Clytemnestra, one of the wonder women of Greek mythology is bared open for Casati’s readers. And what an expose it is. She’s very aware of Clytemnestra’s reputation. Could this possibly have induced her to open her book with a blazing account of Clytemnestra’s daring? There’s very little doubt in my mind that she is capable of such feats. She is after all as the blurb suggests Mother. Monarch. Murderer (I prefer Warrior) and magnificent at all three. I was gripped by the powerful opening and it was all the way up from there. This bold and naked account of Clytemnestra’s life is told through her eyes. Mythologically her story arc is a long and painful one, punctuated with brief moments of joy. I was impressed by this Clytemnestra regardless of Greek history’s description of the protagonist. This was largely due to Casati’s perceptive handling of her much maligned heroine.

A Spartan princess born to the tyrannical Spartan king Tyndareus and his queen Leda, she did not have the privileges that women of rank might receive in the ancient world. True Spartan males were trained to be fearless and feared. But I had no idea how brutal a Spartan girls’ life could be. Ouch!!! Casati does not hold back. Her tale is her entire families story as their paths entwine. She has siblings, one of whom is the infamous Helen of Troy. Being a patriarchal society, Clytemnestra like all women did not have the freedom to choose her own path. She was sadly defined by the men in her life. Casati’s Clytemnestra exposes the flaws in ancient Greek patriarchal society while bringing her characters to life.

As Casati’s tapestry on our protagonist subtly unfolds I realised how nuanced her novel is. This is the age when gods and goddesses interacted with humans. Consequently, there were numerous curses heaped on hapless man who either defied them or were out of favour with them for various reasons. The curse on her family doomed both her and Helen as unvirtuous women, equivalent to the ancient world slut shaming the sisters for their fathers wrong doing. Moreover, if a woman married into a cursed house then she would also be doomed.

They could also be lured, like Leda and were always at the mercy of these beings. Emotionally scarred from being raped undoubtedly impacted Ledas’ own relationship with her children. Casati’s insightful penmanship allowed me to imagine how this foreshadowed our indomitable protagonist’s development as a woman. Likewise, her siblings’ development was impacted too. Women and children endured all manner of trauma and without doubt it affected their psyche.

Since I have a scant knowledge of Greek mythology the novel would have confused me. Fortunately for me Casati has a description of the characters at the beginning of the book pre-empting this. It’s worth mentioning that there is more than one Tantalus in Greek mythology. Clytemnestra’s first husband was not the sociopath Tantalus. Indeed, he was the pleasant one with few if any faults.

I could not help but like Casati’s Clytemnestra. Here she is the impressively strong protagonist in a world that discriminates against women. She stands up for herself. It’s hardly surprising that her decisions were erroneous considering her traumatic story arc. Is it not said that unexpressed emotions will never die? Rather they’re buried alive and will come forth in uglier ways. Sadly, this couldn’t be more true for Clytemnestra. I felt she was protesting about her unfair world in the only way she could. Honestly would she have had justice?

To Casati’s Clytemnestra vengeance was most important and represented justice. Her failure to grasp that her focus on vengeance stole the joy of the life in front of her is a uniquely human and relatable experience. Her courage and indomitable spirit are an example to us all. I also liked how Casati dealth sensitively with what is really a very gory tale without detracting from the narrative. She could easily have relied on gore to turn pages. This could have been off putting to many readers. Instead she has allowed the tale and the bravura of her retelling to do the job. Guess a wrong has been righted in the retelling. Well done Casati!

Given that Agamemnon is my personal enemy, I was always bound to love this book. But this portrayal of Clytemnestra's story was so nuanced, personal and painful, I was blown away by how stunning it is.

Brought up a Princess in the court of Sparta, Clytemnestra has no option but to become a fighter and a survivor. When her beautiful younger sister Helen chooses to marry Menelaus, one of the cursed Astiedi, Clytemnestra is claimed by his brother Agamemnon, even though she has a husband and a child. Years later Agamemnon chooses to sacrifice his daughter to the gods and his fate is sealed. Clytemnestra is about to fulfil her destiny.
There is a surfeit of novels based on the greek myths and told from a more feminist standpoint at the moment. The difficulty for the reviewer is that most them are actually very good and this is no exception. Here there is no viewpoint of Gods and Goddesses, they are worshipped by their deeds are not viewed as reverentially as is often done. This tale is about people and the things they have to do to survive. It is a modern imagining and is very successful.

