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A review by plantladyreader
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
3.0
I discovered this book when I finished reading The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. That story was so beautiful, and it left me wanting to read more historical fiction surrounding the Trojan War. One search landed me on The Silence of the Girls, and I knew I wanted to read it.
With The Song of Achilles, the main narrators were Achilles and Patroclus, growing up together and becoming Greek Warriors, fighting alongside King Agamemnon and thousands on others. They overtook Trojan cities, plundering wealth and women, and killing any men. The women became war prizes for the Greek warriors, and as Achilles was the strongest fighter, he always got first pick.
The Silence of the Girls is the story of these women - being forced from their homes, watching their husbands, sons and brothers slaughtered by the Greek fighters, and then made to go to bed with the same men who murdered their families.
Briseis is Achilles' choice of war prize, after he and his fellows have destroyed her city, her husband, and all her brothers. She is made to go live in his compound, serve the men in his army, and spend her nights in his bed. The story is told mainly from her point of view, and she and the other women learn to navigate their new lives, and live with the brutal men as their property. Some women give in to the men, and accept this new life as their reality, but Briseis knows she is more than just Achilles' slave, and manages to stay true to herself. I did really enjoy the story behind this, and loved having a new perspective on this story.
What I didn't like was the writing. Pat Barker is a very casual writer, and some of her word and spelling choices really brought down the level of this book for me. There were also a few historical inaccuracies, which seemed easily avoidable with a little research. I felt the story was strong, but the delivery made it somewhat exasperating to read.
I do think, had I read this prior to reading The Song of Achilles, I may have enjoyed this more. As it was, I was holding it to a higher standard, and it fell a tiny bit flat for me.
Overall, I did enjoy this read, and would recommend it, but it was no where near the level of writing I was expecting.
3.5
With The Song of Achilles, the main narrators were Achilles and Patroclus, growing up together and becoming Greek Warriors, fighting alongside King Agamemnon and thousands on others. They overtook Trojan cities, plundering wealth and women, and killing any men. The women became war prizes for the Greek warriors, and as Achilles was the strongest fighter, he always got first pick.
The Silence of the Girls is the story of these women - being forced from their homes, watching their husbands, sons and brothers slaughtered by the Greek fighters, and then made to go to bed with the same men who murdered their families.
Briseis is Achilles' choice of war prize, after he and his fellows have destroyed her city, her husband, and all her brothers. She is made to go live in his compound, serve the men in his army, and spend her nights in his bed. The story is told mainly from her point of view, and she and the other women learn to navigate their new lives, and live with the brutal men as their property. Some women give in to the men, and accept this new life as their reality, but Briseis knows she is more than just Achilles' slave, and manages to stay true to herself. I did really enjoy the story behind this, and loved having a new perspective on this story.
What I didn't like was the writing. Pat Barker is a very casual writer, and some of her word and spelling choices really brought down the level of this book for me. There were also a few historical inaccuracies, which seemed easily avoidable with a little research. I felt the story was strong, but the delivery made it somewhat exasperating to read.
I do think, had I read this prior to reading The Song of Achilles, I may have enjoyed this more. As it was, I was holding it to a higher standard, and it fell a tiny bit flat for me.
Overall, I did enjoy this read, and would recommend it, but it was no where near the level of writing I was expecting.
3.5