A THOUSAND SHIPS by NATALIE HAYNES

I understand some of the muddled reviews on this book now. These days it’s very difficult to read a myth retelling and not instantly compare it to Madeline Miller. I was doing just that and I was enjoying this book. I found that it repeated a lot of the things and ideas that I’d already read about. And then I stopped myself and realised: that’s because it’s a retelling! Anyway, once I stopped comparing it and thinking about it as a story in its own right, I really began to enjoy it.

The stories of Troy and The Iliad and Orestes (and maybe some others) are told here from the points of view of the women, similar to Silence of the Girls.

I loved all of the strong female characters and I loved how the stories moved quite swiftly. The writing style is very easy to follow, which is kind of the writer because I’m sure her work in translating and researching was anything but easy!

Well anyway, I enjoyed it.

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