Fantasy

The Women of Troy

The Women of Troy

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  • Create Date：2022-05-30 00:51:57
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Pat Barker
  • ISBN：0241988330
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Summary

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

Following her bestselling， critically acclaimed The Silence of the Girls， Pat Barker continues her extraordinary retelling of one of our greatest myths。

'Myth for a MeToo age。 Pat Barker returns to Homer in this gory but unexpectedly uplifting novel' Sunday Times

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。

'Readers turn to Barker's novels for their plain truths and clear-eyed sense of our history and creation stories。 But the sombre clarity of her writing is offset by a luminous wisdom' Sunday Times

'The Women Of Troy's immediate beauty is its accessibility and Barker's precise， elegant writing' Metro

'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' ipaper

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Reviews

Julia🎐 ，

This is a book in which nothing happens。In the stillness of all that white noise， a vast amount of time is allotted to the lazy task of framing all Greek soldiers as this one note misogynistic mass - and that’s pretty much as far as this book is willing to go in terms of themes。Apparently， that’s fiercely feminist or something。I did like a few things。 I liked Achilles’s absence from the story， enacting the part of the ghost。 I liked the flashes we caught of Patroklos - those felt right。 Still， e This is a book in which nothing happens。In the stillness of all that white noise， a vast amount of time is allotted to the lazy task of framing all Greek soldiers as this one note misogynistic mass - and that’s pretty much as far as this book is willing to go in terms of themes。Apparently， that’s fiercely feminist or something。I did like a few things。 I liked Achilles’s absence from the story， enacting the part of the ghost。 I liked the flashes we caught of Patroklos - those felt right。 Still， even that feels like a failure！ As we’re seeing things from Briséis’s perspective， we should expect the most interesting characters to not be her captors。 As it is， our main character is just jogging from one side of camp to another， having inane conversations with the other captives。 Nothing of value is added to the myth whatsoever， we simply get the sense that women face violence a lot during war time。 Groundbreaking take there。Hekuba， Kassandra and Andromache have never felt so dull as they do in this book， as they passively aggressively eat cakes and recount whatever horror they had to go through in varied， uninspired ways。While reading this， I kept wondering if this author had even read the Iliad。 Yes， women are allowed at funerals。 That’s the whole point of the final chant， centered on the burial of Hektor。 No， Menelaus is not the most likely candidate when you feel like depicting gratuitous wife beating - he’s the only Greek character in the Iliad who hesitates before killing a Trojan！ Pyrrhus’s characterisation felt vaguely interesting and then it circled back to pointless when he befriended Henelus and kept his favorite horse。 Homeric characters meet Disney cartoons plots！ The complete disregard for historical inaccuracy， from the Greek horse named Rufus to every character being some sort of atheist， was just the nail in the coffin。Madeline Miller and Margaret Atwood also faltered a little while attempting to retell the Homeric epics but at least， it felt like they understood the source material。Read Euripides。 Don’t waste your time with this。 。。。more

Anne Slater ，

It helps （would have helped） to have a good （better） grasp of the Trojan War and Greek mythology。Nevertheless， the writing of Pat Barker is engaging， descriptive， arresting， unassuming。It was clear to me that an enormous amount of research went into this work （indeed， into the series）， but it is not didactic。 DRY would describe only the walls of the huts that the Greeks lived in on the outskirts of Troy。 A combination of just-plain history， military history， Greek religious belief （or unbelief） It helps （would have helped） to have a good （better） grasp of the Trojan War and Greek mythology。Nevertheless， the writing of Pat Barker is engaging， descriptive， arresting， unassuming。It was clear to me that an enormous amount of research went into this work （indeed， into the series）， but it is not didactic。 DRY would describe only the walls of the huts that the Greeks lived in on the outskirts of Troy。 A combination of just-plain history， military history， Greek religious belief （or unbelief） of the period， social customs。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 Barker has created a You Are There， cameras inside the huts and palaces work that takes only attention and common sense to enter into the action。This is a true gift to a person of Omnium Gatherum education。。 The reader will want （as i do） to run back to the library of （independent） book store and buy volume 1 。。。more

