starts a war killing thousands of men， leaving thousands of women widows and creating thousands of slaves。 Winnoe loses her husband and instead she raises her son alone。 Which of those is the greater act？" A Thousand Ships attempts to retell the weighty subject matter of the Trojan War and the less-explored topic of the women involved （named or unnamed）。 In the Afterward， Haynes attempts to explain her motivations for writing this "epic" - she wanted to {2。5 Stars} "One man loses his wife and starts a war killing thousands of men， leaving thousands of women widows and creating thousands of slaves。 Winnoe loses her husband and instead she raises her son alone。 Which of those is the greater act？" A Thousand Ships attempts to retell the weighty subject matter of the Trojan War and the less-explored topic of the women involved （named or unnamed）。 In the Afterward， Haynes attempts to explain her motivations for writing this "epic" - she wanted to explain that women are just as affected and part of any war as the men and their stories deserved to be told。 I agree with this sentiment; however I can't say that I enjoyed the book。 I should probably preface this by saying that while I love ancient history， I cannot pretend to hold any interest in ancient （or modern） Greece （sorry！）。 It is one European culture that has never really inspired me the way so many others have， certainly not the old Greek gods or their epics。 I read the Odyssey and the Iliad in school and always thought they were overrated and full of bland， dickish characters （ahem Odysseus） with limited morals and no regard for anyone else。 The Romans much improved on what the Greeks left behind。。。。Ok now that that's said。。。 I really tried。 I read Circe last year and thought that it was。。。 okay。 I think I gave it 3 stars too and then later upgraded to 3。5 rounded up。 But I think the reason it was slightly more palatable is that it followed just one woman。。。 and she was a witch （I like witches！）。 A Thousand Ships， however， tries to tell the story of "all the women except Helen。" （she actually later tells Helen's story a little bit）。 I think that undertaking was too much - it was hard to follow so many people and hard to invest into so many stories， all of which were so negative。Basically this is what a took away from this book: - War is pointless。- War is just petulant boys in men's bodies who want to take something that isn't theirs。 There is no single good reason for a war， ever。- War makes women suffer but no one cares about that; all they care about is macho male displays of aggression。- The Greek kings whose names I can't remember have as thin skin as Trump and about as much brains and maturity levels。- Women always get the short end of the stick， and that hasn't really changed much。- Following the wills of gods is probably a bad idea （mostly because they are imaginary）。 - Women are stronger than men because men have left them no choice。 I never studied the Greek gods at school and unlike the Roman ones who I have studied in my own time， I know very little about them。 One thing that annoys me though is that while the people of the time believed their gods walked among them， that is just a pretty story to explain things the ancient people didn't understand like how the sun rises every morning。 Of course we know today that these are just stories。 So it annoys me how， in all these "ancient" stories written today， the authors insist on pretending like these gods are real people who have real impacts on a story （particularly one that is based on history like this one！）。 In this story， the war is blamed in the gods， essentially giving Helen and Parris a free pass。 Mild spoiler but not really:（view spoiler）[ the gods say the world is "too weighty" for the gods to hold （nice sentiment with global warming and overpopulation a current concern but still a ridiculous complaint if you're a GOD） and so they need a war to kill off some people so the god can relax and go for a massage。 So the gods lay the stupid golden apple by the feet of the shallow goddesses to put the ball in motion （no pun intended） to get them to consult Parris and reward him with Helen for choosing which goddess is most beautiful by begging naked in a shepherd's hut。 I mean。。。 seriously？？ What is that？ So not only are the gods real in this historical tale， but they are so shallow they will strip naked in a field to win a stupid 'bauble' in order to start a war so the other god can go have a lie-down from all the work of doing his/her job？ （hide spoiler）] As for Parris and Helen。 Don't use the non-existent gods to give this ridiculous pair a free pass。 Helen: "Have you ever tried resisting a god （yes， quite successfully because they DO NOT exist！）？ It's impossible。" I would call her a word starting with a B but will resist。 Helen is a spoiled little brat with a god complex and explicit narcissism。 Parris is a whiney， wimpy little man-boy with an identity crisis， an abandonment complex and a bone to pick with his parents， who thinks he's entitled to anything he wants。 They - and no one else - are the sole cause of the war as we know it。 If Helen and Parris weren't cheating twats， the Greek dudes would not have had an excuse。 