My thoughts on Clytemenestra by Costanza Casati. Another Greek retelling I hear you cry....and I yell back YES, raising my spear into the air when they're this good ' BRING THEM ON'.

I think the story of Clytemenestra comes to life in this book. I used to use an Iphogenia monologue as my classical piece for auditions, so am very fond of her story. Which did mean I think Incould have been disappointed. Needless to say, this book did a wonderful job of transporting me in time and place to feel like I witnessed Clytemenestra's story.

There were characters I adored, characters I despised and frustration, tears, fury, joy. In the end ancient Greek stories are worth retelling, especially when the author is able to write so beautifully as Casati does with Clytemenestra.

I absolutely loved this! I'd not heard a lot about Clytemnestra before reading this but she has such a great story to tell and it may be one of my favourite retellings to date.
Feminist Greek Mythology retellings seem to be all the rage the past few years and they're all strong women in their own way but there's just something different about Clytemnestra and her story.
I thought the writing in this was great and I absolutely flew through it since I couldn't (and didn't want to) put it down. Highly recommend!

Just when you think you are becoming a little jaded with a particular genre along comes a book that just blows your way. I LOVED this book. No spoilers all you need to know is that if you love your Greek myths, this book is right up there with the very best. Clytemnestra will stay with me for a very long time. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel in return for an honest review

This book is phenomenal. Such an incredible debut that is tight and polished but still raw with emotion.

The plot follows Clytemnestra on her reputation stadium tour quest for revenge. I don't know a huge amount about this character, and having only read a handful of ancient-inspired retellings, I went into this with relatively fresh eyes. Although for the first 20% I found it a touch slow and a bit confusing, once this book picked up, I could barely put it down and I gobbled up the last 40% in just a few days.

This is a true historical story - there are no gods or goddesses. This is unlike other greek mythology inspired books I've read, and I found I actually enjoyed this a lot more. It felt much more real and visceral. The writing is so vivid, I really felt every emotion alongside Clytemnestra - rage, grief, depression - and every setting, character and relationship felt brought to life.

If you're after books about deliciously vengeful women, this is for you.

Content warnings: violence, death, death of a child/infant, death of a parent, death of a sibling, death of a partner, murder, slavery, rape, incest, sexual assault, misogyny

This book is epic! And I don’t say this lightly. As someone who has spent the last couple of years immersing myself into as many retellings and versions of the Trojan War and its aftermath as I have, I can finally say Clytemnestra has found her voice.

The story begins further back than many retellings and shows us Clytemnestra and Helen as young teenagers and their close relationship as sisters, which is so often overlooked in other versions. Though other characters are interwoven with Clytemnestra’s story, we very much stick by her through all her joys (not much) and suffering (loads). I like how Casati has used a lesser explored version of the myth by having Tantalus as our heroine’s first husband. By showing us Clytemnestra’s early happiness, it serves to increase our loathing of Agamemnon, and that her eventual downward spiral was really brought on by years of having any agency and happiness stripped away from her.

The book does feature several time jumps, which are understandable given the size of the story as it is, but I would have preferred a more gradual move before the shifts to see more of the characters feelings and reflections rather than only being with them for the dramatic scenes.

Nevertheless, this is a thoroughly enjoyable retelling of a woman who is so often a side-character and linchpin of other stories. If you’ve felt let down by those in the past, read this for the depth of character and gentle, welcome tweaking of a familiar mythology.

I adored this brilliant Greek Mythology retelling and I can't wait to share it with my students, especially as this is a huge area if interest for them

This book follows Clytemnestra, daughter of Spartan King Tyndareus and Leda, Aetolian princess.

It relays Clytemnestra’s childhood, growing up alongside her brothers and sisters. She was trained to fight and defend herself, and she was very protective of her sister, Helen (who would later be known as Helen of Troy).

Clytemnestra becomes a strong and formidable young woman. She ends up marrying Tantalos and they have a son together. However, their happiness is cut short when Tantalus and the baby are killed by Agamemnon, who wishes Clytemnestra for himself. Knowing that her father supported the murders of Tantalus and her baby, Clytemnestra marries Agamemnon, but she doesn’t forget his wrongdoings.

