Disappointing
I wanted to like this book so much. Retelling of a character lambasted for taking revenge on a brutal war hero, with a feminist perspective, and room for major character growth, it all seemed right up my alley. But the problem of a book like "Clytemnestra," or any retelling really, is that character growth is essential since that is the main appeal of the story. The problem was, I didn't see character growth as much as character whiplash.
The initial chapters display Clytemnestra as a fierce woman, fond of action, quick to come forward in a competition, and overall, the very model of a fierce Spartan warrior. But this fierce warrior, in the first hundred pages, becomes captivated by a man who I just couldn't find anything appealing about. The interactions seemed forced, and the emotions just seemed a tad bit contrived for the sake of making the story fit the myth.
On one hand Clytemnestra longs to leave the brutality of Spartan culture, on the other she is a little depressed about not being able to participate in the violent training sessions with other women while pregnant. She questions the point of honor after death, and then mourns the fact that some of her loved ones have died without the chance of making a name for themselves. She is horrified and disgusted by the violence of Agamemnon, but does not hesitate or consider the irony of the fact that she inflicts similar levels on others, some of whom do not have the power to stand up to her socially or physically. The list just goes on and on this way, and it is not limited to Clytemnestra. Helen, Leda, Electra, Penelope, Timandra, and many other minor characters also suffer from this same contradictions in character that just rub the wrong way as one keeps reading.
The story of Clytemnestra does have potential, and Casati does do one thing well, which is point out the double standard of the violence enacted by men and women in Greek myths and popular culture. I feel like she meant to show the story of a strong woman who battled entrenched sexism and misogyny to take control of her own fate, which is no mean feat. But, I feel that in doing so, she created many contrivances in character for the sake of plot, when really it should have been the other way around. Since it's her first effort, I will still keep an eye out for any of her other works, in hopes that she might be able to match her powerful themes with equally powerful, complicated, but not contradictory characters.
The initial chapters display Clytemnestra as a fierce woman, fond of action, quick to come forward in a competition, and overall, the very model of a fierce Spartan warrior. But this fierce warrior, in the first hundred pages, becomes captivated by a man who I just couldn't find anything appealing about. The interactions seemed forced, and the emotions just seemed a tad bit contrived for the sake of making the story fit the myth.
On one hand Clytemnestra longs to leave the brutality of Spartan culture, on the other she is a little depressed about not being able to participate in the violent training sessions with other women while pregnant. She questions the point of honor after death, and then mourns the fact that some of her loved ones have died without the chance of making a name for themselves. She is horrified and disgusted by the violence of Agamemnon, but does not hesitate or consider the irony of the fact that she inflicts similar levels on others, some of whom do not have the power to stand up to her socially or physically. The list just goes on and on this way, and it is not limited to Clytemnestra. Helen, Leda, Electra, Penelope, Timandra, and many other minor characters also suffer from this same contradictions in character that just rub the wrong way as one keeps reading.
The story of Clytemnestra does have potential, and Casati does do one thing well, which is point out the double standard of the violence enacted by men and women in Greek myths and popular culture. I feel like she meant to show the story of a strong woman who battled entrenched sexism and misogyny to take control of her own fate, which is no mean feat. But, I feel that in doing so, she created many contrivances in character for the sake of plot, when really it should have been the other way around. Since it's her first effort, I will still keep an eye out for any of her other works, in hopes that she might be able to match her powerful themes with equally powerful, complicated, but not contradictory characters.