Gods nothing to do with it。 Done， dusted。 The rest of the stories were varying degrees of depressing， tragic and sickening。 The men treated （and still do in some cases） women as interchangeable objects to own， trade， look at， comment on， and screw。 It was hard to read （or listen to， in my case）。 Circe had the right idea - most men are pigs。 There were only 2 perspectives that made it worth continuing， the Muse Calliope （apparently unnamed by the nicely sexist Homer）， who was witty and capricious。 I appreciated that。 And the other was Penelope， who wrote increasingly annoyed letters to her as*hole husband Odysseus。 I used to dislike Penelope - the queen of waiting， how patient she was！ But after reading， I have more respect for her。 I never saw the point of Odysseus - he is such a jerk！ Why do people think he is a great hero？ I always found that confusing。 Penelope's judgemental letters laying out how ridiculous and hypocritical his tale was were a hoot， and said exactly what I have always thought。 It is just a shame how it ends。 In her place， I would have taken any lover I wanted （he did too， so why not）， and greeted him home like the other queen greeted her murdering disgusting husband - with a sharp knife， and a young lover in bed。 But - that's just me。 In fact， I would have preferred this book better if it focussed mostly on Penelope - Haynes' version of her， that is - and made stupid Odyssey dude look like the fool he is。 I would have enjoyed that far more。 Some choice quotes: “He [agamaneonon] was a like a spoiled child grabbing at things just because he wanted them with no thought for anyone else - even a god。 The arrogance was remarkable。” "They're never happy unless they are taking what doesn't belong to them， and burning anything they can't carry。" Anyway， this book wasn't for me， but I'm the first to admit that it would have had a long uphill battle to gain my adoration as the subject matter isn't my cup of tea。 If you like Greek mythology， it might be more to your taste。 TW: murder/sacrifices （and lots of it）; infanticide; sexual assault （not graphic）， war， and the selling/keeping of sex slaves。 。。。more
Elijah Oakes Benson
，
It feels only appropriate to discuss this book in terms of metaphors for war。 For instance， the Trojan Horse: open it up， and so many subversive stories come pouring out， swords raised。 Haynes writes with a combination of erudition and humanity that renders these stories of Homeric women less retellings than rediscoveries， asking us， rightfully， to question the idea of heroism， both in its requirements and its applications。 In the stead of Achilles， Hector， Odysseus， et al。， she tells the storie It feels only appropriate to discuss this book in terms of metaphors for war。 For instance， the Trojan Horse: open it up， and so many subversive stories come pouring out， swords raised。 Haynes writes with a combination of erudition and humanity that renders these stories of Homeric women less retellings than rediscoveries， asking us， rightfully， to question the idea of heroism， both in its requirements and its applications。 In the stead of Achilles， Hector， Odysseus， et al。， she tells the stories of Cassandra， Bryseis， Penelope; those who do not need to start wars to find glory in life。 Who is more heroic？ 。。。more
Ema
，
“for fans of Madeline Miller” that’s me bitch
Lance Shortus
，
A fantastic book that provides a retelling of the events of the Trojan war and the Odyssey from the perspective of all the women involved， including the goddesses。 See the major players through the lense of those who's story is rarely told and who are often seen as auxiliary characters。 A fantastic book that provides a retelling of the events of the Trojan war and the Odyssey from the perspective of all the women involved， including the goddesses。 See the major players through the lense of those who's story is rarely told and who are often seen as auxiliary characters。 。。。more
Rachael
，
This book was so painful to read at moments， but it shone a light into a place that is very seldom explored: what happens to the women left behind by war？I could barely put this book down， despite how heartbreaking it’s stories were。
Karin Gorham
，
Apparently the library listened to my suggestion because I got the notice it was available for me today！ On release date， so I guess I was first in line。 I accidentally listened to it in one sitting， I was reorganizing my kitchen， and thoroughly enjoyed it。 The timeline jumps might confuse someone unfamiliar with the general story， but otherwise I would recommend it for almost anyone。
Andy
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Would happily give this a 6/5 if I could。
Joseph Tambornino
，
Not BadHighly vivid and well imagined。 Would have benefited from far fewer words， and some subtly of tone。 Surprising that there are so many problems of syntax。 Nevertheless， entertaining for the right audience。
Kim Chadsey
，
I loved this book - giving a voice to the women "behind" the men in the Trojan War。 Fun view of the gods and goddesses and how their whims affected humanity。 Will definitely recommend it！ I loved this book - giving a voice to the women "behind" the men in the Trojan War。 Fun view of the gods and goddesses and how their whims affected humanity。 Will definitely recommend it！ 。。。more