Ellen ，

Recently reread the first Women of Troy novel for bookclub and was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed it more the second time around。 I spotted the sequel sitting in a little free library and took it as a sign from the gods （it's also， as an object， very pretty）。 Unfortunately， the WoT seemed to double down on the issues I had with the first book， and did away with the things I enjoyed （where did the GODS GO？）。 In the first book， I had trouble with the switch in perspective to Achilles Recently reread the first Women of Troy novel for bookclub and was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed it more the second time around。 I spotted the sequel sitting in a little free library and took it as a sign from the gods （it's also， as an object， very pretty）。 Unfortunately， the WoT seemed to double down on the issues I had with the first book， and did away with the things I enjoyed （where did the GODS GO？）。 In the first book， I had trouble with the switch in perspective to Achilles and Patroclus in a book that is supposed to be the female perspective， but ultimately， I understand the draw of those characters。 Pyrrhus though？ Pyrrhus？！ I have no interest in or empathy for the character。 I felt like at the end there was even an invitation to sympathise with him and I'm sorry， absolutely not。 There was no moral nuance for his character throughout at all。 Calchas I took less issue with because at least his perspective was interesting。 But it's supposed to be about the WOMEN - the WOMEN - why can't we stay on task？ Briseis also seems weirdly determined to hold every other woman in absolute contempt， even if they've done nothing but reflect their circumstances in a way that doesn't match Briseis' behaviour。 Barker seems super reticent to touch her relationship with Alcimus too - possibly because she made Alcimus too nice and didn't want to be seen as endorsing the relationship。 I also hated Barker's treatment of Maire - Briseis' disdain for her fatness felt cruel and Barker seemed to want to continue doubling down on just how big Maire was in a way that felt really voyeuristic and shame-y in the subtext as well as the text。 Like， even her nips were huge？ Play another tune。It was a quick read， and well written for all it's worth （though repetition of beats from the first book almost verbatim was a weird choice） hence why it didn't get the dnf， but I'm not sure if the story stands up to a great deal of scrutiny。 。。。more

Joy Ruijmgaart ，

3，5

Brittani ，

Not as good as the first but still readable

Ruby ，

read this but didn’t pay too much attention to rate just now- will revisit in the summer when i have more time for the many different subplots

Tessa Russchen ，

Loved the first book。 Liked this one。 I always enjoy reading books about the Trojan War and Ancient Greece， so it wasn’t hard for me to like this one， but occasionally specific word choices that the author made in the book didn’t really seem to fit the context or time period in which it was supposed to take place， this threw me off。

Sophie McMullin ，

Ahhh the sweet smell of misogyny in the morning 🙃Toujours aussi mitigée par rapport à cette série， mais 2 livres plus tard， j’ai finalement compris pourquoi : le personnage principal n’est pas attachant。 La rage qui l’anime est compréhensible （et franchement attendue dans le contexte）， mais elle a peu （pas？） de qualités qui me donne le goût de vouloir l’adopter et la protéger de tous les maux。

Gabby ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 3。5。 Characters exclaiming "Oh my God" annoyed me more than it should have， and at one point the author mixed up Patroclus and Diomedes。 The combination of the two took me out of the book when they came up。 Still， this one focused on the women's stories more than TSotG did。 Maybe that was intentional on Barker's part， but I can't help but wish we'd gotten that in the first one。 If this pattern continues， the third book will probably be my favorite of the lot when it comes out。 I'll probably give 3。5。 Characters exclaiming "Oh my God" annoyed me more than it should have， and at one point the author mixed up Patroclus and Diomedes。 The combination of the two took me out of the book when they came up。 Still， this one focused on the women's stories more than TSotG did。 Maybe that was intentional on Barker's part， but I can't help but wish we'd gotten that in the first one。 If this pattern continues， the third book will probably be my favorite of the lot when it comes out。 I'll probably give it a read 。。。more

Michale ，

3。5

emma ，

J’ai vraiment pas aimé。 L’histoire avait vraiment du potentiel mais j’ai pas du tout aimé comment elle était tournée。 C’était plat， il y avait max 1 chapitre sur 5 qui était intéressant。 Sinon c’était toujours la même chose ça en devenait long。 C’est vraiment dommage il y avait énormément de choses qui manquaient et qui font que j’ai définitivement pas aimé ce livre…

Glain Jones-Berry ，

Briseis， the main character kept contradicting herself with some points。 I did not know where the story was going and just gave up 40 pages away from finishing。Even when it almost finished I didn't know where it was going。 Briseis， the main character kept contradicting herself with some points。 I did not know where the story was going and just gave up 40 pages away from finishing。Even when it almost finished I didn't know where it was going。 。。。more

Brittany ，

I absolutely love this writing style。 I get so lost in the story！ I liked the first one better due to the history it tells but this was a wonderful what happens after！ I loved it。

Books Books Reading ，

Is it possible to be in safer hands than PBs？

Roomies' Digest ，

4。5 ⭐️

Jenneke ，

Na de overwinning van de Grieken op Troje wordt het verhaal verteld vanuit het perspectief van Breïs， vrouw in het kamp。Een huiveringwekkend beeld van de positie van vrouwen in die tijd。Erg goed geschreven。

