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

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In Clytemnestra, Casati creates a feminist retelling of the famous Greek myths surrounding the Trojan War. Clytemnestra was known throughout history as the murderous wife of the famous Greek general Agamemnon who kills him shortly after his return from the war. In her novel, Casati creates a sympathetic portrayal of a complex woman who goes to drastic measures to avenge the deaths of her loved ones. Please please please go get this book if you love mythology, strong character development, cinematic writing, Game of Thrones, etc etc…. You won’t regret it!! You may recognize the name from “classical texts” (written by men) you had to read for literature or history class. Aeschylus wrote of her in his play Agamemnon (though technically, the story is incomplete without the rest of the Oresteia), by Homer in the Odyssey, Ovid in Ars Armatoria, and Seneca in Agamemnon. Be the queen that lies in wait within every woman. Protect your daughters with every fiber of your being (or avenge them if it is already too late).

You were born to a king, but you marry a tyrant. You stand by helplessly as he sacrifices your child to placate the gods. You watch him wage war on a foreign shore, and you comfort yourself with violent thoughts of your own. Because this was not the first offence against you. This was not the life you ever deserved. And this will not be your undoing. Slowly, you plot. Huge thank you to Netgalley, Sourcebooks and Costanza Casati for this ARC. I read this book at the tail end of a mythology binge, and I loved this one. This book is all about Clytemnestra’s story, from details of her childhood in Sparta, all the way up through the end of the Trojan war. I went into this book knowing a lot about this story and specifically the women of the Trojan war. Even though I knew the story, the artistic take on this story still left me surprised and on the edge of my seat. I felt so emotionally attached to the story and every scene, even though I already knew the ending, which is something so special and so hard to do. I specifically loved how much of the book was focused on Clytemnestra’s life and childhood in Sparta. In my personal life, my mother told me and my sister stories of the strong and powerful women in Spartan lore. So reading more about the Spartans in this book really touched me in a way that I felt connected to the stories from my own mother. This book was powerful, emotional and empowering. I loved this take on Clytemnestra’s story and would recommend this to anyone who wants to read more Greek mythology. Clytemnestra is fascinating to learn and read about. She is complicated, at times scheming, but intensely revengeful. Yet, she is also a mother who loves her children deeply and a protective sister. As Queen and in her husband's absence, she ruled ruthlessly but fairly, at least by "Ancient Greek" standards. Living in a time when females were almost powerless, she fought for respect and used hers wisely; she was courageous but also unforgiving when wronged. Vivid with fury, passion and strength, this is a fabulous myth retelling. A powerful, thought-provoking portrayal of a fascinating and complicated woman framed in beautiful prose. I loved it JENNIFER SAINT, bestselling author of ARIADNE and ELEKTRAReceived a copy through NetGalley. Clytemnestra follows in the footsteps of Madeline Miller's Greek myth retellings. Where Miller focuses on characters whose stories we've heard time and again, Clytemnestra's story bring a whole new perspective to the Iliad and the machinations of power.

Thank you, NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to read and review this prerelease book at no cost. This was my absolute favorite title obtained through you so far. Theseus is a hero, and he does what heroes do,” he says. “Do you know how many other girls like Helen there are?” In scenes like these, Casati redefines our understanding of the term “hero”, reminding us that the celebrated men of Greek myths were selfish, violent brutes who took whatever they wanted with no regard to the desires of others or the consequences. A blaze of a novel, fiery and furious - and alight with murderous revenge. Like Madeline Miller and Jennifer Saint, Casati offers the female perspective on the old, patriarchal tropes of the Greek myths Daily Mail

The quality of this book that I think sets it unequivocally apart from others in this genre is its commitment to its narrative. Every part of this book feels deliberate; all its potential is followed through to the end. The book commits to its interpretation of events, be that through its own artistic liberty, character choices, or the brutality of its narrative, fully and completely. Many retellings shy away from their own struggle with uncomfortable parts of source material or reinterpret them in a way that is shallow, avoidant, or has questionable implications even and especially when attempting to modernize their themes; Clytemnestra, however, does not suffer this problem and is made better for it. This book leans into its decisions hard. It is violent and horrific when the narrative calls for it, never hiding from its own brutality. While this commitment does result in many extremely uncomfortable, disturbing, and otherwise upsetting scenes, questions raised, and topics covered, I feel that Clytemnestra presents them in a way which brings productive, meaningful light to the implications of the source material. Clytemnestra’s story is dark, tragic, steeped in injustice-- so the book forces its audience to look directly at the ugliness and see it for what it is rather than sidestep it in favor of a more comfortable narrative. Its commitment is commendable. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC copy to read and review. These thoughts are m You are born to a king, but marry a tyrant. You stand helplessly as he sacrifices your child to placate the gods. You watch him wage war on a foreign shore and comfort yourself with violent thoughts of your own. Clytemnestra is always mentioned as the scorned wife of Agamemnon and that is that. What Casati is able to do is tell both the story of Clytemnestra as well as her sister, Helen of Troy and keep the focus on these two women. She is also able to trace the roots of political power and how many women had to run their kingdoms while the husbands are out playing war. You can absolutely see where a character like Cersei Lannister comes from, but Clytemnestra is also a Spartan warrior who can go toe-to-toe with any of the men in physical combat. This is the most illuminating account of the lead-up to the Trojan War that I have ever read, and I read just about everything having to do with Greek mythology. The author, Costanza Casati, brings her incredible knowledge of the ancient Greeks and of ancient Greek literature, and greatly expands the narrative we think we already know. Not only is her storytelling smooth and seamless, but also rich in every detail.