Greek children are brought up on mythology—the shenanigans of the gods on Mount Olympus, the battles of the Trojan war, the travels and adventures in the Odyssey. However, although I knew how the story ends, I really enjoyed this backstage view of the Iliad by Pat Barker.
The tale is told from the point of view of Briseis, a princess who becomes a slave, awarded to Achilles as his prize after he sacks her city, slaughtering her father and brothers. She ends up in the camp of the Greeks besieging Troy, together with many other women. This is their voice, their side of things.
Pat Barker is a master of writing about war, as evidenced in her Regeneration Trilogy—the reek, the noise, the far-flung effects on everyone involved, however remotely. Here we are placed firmly in the camp—we see the cooking fires, smell smoke and roasting meat, unwashed bodies. We are inside the weaving huts, where the women are shut up and made to work all day, or the hospital hut, where bloodied and maimed men are brought in after the battle.
The women’s situation is horrifying, and their treatment at the hands of the men is appalling, yet Barker manages not to veer into one-sidedness. The men are not one-dimensional brutes, but have a human side, and some passages are from their point of view as well, since they are the ones fighting the war.
The pace is kept up throughout, so that I found the book unputdownable. For anyone interested in the lives of the Ancient Greeks, give it a try.
Highly recommended.
Amazon link here
Letters from Athens 
Thanks for the review, Marina. I love Pat’s writing, and the Regeneration Trilogy is one of my all-time favourites.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Try this then, I found it fascinating 😊
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I will add it to my Amazon wish list. 🙂
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I’m planning a visit to Athens in March and would love to bring this book back. Could you tell me where to find it – I’ll be staying between Monastiraki and Omonoia, and I’m not afraid to walk! 🙂
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Sorry to disappoint, but I got it on Amazon! But there’s a lovely bookstore downtown, called IANOS, with a great little café. Look it up. 😊
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Aiolou Street? It’s very close to my hotel. 🙂
Thank you!
(at Amazon it’s pre-order, they will send it only in June next year…)
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Reblogged this on newauthoronline.
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I’ve read reviews of the book that were less enthusiastic, so I’m more inclined to give it a go now.
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I thought it was good, but everyone has their own taste, I suppose😊
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Interesting! Especially as I’ve just read another blogger enthusing about a newish translation of The Odyssey – It’s the first translation by a woman and she is working on The Iliad too. Her name is Emily Wilson in case you’re interested – I might wait a bit and see if the price goes down 🤔
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Thanks, I’ll look her up. This one was quite original.
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A good review
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Thanks, Derrick🌹
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I’m glad to have your review–I’ve been wondering how it is.
Since the Regeneration trilogy, she’s added several other books that are related to it–same (or nearly the same) time period, related characters, Toby’s Room is the only title I can come up with right now, but they’re good.
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“Book at Bedtime” on BBC radio 4 this week!
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Thanks for the review
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