Javier Alemán ，

Relato de la （pos）guerra de Troya desde el punto de vista de Briseida y que se apoya en la obra de Eurípides。 Me gusta cómo puede narrarse una historia tan intensa desde los márgenes de la acción， bajo un viento incesante y un campamento lleno de hombres violentos que ansían volver a casa。 Muy entretenido y con una ambientación conseguidísima。

Fleur Walsh ，

Interesting book but difficult to get my head around who was who。 Felt like knowledge of Greek philosophy and last wars would have helped。 Hard to read that women were treating like objects and so invisible in these times

Shahna （VanquishingVolumes） ，

A solid sequel to The Silence of The Girls， we continue to follow the female characters of The Iliad beginning with the fall of Troy through the day the Greeks finally leave the Trojan shores。 Scary to read about a culture where women’s value is so understated， especially given the time we are currently in。

Marina ，

"Había mucho dolor allí， pero ella lo mantenía bien escondido" "Había mucho dolor allí， pero ella lo mantenía bien escondido" 。。。more

Annie ，

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐such an amazing retelling and although i have heard this story countless amounts of times， this book was so interesting and really kept me on my toes。 the whole storyline was fascinating and by the end i had felt such a deep connection to the characters， especially the women who may not have been as recognised in homer’s epic which tells the same story （and other retellings）。 the writing was immaculate， i could not stop underlining quotes。 a great follow up to the silence of the girl rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐such an amazing retelling and although i have heard this story countless amounts of times， this book was so interesting and really kept me on my toes。 the whole storyline was fascinating and by the end i had felt such a deep connection to the characters， especially the women who may not have been as recognised in homer’s epic which tells the same story （and other retellings）。 the writing was immaculate， i could not stop underlining quotes。 a great follow up to the silence of the girls， they are both such brilliant books。 。。。more

Kerry ，

The Women of Troy by Pat Barker is touted as a feminist take on Homer’s classics。 This follows the action right after the fall of Troy， when the horse had harbored the Greeks and after， when violent winds prevented the exodus of the Greeks。 Primarily narrated by Briseis who carries Achilles’ child， this work endeavors to show the agency and hearts of women given as spoils of victory or thrust into slavery。 From the indomitable ex-queen to a daughter who refuses to allow her father to be shamed a The Women of Troy by Pat Barker is touted as a feminist take on Homer’s classics。 This follows the action right after the fall of Troy， when the horse had harbored the Greeks and after， when violent winds prevented the exodus of the Greeks。 Primarily narrated by Briseis who carries Achilles’ child， this work endeavors to show the agency and hearts of women given as spoils of victory or thrust into slavery。 From the indomitable ex-queen to a daughter who refuses to allow her father to be shamed after death， this work retells the stories with a focus on humanizing characters often pushed into the background。 I understand there are troublesome anachronisms in the novel， but I enjoyed the book。 I particularly enjoyed the presentation of Cassandra。 I do wonder， though， if this would be a confusing work for people not familiar with The Iliad and The Odyssey。 。。。more

Chookychook ，

Pat has captured the atmosphere of the time- women who are the victims of violence， slavery & humiliation。 I also recommend David Maloufs book Ransom which is about recovering Hector's body。 Pat has captured the atmosphere of the time- women who are the victims of violence， slavery & humiliation。 I also recommend David Maloufs book Ransom which is about recovering Hector's body。 。。。more

Marwa Ghazy ，

للأسف ليست في نفس مستوى الجزء الأول。。 ولا حتى قريبة منه。

Alizée ，

3。5/5

JO ，

“The Women of Troy” by Pat Barker， a follow up to “The Silence of the Girls” is EXACTLY my kind of book。 I just love everything about the balance of beautiful and grotesque writing， complex characters and motivations， atmosphere， and thought provoking themes… all set in a “mythological”universe。I love myth retellings， whether they’re as “feminist” as they claim to be or not， because the intention is to center real women， with complex pasts and circumstances， in the narrative。 The relationships t “The Women of Troy” by Pat Barker， a follow up to “The Silence of the Girls” is EXACTLY my kind of book。 I just love everything about the balance of beautiful and grotesque writing， complex characters and motivations， atmosphere， and thought provoking themes… all set in a “mythological”universe。I love myth retellings， whether they’re as “feminist” as they claim to be or not， because the intention is to center real women， with complex pasts and circumstances， in the narrative。 The relationships that the women form in the time of war and it’s aftermath are layered and uneasy。 While some women in this world are positioned above other women， creating suspicion and resentment amongst the group… it’s also true that no woman truly has power， choice， safety。 Even when one asserts free will， they are never seen as capable of harnessing their own passion or identity or worth。 I love following Briseis’ journey。 As she reflects on her life and the choices she’s made you see the regret and powerlessness， the grief and confusion she is continually met with。 She’s flawed， and knows it， and yet the path to who she would like to be is obstructed， as it is for the other women in the camp。 Even the women who do not like each other ache and empathize， at times， for what they all understand。I don’t think you need to know the source material， and I think you can enjoy these books even if mythology isn’t your thing。 It’s really a human story， one that will resonate with many people。 I care so little about the plot when picking these types of novels up。 I come to visit， to huddle amongst the women and hear their stories。 To feel the breeze in the garden， to cry and laugh in turn， to find myself and to feel closer to others。 。。。more

