Clytemnestra: The spellbinding retelling of Greek mythology’s greatest heroine

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All her life she has been taught courage, strength, resilience, but must those qualities be kept at bay with a husband? I also have a love for any book that takes a misunderstood figure, real or fictional, hero or villain, and gives said figure more dimension, showing a different side of their often well-known story.

Her attempts to elicit help failed (she had been cursed by Apollo that no one would believe her prophecies). Originally from Dallas, TX, she moved to Western North Carolina to enjoy the mountains, whether appreciating the view from her front porch or hiking off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Clytemnestra redefines the retelling genre with a heroine who, instead of enduring suffering, avenges it. If their lower positioning in the social hierarchy is not apparent at first, it becomes abundantly clear when Theseus, the king of Athens, kidnaps and rapes Helen.A brilliantly written book that leaves you empathizing and understanding why Clytemnestra felt she had to take the actions her mythology credits her with. Books about Greek tragedy can sometimes get bogged down with a bewildering cast of characters, all with their own fascinating stories.

Even her mother, Leda, who ultimately fails her children, once held an unbreakable spirit like Clytemnestra. She was a powerful woman in a world that didn't want her to be one, and so her lot in life was to never be provided with an easy path to her goals.Following, fairly faithfully, to the works of Aeschylus, the author takes these Greek mythology tales and gives us a historical fiction feeling story that colors in all those spaces between the better known highlights, such as the Trojan War. I’ve always been a lover of Greek myths, and Clytemnestra is the best retelling I’ve read in a long time. Braving strong winds and darkening skies, they rescue the stricken bird from a cliff edge, winning bravery awards and a celebratory splash in a giant bird bath. It's interesting to read more about her, and get the picture of a much more complex and powerful woman (Melissa U). King Tyndareus oversees the training and fights and when Helen is challenged for her first fight, Clytemnestra has to do something that is against the rules, something never done.

As I said, I love how Helen is portrayed here, but I also really enjoyed the beautiful cast of characters. Here is a woman who has continuously been attacked and made to feel powerless by the men around her, and yet she continues to not only defy them, but actively fight back and ultimately win. A Greek mythology retelling that puts a wronged, powerful woman hell-bent on revenge at centre stage? She was unlike any other woman I’d ever read in modern or classic literature, both strong and feminine, willing to make terrible sacrifices but drawing her lines very clearly, a mother, a wife, a fighter.The easy-to-follow story-telling and well-rounded characters in the novel really draw in the reader, as Clytemnestra navigates a world where people can be ruthless and lives can be short. But, whatever may come of this, whatever of the future, the sisters are close and nothing will part them. Since the family dynamics were so well explored in the first part, the betrayal from Clytemnestra's father is really felt and how this immediately and in the future affects the whole family. The novel is perfect for those interested in learning more about a misunderstood figure in Greek mythology, and Casati will be an author to watch in the years to come.