Nelda Brangwin
，
I loved this female perspective of Homer’s Iliad。 I am pleased to see that several authors are challenged the male view。 There are plenty of female characters here。 They are just as courageous as their husbands battling one another。 Its been a long time since I’ve read Homer’s tale and I had to do some research to put all the pieces of A Thousand Ships together but it was well worth it。 I’m still at a loss as to why the Greeks would go to war over a woman like Helen。 Seems like they had plenty o I loved this female perspective of Homer’s Iliad。 I am pleased to see that several authors are challenged the male view。 There are plenty of female characters here。 They are just as courageous as their husbands battling one another。 Its been a long time since I’ve read Homer’s tale and I had to do some research to put all the pieces of A Thousand Ships together but it was well worth it。 I’m still at a loss as to why the Greeks would go to war over a woman like Helen。 Seems like they had plenty of other more compliant women。 Greek mythology and stories seem to be the first soap operas。 There’s so much going on。 。。。more
Kiera
，
3。5 stars。 As a fan of Greek mythology， I was excited to read about the women of the Trojan War。 It’s clear the author has done a lot of research because every chapter is told with meticulous detail。 It was sometimes confusing， as the story was told out of order。 I really liked that Calliope’s chapters broke the fourth wall。 Overall an interesting read！
Ryan A。
，
Great examination of epic stories in a personal relatable way。 I loved the format of a connected anthropology， it brought so many different themes together。
Letture In
，
Ancora con le lacrime agli occhi e con il cuore in subbuglio， ci piacerebbe tanto parlavi di questa piccola perla letteraria che è “Il Canto di Calliope” di Natalie Haynes。La Haynes ci ha stregate， ammaliate， come solo una discendente di Circe o Calipso saprebbe fare。 Attraverso la rivisitazione di due delle narrazioni epiche più famose al mondo e attingendo a fonti storiche antiche， la Haynes riesce a dare voce ad una divinità che quasi più nessuno invoca。 Calliope， stanca di raccontare solo un Ancora con le lacrime agli occhi e con il cuore in subbuglio， ci piacerebbe tanto parlavi di questa piccola perla letteraria che è “Il Canto di Calliope” di Natalie Haynes。La Haynes ci ha stregate， ammaliate， come solo una discendente di Circe o Calipso saprebbe fare。 Attraverso la rivisitazione di due delle narrazioni epiche più famose al mondo e attingendo a fonti storiche antiche， la Haynes riesce a dare voce ad una divinità che quasi più nessuno invoca。 Calliope， stanca di raccontare solo una versione di quella che è stata la guerra di Troia， decide di cantare al poeta curvo sui suoi scritti in attesa d’ispirazione， la storia di tante， tantissime donne。 Una storia di indicibile sofferenza， perdita， e forza。 Sì， forza， di quelle che difficilmente di può scorgere su un campo di battaglia。 È la forza di un animo prostrato， obbligato a sopportare orrori senza fine， a portarne il peso giorno dopo giorno， fino alle porte del regno dei morti。 Un libro che esige di essere letto， non solo pensando alla guerra di Troia， ma capendo che per ogni genere di conflitto， non ci sono mai dei veri vincitori。 Solo animi divorati dal dolore， consumati dalla vendetta， o peggio， dalla rassegnazione。 。。。more
Ian
，
My thanks to the folks at Harper for an early copy of this book out tomorrow in the States in exchange for an honest review。Listen， I love Madeline Miller - both as a person and a writer。 So I says to myself， "Self， this is another Women's Prize-nominated title based in Greek mythology and epic poetry by a female author with a Madeline Miller blurb。 Surely you'll love this one， too！" 。。。 Boy oh boy， what little I knew。Snark aside， I know a lot of people will love this one - it was a Women's Priz My thanks to the folks at Harper for an early copy of this book out tomorrow in the States in exchange for an honest review。Listen， I love Madeline Miller - both as a person and a writer。 So I says to myself， "Self， this is another Women's Prize-nominated title based in Greek mythology and epic poetry by a female author with a Madeline Miller blurb。 Surely you'll love this one， too！" 。。。 Boy oh boy， what little I knew。Snark aside， I know a lot of people will love this one - it was a Women's Prize finalist。 For many， that is all you need to know。 If you would like to know more， allow me to continue。I am aware that Natalie Haynes is working off a whole lot of not a lot。 The classics are famously VERY male， and the women are either devout spouses， floozy whores， or tomboyish proto-lesbians。 If you're Shakespeare， sometimes they're one of the last two， and they become the first to much acclaim。 But when you tell me you're giving the women a chance to be heard I want power and rage and self-actualization 。。。That's not what you get here。 What I got instead was a novel that rehashes all of your favorite plots from middle school。 （Don't get me started on how droll the Penelope chapters are 。。。 Just read the Odyssey instead。） And geez does this has got that book club prose 。。。"But you gave it three stars？！？" someone shrieks from the rafters。 There are some chapters that really work。 One or two of the Penelope sections in the middle have some bite， her Helen is a force of nature， the addition of Eris and Themis were interesting framing， and Cassandra and Creusa are imparted with some real agency。The crowning jewel of the piece was the entry on Laodamia。 There is a haunting quality there that had me longing for the book that could have been。 。。。more