Years pass and they have four children together: Iphigenia, Electra, Orestes, and Chrysothemis. Clytemnestra despises her husband, but loves their children dearly.

But when Agamemnon goes off to fight against Troy and sacrifices their beloved daughter for ‘a breath of wind’, Clytemnestra is furious.

She is a patient woman and she will wait for her husband… She has all the time in the world to plot her revenge.

I really enjoyed this book. I grew up reading Greek mythology and even though I was familiar with Clytemnestra’s story, I still devoured the book.

Clytemnestra was a powerful, cunning, and intelligent woman. She endured hardship and loss in her life, but she kept on going regardless. She was patient as she waited all those years to inflict her revenge on her husband.

I recommend this book to all fans of Greek myths and those who like a strong female lead.

Thanks to Michael Joseph for approving my NetGalley request to read and review this title.

I really, thoroughly enjoyed this book! I knew of Clytemnestra as I know a out the story of her sister so I thought this feminist retelling of Clytemnestra's story was very interesting. Very well written. I thought that it gave great detail and understanding to readers in to the mind of Clytemnestra ans why she did the things she did. Loved it!!

Maybe it's me, but I found this book a real slog. I feel like I'm in a bit of a reading slump at the moment and am finding quite a few books tough going.

I have always been intrigued by the character of Clytemnestra and her story. However, the narrative of this book just didn't grip me. I felt it was slightly detached from everything, and rather than being immersed I was a spectator viewing everything from the outside. There was far too much telling and not showing. There were moments of tension and action, but this book was too slow.

Greek mythology retellings are a bit hit and miss for me. This one wasn't layered and emotionally engaging as I would have liked.

This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

I am loving Greek mythology retellings and this one did not let me down.
I really enjoyed learning about Clytemnestras early life and the events that led to their having the reputation she does. The author does a great job of building a picture of her life, influences and motivations for her actions which are not always easy or likeable. She is a complicated character but undeniably strong and this is a great example of putting women at the forefront of stories they have often been forgotten from.

Clytemnestra - wife of Agamemnon, sister of Helen of Troy, and that's all we're usually told. This feminist retelling puts Clytemnestra front and centre, focusing on the women of Sparta and the violence and oppression they faced, we finally see life through their eyes. Following on from many other recent retelling of Greek myths and legends this is a very welcome addition to the group, I look forward to more by Costanza Casati in future.

I’ve been on a ‘ women in Greek mythology’ binge recently , having come belatedly to Circe and Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, both of which quickly became my books of the year. That led me to Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes , an alternative story of Medusa which instantly joined the other two in my top 3. Then I was offered an advance review copy of Clytemnestra.

So clearly, the author here was already preaching to the converted, but I did thoroughly enjoy learning about Clytemnestra‘s early life- more often I have come across her only as existing to kill her husband after the Trojan war.

The author managed to conjure up Sparta and Mycenae vividly and populated it with fully-fleshed, flawed characters I cared about (minus Agamemnon. He’s 100% irredeemable, and I don’t want anyone to try!)

Definitely worth a read for fans of the genre.

I'm always up for reading a Greek Myth retelling, especially when it's told from a female perspective. Clytemnestra is often mentioned in stories that surround the Trojan war, but I haven't come across a work where she has the starring role.

Constanza Casati shines a light on this incredible and complex character and shows her many facets from Spartan warrior, wife, devoted mother, Queen, Murderess. Clytemnestra's story is one of pain and heartbreak leading to furious revenge. In this retelling she is a well fleshed out character that you really sympathise with.

The author's research and knowledge of ancient Greece is incredible too. Creating the perfect backdrop to this captivating story. I absolutely loved this book and can't wait to to see what this author does next.

Clytemnestra is certainly a force to be reckoned with. Boy does she go through a lot. I read with interest as she falls in love with Tantalus and they get married and she falls pregnant straight away. Not very pleased when he is murdered (as well as her infant son). Nor impressed that her father had a hand in this plot as well as Menelaus and Agamemnon.

Plenty of time is covered. Clytemnestra has more suffering ahead of her. Including the loss of one of her brothers and also her beloved daughter.

She is a woman scorned. But those she loves, she is devoted to. Quite impressed with this tale of female rage and empowerment.