Steph De Mel ，

I have mixed feelings about this novel。 On one hand， I love re-tellings of Greek mythology， particularly ones that deal with the Trojan War。 Further， Barker's writing is skillful and assured， and it's easy to be drawn into the world she evokes here。 I especially like the ominous and recurrent bird imagery that she employs to great effect throughout the novel。 A critique I made of the first novel in this series was that， despite its feminist agenda， the male characters simply were more interestin I have mixed feelings about this novel。 On one hand， I love re-tellings of Greek mythology， particularly ones that deal with the Trojan War。 Further， Barker's writing is skillful and assured， and it's easy to be drawn into the world she evokes here。 I especially like the ominous and recurrent bird imagery that she employs to great effect throughout the novel。 A critique I made of the first novel in this series was that， despite its feminist agenda， the male characters simply were more interesting and fully realised than the women。 In this second instalment， Barker wisely relegates Odysseus to the periphery of the narrative， and her agenda is further aided by Achilles' absence。 Nonetheless， so powerful is the latter's influence that he threatens to dominate the narrative even in his absence， lurking always at the edges of the text， in mirrors， in shadows， and in memories of martial prowess。 By contrast， Briseis remains more a witness to， and chronicler of， the novel's events than a fully fleshed-out character in her own right。Furthermore， as with the first novel， this one lacks a clear narrative trajectory: it highlights the injustices and brutality experienced by women during war-time， but none of the characters has a satisfying arc。 The inclusion of original characters， such as Amina， who essentially functions as a means of transplanting part of Sophocles' "Antigone" narrative into the setting of the Trojan War， feels equally pointless and uninspired。Consequently， while I enjoyed immersing myself in a familiar and well-loved story， and would read a third instalment if Barker were to write one， I'm unlikely to revisit this in the future。 。。。more

Evelien ，

We women are peculiar creatures。 We tend not to love those who murder our families。 The Women of Troy might be a retelling of the epic 'Iliad'， the story itself is far from grand and heroic。 Because， as with most great historical tales， these stories tend not to be so glorious for the women involved。 Pat Barker gave the female characters of the Iliad a voice in the prequel The Silence of the Girls。 The war camp is perceived and described by Briseis， a princess captured and enslaved by the g We women are peculiar creatures。 We tend not to love those who murder our families。 The Women of Troy might be a retelling of the epic 'Iliad'， the story itself is far from grand and heroic。 Because， as with most great historical tales， these stories tend not to be so glorious for the women involved。 Pat Barker gave the female characters of the Iliad a voice in the prequel The Silence of the Girls。 The war camp is perceived and described by Briseis， a princess captured and enslaved by the great Achilles。 While The Silence of the Girls focuses on the dispute between Achilles and Agamemnon over her during the Trojan War， Barker has run out of historic material at the beginning of The Women of Troy。 However， the later - by not being constrained by previous tellings - succeeds much better at being a feminist retelling。 Briseis is no hero - thank Zeus - and merely wants to survive。 Her relationship with Achilles remains， as in the previous book， ambiguous; she does not blindly love or violently hate the man。 Barker brings nuance to the story and delivers a complicated tale of a captured woman in an enemy camp， doing whatever she can to help those she cares about， but mostly herself。 Barker understands that a feminist retelling does not mean women picking up weapons or learning how to fight， but being allowed a chance to venture into the spotlight。 Even if what they do， is not bold and courageous。 Even if what they feel， is complex and conflicting。 Only if we embrace the chaos and agony of these tales will we truly create space for true feminist stories。 。。。more

N ，

Excellent read， must read silence of the girls now

rui ♡³ ，

i am never in the mood to read books in which the r-slur is used。 i am never in the mood to read books in which the r-slur is used。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Women of Troy

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Women of Troy&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Women of Troy&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0