Maggie
，
A THOUSAND SHIPS tells the story of the women of the Trojan War and the devastating impact of war on the lives of non-combatants。 Modern retellings of the classic epics so often fall flat， or try so hard to be edgy that they lose all the appeal of the original。 The tragic story of the Trojan women stands on its own merits， and Natalie Haynes has infused new life into these classic stories without resorting to hackish "subversions" of the narrative。 Well-executed and engaging。 My only complaint i A THOUSAND SHIPS tells the story of the women of the Trojan War and the devastating impact of war on the lives of non-combatants。 Modern retellings of the classic epics so often fall flat， or try so hard to be edgy that they lose all the appeal of the original。 The tragic story of the Trojan women stands on its own merits， and Natalie Haynes has infused new life into these classic stories without resorting to hackish "subversions" of the narrative。 Well-executed and engaging。 My only complaint is the "Muse" chapters， which express the narrative goal of the novel but distract from the overall story。Thanks to Harper who gave me this book as an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Mariana
，
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy！This book tells the story of the Trojan War but from the female perspective， instead of from the overwhelming macho POV we are used to in Greek mythology。 I enjoyed this book waaaaaay more than I anticipated I would。 I do not have extensive background knowledge or major intrigue in greek mythology so I was a little weary。 I read Circe， which many people have been comparing this one to， a while ago and while I did enjoy it， it wasn't a favorite。But W Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy！This book tells the story of the Trojan War but from the female perspective， instead of from the overwhelming macho POV we are used to in Greek mythology。 I enjoyed this book waaaaaay more than I anticipated I would。 I do not have extensive background knowledge or major intrigue in greek mythology so I was a little weary。 I read Circe， which many people have been comparing this one to， a while ago and while I did enjoy it， it wasn't a favorite。But WOW I was pleasantly surprised。 This was a great novel。 There are a lot of characters and things to keep up with， but they all tie in together so effortlessly。 You have that "aha" moment every few chapters when the story starts to align。 Overall a strong premise。 I see why this author is a fav for many people and I'm looking forward to checking out her other books！ 。。。more
Rome
，
Thank you to Goodreads for giving me a free advanced reader’s edition of this book！ All thoughts shared in this review are my own！This book was interesting， but it felt like it could’ve been more。 I think there’s so much Haynes could’ve done where myth acts as a springboard rather than a mere retelling。 I’d’ve loved to hear more from Clytemnestra or even exploring other well-known characters in differing events， such as Atalanta’s perspective from her time on the Argo or Ismene prior to her intr Thank you to Goodreads for giving me a free advanced reader’s edition of this book！ All thoughts shared in this review are my own！This book was interesting， but it felt like it could’ve been more。 I think there’s so much Haynes could’ve done where myth acts as a springboard rather than a mere retelling。 I’d’ve loved to hear more from Clytemnestra or even exploring other well-known characters in differing events， such as Atalanta’s perspective from her time on the Argo or Ismene prior to her introduction in the Oedipus cycle。 Additionally， it feels as if it would have functioned better as a short story cycle。 As it stands now， the novel feels rather disjointed， which is one thing when it’s an intentional replication of the events of the novel， but this feels unintended and clunky。 Having said this， it definitely got more enjoyable as I read more and more。 The Penelope chapters in particular， which are best described as biting， stand out from the rest， growing more aggressive each time her perspective returns。 Definitely the best part of the book。 。。。more
ZarahZoe
，