An empowering retelling of the story of Clytemnestra, who is usually portrayed as the evil Queen, who waited years for her revenge upon her husband Agamemnon, who she murdered when he returned from the Trojan Wars, for sacrificing their daughter to the Gods.
She was brought up in the ways of the Spartans, males and females learnt how to fight in self defence and attack together, a harsh upbringing but very liberating. She appears to have been a strong minded woman in her beliefs about her own worth and what was expected of her future role as a Queen and mother, but not necessarily a wife.
Usually known as the sister to the beautiful Helen of Troy, this book allows Clytemnestra to shine and have a presence of her own.
I found this to be a powerful story of love and revenge, where happiness and tragedy went hand in hand. She apparently had a determined personality when most females played second fiddle to the husband, yet, it was a story of loss, grieving, with episodes of great daring and poignancy. Most females are relegated to the back pages of history, this novel helps push Clytemnestra to the forefront again.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Michael Joseph Random House for my advanced digital copy given in exchange for my honest review. I will leave reviews to Goodreads and Amazon UK.

This is a feminist retelling of Clytemnestra, who is often only referred to as the daughter of the Spartan king and the wife of Agamemnon. This book gives her a voice, a reason behind her actions. I have to admit I did struggle with the tine to begin with, it felt a little like a list of things being ticked off but once it got into its stride I couldn't put it down.

I liked that this focused on how strong spartan women were compared to the rest of Greece, you really got a feeling for their unique situation. The book does a great job of really immersing the reader although I do think the pacing was a little off a times as there were large jumps in time after some of the most crucial events which let me wanting more. I also liked that this was a Greek retelling that didn't focus on the Greek gods, it was about the people.

“As for queens, they are either hated or forgotten. She already knows which option suits her better. Let her be hated forever.”

Thanks to the good folks at Penguin Michael Joseph, I had the chance to read Costanza Casati’s new novel, ‘Clytemnestra’!

I was a Greek mythology kid growing up – and I mean I was fully committed with multiple encyclopaedias and every book Rick Riordan published up to 2014 – so the wave of retellings that’s come out in the past ten years has really suited me as a reader. I’ve been particularly immersed in retellings of The Illiad, and in each of them, Clytemnestra was always a character that fascinated me. One of the theories of the etymology of her name is that it’s derived from the Ancient Greek words for “famous” and “cunning”, and this theme of posterity is present throughout the entire novel.

As a character, Clytemnestra’s legacy is certainly complex. She’s both a victim of the violence and war perpetuated by men in their power struggles, and an enactor of violence herself. Costanza Casati does a brilliant job of exploring the impact that these power struggles have on Clytemnestra and her psyche, sketching a believable, understandable (when not loveable) woman out of the various myths and legends that make up her story as we know it today. I was utterly drawn in from the first page, upon meeting Clytemnestra as a young girl. Her love for her family, especially her sister, the infamous Helen, provides a strong connection to her throughout. And although The Illiad tends to focus on the decisions of men, it is the various women in Clytemnestra’s life that are given the chance to shine here. Their flaws and their strengths are both fully displayed, and their relationships to each other are given a significance that the original tellings of these legends often obscure.

Clytemnestra herself was a great character. Casati doesn’t shy away from showing the depth of her grief, anger, and subsequent desire for revenge – the traits that have followed Clytemnestra in each telling of her story. However, in this novel we also find her deep love for her family, and her yearning for a legacy. Her commitment to justice, and her determination that it be delivered. In spite of her flaws, you end up caring deeply for Clytemnestra, who always felt she had something to prove and always tried to find a light to hold onto even as the world kept ripping what she loved away from her.

Casati’s writing was lovely – immersive without falling into the trap of being overly ornate. The pace of the story felt very well controlled, without rushing or slowing too much. The little details in the food, dress, and settings really created a sensory picture of Clytemnestra and her family’s world. I was rooting for Clytemnestra throughout, even in the knowledge of how her story ends. To me, this is what makes an effective tragedy – the reader’s (or spectator’s) futile desire to change an inevitable ending. And the novel is even structured like a Greek tragedy, being divided into five parts.

Occasionally I felt there was a little more telling than showing, but in all fairness, I find that to be the case in a lot of retellings. Perhaps it’s the weight of past versions of the story and our preconceived images of characters and events making themselves known. All retellings are palimpsests, and as a result, they have more backstory to carry and reckon with.

Clytemnestra is out tomorrow – would really recommend finding yourself a copy and curling up with it this weekend!