REVIEW: The Silence of the Girls (Pat Barker)

Book: The Silence Of The Girls

Author: Pat Barker

Premise: The ancient city of Troy has withstood a decade under siege. In the Greek camp, Briseis watches and waits for the war's outcome. She was queen of one of Troy's neighboring kingdoms, until Achilles sacked her city and murdered her husband. Briseis becomes Achilles's concubine, a prize of battle, and must adjust quickly in order to survive a radically different life, as one of the many conquered women who serve the Greek army.

[⚠️CW: rape, violence, grief, war] 

I'm torn on this book. I found it a tad slow to start off with and the story split focus between Briseis and Achilles. Personally I would've preferred the whole book to be from Briseis' perspective and to have covered a longer period.

I did appreciate the book showing the gritty, darker sides to the Greek myths. Often those stories are glorifying heroes but this book quite clearly throws off the rose tinted glasses and doesn't shy away from the horrors of war. You got a better idea of the powerlessness of women and see where they managed to draw some strength.