"I have sung of the women。 The women in the shadows。 I have sung of the forgotten， the ignored， and the untold。 I have picked up the old stories and I have shaken them， until the hidden women appear in plain sight。 I have celebrated them in song because they have waited long enough。 Just as I promised， this was not the story of one woman or two， it was the story of all of them。 A war does not ignore half the people whose lifes it touches so why do we？"I remember getting in an argument with my la "I have sung of the women。 The women in the shadows。 I have sung of the forgotten， the ignored， and the untold。 I have picked up the old stories and I have shaken them， until the hidden women appear in plain sight。 I have celebrated them in song because they have waited long enough。 Just as I promised， this was not the story of one woman or two， it was the story of all of them。 A war does not ignore half the people whose lifes it touches so why do we？"I remember getting in an argument with my latin teacher about Penelope， Odysseus' wife。 How she was expected to wait 20 years for his return while he took other women and gallivated to the end of the world and got captured by monsters just to show of his wit， and my teacher just ignored all of my critical thought。 We were there to translate a 2500 years old text， not be critical， after all。 Same with all the raping and taking woman as slaves and mothers being expected to give up their children， regular themes in every passage we read。 But how would one expect history of people whose role model is Zeus be told。 It was so refreshing and just GOOD to finally read about the other side of the coin。 It was also hard and horrific。 War is a horrific topic to read about， after all。 I loved Haynes' take on Cassandra， and the story of Iphigenia。 The book is also really captivating and extremly well written。 My nerdy heart peased。 。。。more
Valentina Markasović
，
It's like a compilation of the interesting parts of many ancient works It's like a compilation of the interesting parts of many ancient works 。。。more
Sophie
，
Absolutely loved this book， it was amazing！
Petra Ferri
，
Questo è uno di quei libri che mi piace leggere di più！ Miti e leggende dal punto di vista delle donne！ Peccato per i continui cambi di POV，per una persona che non ha mai letto quel genere di libri può risultare faticoso capire。
Helen | readwithneleh
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Retelling of the Trojan War from only the female perspectives， this book was engaging and fun for me to read。 I do enjoy Greek mythology and of course， know of this story， although I must admit I do not know the details intimately。 So， reading this was a joy and a work of discovery。 I enjoyed all the female perspectives， but especially from the Trojan women and the goddesses。 The former provided structure to the non-linear narrative while the latter provided drama and context to the war。 These t Retelling of the Trojan War from only the female perspectives， this book was engaging and fun for me to read。 I do enjoy Greek mythology and of course， know of this story， although I must admit I do not know the details intimately。 So， reading this was a joy and a work of discovery。 I enjoyed all the female perspectives， but especially from the Trojan women and the goddesses。 The former provided structure to the non-linear narrative while the latter provided drama and context to the war。 These two POVs felt the most genuine and relatable （well， not the goddesses entirely but it was nice to pretend that I did）。 That said， I did think there were one too many characters to keep track of。 We'd also meet one character and never hear about them again （example: Briseis）。 I assume this was done because the source material was lacking on that character， but I would've liked some characters to exist in more than just one chapter。 I also found the retellings from Penelope's POV a bit too straightforward and lacking in depth。 It felt like a straight retelling of The Odyssey without much of Penelope's own POV in it。 She definitely had a voice， but it was used to tell Odysseus's stories and not hers， which I guess would work for those who are classicists and prefer work that is as close to source material as possible。Besides these small gripes， I really enjoyed this retelling and recommend it to any Greek mythology lover。 。。。more
Ilaria
，
"Questa però è anche la guerra delle donne， non solo la guerra degli uomini， e il poeta dovrà tenere conto del loro dolore - il dolore delle donne che sono sempre state relegate ai margini della storia， vittime degli uomini， scampate agli uomini， schiave degli uomini - e dovrà raccontarlo， oppure non racconterà un bel niente。 Le donne hanno aspettato il loro turno anche troppo。"Il canto di Calliope è il primo romanzo di Natalie Haynes pubblicato in Italia; Natalie Haynes è una scrittrice e class "Questa però è anche la guerra delle donne， non solo la guerra degli uomini， e il poeta dovrà tenere conto del loro dolore - il dolore delle donne che sono sempre state relegate ai margini della storia， vittime degli uomini， scampate agli uomini， schiave degli uomini - e dovrà raccontarlo， oppure non racconterà un bel niente。 Le donne hanno aspettato il loro turno anche troppo。"Il canto di Calliope è il primo romanzo di Natalie Haynes pubblicato in Italia; Natalie Haynes è una scrittrice e classicista inglese。 Ha pubblicato diverse opere che riportano in scena i grandi classici， inclusi quelli della mitologia classica。 Questo romanzo si propone come un poema epico dedicato alle donne che furono protagoniste della guerra di Troia ma le cui storie finora erano rimaste nell'ombra。 