A Thousand Ships

Few sources of tales have left so much of a mark on me as those from Greek mythology, which is why I delight in the vast reach of these stories' current renaissance. I am not sure how much of the credit goes to Madeline Miller, whose work I tend to find a little lacking in fantasy, whereas Jennifer Saint has thus far remained my queen of this genre. Natalie Haynes is somewhere in between. Only after starting to read "A Thousand Ships" did I remember that I had already read "Stone Blind", Haynes' version of the Medusa myth, and I mainly recalled that I never quite connected to it emotionally. That's also true for far reaches of this book. I would have loved to empathize more with Hecabe or to feel for Briseis and Chryseis, but they did not really invite me in. Some of the characters did, though, none more so than Eris, goddess of strife. The way Haynes' Eris obviously does not register how manipulative she is, is an intriguing reading of the character, and the fact that Themis and Zeus are partly to blame for Eris' most famous scheme is an interesting addition, as well. Another exhilarating chapter is the one about Clytemnestra and how Cassandra gets involved into her story. Their scene is a highlight. I might have a soft spot for Andromache, as Saffron Burrows was a rare highlight in the movie "Troy", but I had never wondered about her story after the Trojan War. Her plot might not have been concocted by Haynes, but she tells it well. I am less intrigued by Penelope's letters - stylistically they don't really mesh with the rest of the novel's structure. Also for my taste, Athena's portrayal deviates too far from the asexual goddess she usually is. Also: For a book that explicitly sets out to focus on the mythologal woman, it is a shame that probably not a single chapter would pass the Bechdel Test. Even Cassandra, who is not defined by her libido, discusses her brother much more than seems necessary. Of course it is hard to retell these old myths to such a degree that men do not matter at all, but who knows which adventures could be told around Athena, Artemis and Hestia that do not still put men so strictly at their center. Still I like "A Thousand Ships" much better than "Stone Blind" - so if Haynes should retell another story I am interested in, I am likely to pick that up as well.

Es ist unglaublich gut geschrieben. Sehr emotional und fesselnd aber unglaublich niederschmetternd. Jedes Kapitel dreht sich darum, wie eine Frau Leid erfährt. Mord, Entführungen, Verleumdung, Betrogen werden, Vergewaltigungen, Manipulation, Versklavung. Das Buch ist nichts für schwache Gemüter und daher eine riesige Triggerwarnung!!!!