Tutti conosciamo molto bene l'Iliade， l'abbiamo letta e studiata probabilmente， ma è stato raccontato davvero tutto di quella storia？ No， c'è un punto di vista che non è stato narrato， una storia che non conosciamo， personaggi， eroi e non， di cui non abbiamo quasi mai sentito parlare。 Si tratta delle donne， ed in questa rivisitazione delle vicende dell'Iliade， la Haynes si è posta l'obiettivo di tirarle fuori dall'ombra e di riportarle alla luce。 Mi hanno colpito moltissimo le parole contenute nella postfazione， l'autrice dice: "Spero che alla fine di questo libro i lettori si rendano conto che l'eroismo è qualcosa che può trovarsi in tutti noi， sopratutto se le circostanze lo spingono alla ribalta。 Non appartiene solo agli uomini， non più di quanto le tragiche conseguenze della guerra appartengano solo alle donne。"Il racconto inizia con la voce narrante della storia， la voce narrante di tutte le storie epiche: Calliope， la musa della poesia epica。 A lei si rivolge il sommo poeta， pensando di scrivere grazie alla sua ispirazione un nuovo poema eroico， ma stavolta è la musa a tessere le fila del racconto。 Calliope decide che stavolta non soddisferà le richieste del poeta， stavolta sarà lui a seguire lei， perchè c'è una storia che non è stata ancora raccontata。 E' arrivato il momento per le donne coinvolte nella grande tragedia， la grande guerra tra Greci e Troiani， di farsi avanti e di far conoscere il loro punto di vista。 Così il poeta racconta di Ecabe， Cassandra， Andromaca， Polissena， Pentesilea， Clitennestra， Laodamia， Briseide e Criseide， ma anche di Penelope e Ifigenia， di Atena， Era e Afrodite e ancora delle Moire che tessono i fili della vita di tutte loro。In un racconto corale di grande bellezza， le storie e le vite di queste donne， eroiche quanto quelle degli eroi che abbiamo sempre celebrato， tornano in vita。 Con uno stile elegante， scorrevole e particolarmente poetico， Natalie Haynes rivisita l'Iliade e lo fa con una naturalezza e un'eleganza davvero uniche。 Il ritmo del racconto resta sostenuto dall'inizio alla fine， momenti che appartengono a Calliope， la voce che ci guida lungo tutto il libro。 Utilizzare Calliope come voce narrante è stata un'idea originale e ben congegnata， l'ho trovata una narratrice eccelsa， e ho particolarmente apprezzato il tono sempre diverso， a volte ironico， a volte divertito， altre impietosito， con cui parla delle donne di questo racconto。Conoscevo molte delle storie raccontate in questo libro， anche perchè non è la prima rivisitazione che leggo， ma alcune non le conoscevo e mi hanno colpita moltissimo。 La storia di Laodamia e di Protesilao， il sacrificio di Ifigenia contrapposto a quello di Polissena， il coraggio di Pentesilea， la pazienza di Penelope， la disperazione di Cassandra， la vendetta di Clitennestra， l'innocenza di Criseide， la forza di Briseide。 Tutte loro hanno qualcosa che colpisce， le loro storie sono tragiche， eroiche e commoventi tanto quelle di Achille， Patroclo， Diomede o Odisseo。 Il racconto fa luce su quello che finora non conoscevamo， su quello che è rimasto in ombra。 Viste le varie rivisitazioni già scritte， forse pensereste che non avevamo bisogno di un'altra versione。 E invece ne abbiamo bisogno， perchè "una guerra non ignora metà della gente di cui tocca le vite。 Quindi perchè dovremmo ignorarla noi？" Questo libro è meraviglioso， non solo per il modo in cui l'autrice ha deciso di scrivere questa sua personale versione del poema， ma anche per i temi trattati。 La vita e la morte， il dolore， il dramma， la disperazione， ma anche l'amore e la speranza。 Io l'ho amato， profondamente。 Mi sono commossa più volte， mi sono sentita parte del racconto come non mi era mai accaduto。 Ho ritrovato un pezzetto di me in ogni racconto， e quando un libro riesce a farti immedesimare così tanto nei personaggi， quando sembra parlarti direttamente al cuore， allora comprendi che è più di un libro。 。。。more
Sara Zaninelli
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“E ho cantato delle donne， le donne nell’ombra。 Ho cantato di chi è stato dimenticato， ignorato， non raccontato。 Ho preso le vecchie storie e le ho rimescolate， finché le donne nascoste non sono apparse in piena luce。”•A parte il fatto che credo di non aver letto un retelling così bello dai tempi di Circe nel lontano 2019， questo libro mi ha distrutto， ancora sto asciugando le lacrime dopo l’ultimo racconto su Andromaca。 Il titolo italiano rende ancora meglio di quello inglese。 Questo non è il c “E ho cantato delle donne， le donne nell’ombra。 Ho cantato di chi è stato dimenticato， ignorato， non raccontato。 Ho preso le vecchie storie e le ho rimescolate， finché le donne nascoste non sono apparse in piena luce。”•A parte il fatto che credo di non aver letto un retelling così bello dai tempi di Circe nel lontano 2019， questo libro mi ha distrutto， ancora sto asciugando le lacrime dopo l’ultimo racconto su Andromaca。 Il titolo italiano rende ancora meglio di quello inglese。 Questo non è il canto di Omero， è il canto di Calliope， una Musa， una donna。 Una donna che si impietosisce di fronte alla sofferenza che le donne troiane e greche devono sopportare。 Perché è vero che gli eroi muoiono， ma chi resta a soffrire e a tenere insieme ciò che rimane con la colla e lo a scotch sono loro。 Quelle che con grande decoro sopportano il dolore della perdita di tutti quelli che hanno amato e che vanno incontro alla morte con una dignità degna di una regina。 Il coraggio non è solo quello di porsi alla testa di un esercito per uccidere o per difendere， è anche quello di farsi forza per raccogliere i cocci di ciò che è stato distrutto。 La reazione al dolore non è sempre la stessa: c’è chi come Clitemnestra decidere di lasciarsi consumare dall’ira e trova la sua pace solo nella vendetta， e chi come Andromaca riesce ancora ad amare seppur senza la spensieratezza della gioventù。 Tutte queste storie valgono la pena di essere lette， tutte di essere ascoltate， anche quella della povera Cassandra che mi ha letteralmente spezzato il cuore。 Lei， condannata a non essere ascoltata da nessuno， che riesce comunque a sopravvivere nonostante il dolore e le tragedie che vede continuamente， anche nei suoi sogni。 Credo che la storia di Penelope fosse la più difficile da riscrivere， sia perché tanti altri scrittori ci hanno già provato， sia perché il viaggio di Odisseo è talmente famoso che rischiava di risultare banale。。 e invece mi ha stupito。 Penelope scrive delle lettere al marito e nel corso degli anni vediamo come da moglie giovane e fiduciosa， diventa sempre più dubbiosa su ciò che lo sta davvero trattenendo lontano da casa。 Lei è paziente e fedele， ma non è stupida。。 se sceglie di riaccogliere il marito non è perché è cieca dei suoi tradimenti e del suo amore per la gloria， ma perché sa che è comunque l’unica persona con cui riesce ad essere felice e questo le fa onore。 Certo è che deve reimparare a conoscere Odisseo。 Quando un uomo di va in guerra， nel bene o nel male torna diverso: le morti e la lontananza ti segnano inevitabilmente。 Ringrazio moltissimo le case editrici Sonzogno e Marsilio per la copia in omaggio。 。。。more
Emilia Rosén
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I really， really wanted to like this book， but for some reason， I just could not get into it。 I think I was in the wrong mood。。。 definitely going to keep it and maybe reread it sometime in the future。
Cathy Oliver
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'Sing， Muse， he said， and I have sung。 I have sung of armies and I have sung of men。 I have sung of gods and monsters， I have sung of stories and lies。 I have sung of death and of life， of joy and of pain。 I have sung of life after death。 And I have sung of the women， the women in the shadows。 I have sung of the forgotten， the ignored， the untold。'From Gaia， the primordial mother of all life bowing beneath the growing weight of humankind， to Iphignia， sacrificed by her father on her faux wedding 'Sing， Muse， he said， and I have sung。 I have sung of armies and I have sung of men。 I have sung of gods and monsters， I have sung of stories and lies。 I have sung of death and of life， of joy and of pain。 I have sung of life after death。 And I have sung of the women， the women in the shadows。 I have sung of the forgotten， the ignored， the untold。'From Gaia， the primordial mother of all life bowing beneath the growing weight of humankind， to Iphignia， sacrificed by her father on her faux wedding day， and her mother's bloody vengeance alongside the Furies， these are the stories of the Trojan war you may not know。 The stories of the women， both mortal and divine。Their tales and woes are narrated by Calliope， Goddess of epic poetry， when she is instructed to 'Sing， muse'， by a male poet。 She doesn't much care for him。Sing she does though， of female lives ordered and broken by men。 There is so much awfulness， rape， murder， child loss。 Every horrid act you can imagine。Yet the standout voice for me was Penelope。 The loyal， patient wife who waits twenty years for the return of her husband， Odysseus。 Her letters to him drip with sarcasm and disapproval and feel contemporary， like reading an account of a relationship on social media or in a magazine！ I have read many versions of Penelope， but she may have been my favourite。 I couldn't wait to hit each of her chapters。 My enjoyment of this book grew steadily as I read。 By the end， I was completely sold。 I love this feminist excavation of Greek mythology - last year I devoured Circe， the Silence of the Girls and the Penelopiad。 At first， I thought this wouldn't measure up， lacking focus on a central or few characters。 But Haynes breathes life into the women at the sidelines， the marginalised， the characters you haven't heard of， their stories deemed too unimportant to tell。At the novel's close， I was glad to have heard every one of them。 A brilliant read that somehow cuts through barbarism and tragedy with a sardonic， surprisingly amusing and unmistakably female voice。 I highly recommend it。#books #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookreviews #greekmythology #nataliehaynes #athousandships #greek #januaryreads 。。。more
Courtney | Novel Maven
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This historical fiction about the Trojan War reads like non-fiction。 The passages covering the action of battle lack excitement， and the passages without action are a slog。 Luckily， the audiobook is a short one。 The story may be easier to enjoy in print。The chapters are from the point of view of the women involved in the war including Helen of Troy， Calliope， Hecate， Briseis， Chryseis， Penelope， Aphrodite， Hera， Athena， and more。Natalie Haynes' pronunciation of Greek names is proper and not what This historical fiction about the Trojan War reads like non-fiction。 The passages covering the action of battle lack excitement， and the passages without action are a slog。 Luckily， the audiobook is a short one。 The story may be easier to enjoy in print。The chapters are from the point of view of the women involved in the war including Helen of Troy， Calliope， Hecate， Briseis， Chryseis， Penelope， Aphrodite， Hera， Athena， and more。Natalie Haynes' pronunciation of Greek names is proper and not what a casual reader would expect。 Her narration is monotone and doesn't contribute to an already dry story。Recommended only for staunch fans of Greek mythology， especially those looking for a less androcentric account of Troy。I received an electronic galley copy of this title from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 I also received a digital audio recording of this title from the publisher through Libro。fm as a librarian review copy。 I read the latter edition。Read the review and get readalikes here: https://guenevol。wixsite。com/novelmav。。。 。。。more
Ellyn
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ARC won in a Goodreads giveaway。Having just read Circe by Madeline Miller， I wanted to find another book about Greek Mythology and A Thousand Ships blew me away。 I can see where the things I loved about this book could be the exact things that put other reviewers off。 "Just as I promised him: this was never the story of one woman， or two。 It was the story of all of them。"。 I generally read novels that switch between multiple points of view and have found that to be a storytelling technique that ARC won in a Goodreads giveaway。Having just read Circe by Madeline Miller， I wanted to find another book about Greek Mythology and A Thousand Ships blew me away。 I can see where the things I loved about this book could be the exact things that put other reviewers off。 "Just as I promised him: this was never the story of one woman， or two。 It was the story of all of them。"。 I generally read novels that switch between multiple points of view and have found that to be a storytelling technique that works for me。 While the large number of characters doesn't allow you to settle into a character the way a novel limited to one viewpoint does， but in this case， I think it allowed for a complete telling of the Trojan War through the experiences of the women involved。 Thanks to an enthusiastic undergrad professor， I did have a little background knowledge of the story of the Trojan War， which I do think made this book more enjoyable than if I knew nothing。 Thanks to pop culture I think the majority of people will know enough about the basic structure of the Trojan War to enjoy this book。"If he complains to me again， I will ask him this: is Oenone less of a hero than Menelaus？ He loses his wife so he stirs up an army to bring her back to him， costing countless lives and creating countless widows， orphans and slaves。 Oenone loses her husband and she raises their son。 Which of those is the more heroic act？" The narration of the book centers around the Muse Calliope inspiring a poet who is working to write an epic about the Trojan War。 The nonlinear storytelling underscores the struggle between the unnamed poet and Calliope as he fights against the story she wants him to tell。 She acknowledges multiple times that the story of the women doesn't fit the traditional viewpoint of an epic poem， but that this is the deal she is offering: he tells this tale， or nothing at all。 Each chapter is a tragic vignette that doesn't end in triumph and victory， more often than not the story ends in death or enslavement。 As the story moves between the past， present， and future， I feel the desperation of the poet as he tries to find something， anything to fit the heroic narrative he wants to tell。 Finally， he realizes that sometimes survival is the most heroic act of all。 。。。more
élodie
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characters: 6/10 atmosphere/setting: 7/10 writing style: 6/10plot: 5/10intrigue: 6/10logic: 7/10enjoyment: 7/10final rating: 6。2/10review to come。
Mel
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I can’t even begin to describe how much I love this book。 I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK。 All the stories are incredibly powerful， each one leaving me speechless。 The writing is captivating， I couldn’t have trusted any other author to give a voice to these silenced women of the Trojan War。 If you love Greek mythology， and powerful， strong women who’s stories haven’t been told NEARLY enough times， I suggest you read this book and you read it now！！！
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=A Thousand Ships
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=A Thousand Ships&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,A Thousand Ships&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0