Clytemnestra: The spellbinding retelling of Greek mythology’s greatest heroine

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If her message is cryptic in that moment, it becomes increasingly clear as the two princesses grow older and face one betrayal after another. The author looks at Clytemnestra as a mother and sister and how that affected her role as a queen and leader of her people. Costanza Casati was born in Texas in 1995 and grew up in a village in Northern Italy, where she studied Ancient Greek, and Ancient Greek literature, under one of the country’s most rigorous academic programmes. On her deathbed, Clytemnestra’s grandmother tells Clytemnestra and Helen that their family is a “dynasty of queens” and that “you girls will be remembered longer than your brothers”.

Clytemnestra was Spartan trained to fight from a young age and hardened into the tough woman that Sparta needed to continue to remain strong. Complex characters, stylish writing and a glimpse into the heart of one of history's most reviled women – Casati's Clytemnestra is a self-determined warrior queen. Divided up into five parts, the first starts off with a movie 300 like scene of Clytemnestra hunting a lynx and showing how she was raised in Sparta. Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati is a great historical fiction that shines the spotlight on an enigmatic, complex, and fascinating woman of ancient Greece. I really liked Clytemnestra's sister Helen, her brother Castor, and sister Timandra, they each had their own unique personalities.I'm already planning a re-read of it and will be purchasing the hard copy version when it is eventually released. In this retelling, Casati starts at the beginning of her childhood, crafting a fiercely strong and protective woman who readily defends her siblings in wrestling matches - a common occurrence for both women and men and Sparta. It has sold into 18 territories worldwide, is a Saturday Times bestseller, and was shortlisted for the HWA Debut Crown Award. I was pleasantly surprised by the story telling, this wasn’t a Queen that just hid away in her room while the king was off to war.

I paired my reading with the excellent audio narration by Olivia Vinall which truly enhanced my experience. Costanza Casati’s debut novel is a creative retelling of the life of Clytemnestra, a classical heroine of Greek mythology.But she is a figure who, like Medusa and Medea and so many other women in Greek myth, is often maligned without second thought. That is a masterpiece also, so this accomplished and ultra talented Author deserves the highest of praise for this novel.

My favorite retellings are a bit like treasure-hunting in your childhood home—the familiar bones of the story are there but the shape has shifted to reveal a hidden jewel beneath. This lushly written account is far more detailed, and I don't want to sound unoriginal by saying that this chronicles Clytemnestra's life from the young Princess of Sparta, where she grew up. However, this author chooses to begin with an expansive examination of the family history, the cultural and religious practices of the time, topographical references, and even the elements of typical of modes of dress and of feasts. Who both were murdered by Clytemnestra's father, Tyndareus, (King of Sparta), who conspired with Agamemnon to kill them, so Agamemnon could have Clytemnestra.

The easy-to-follow story-telling and well-rounded characters in the novel really draw in the reader, as Clytemnestra navigates a world where people can be ruthless and lives can be short. Clytemnestra is immediately established as a compelling heroine, as despite her perspective on events being way off center from the usual narrative of the Iliad. I particularly liked how the author chose to end the novel keeping it open-ended yet entirely satisfying. When we meet Clytemnestra, she is a young princess of Sparta; a hunter and fighter who is close to her family, especially to her sister, Helen, the famed beauty who later flees for Troy. Every word is meaningful, and nearly every chapter holds a quote that made me pause and consider it, both in the context of the story and in the context of my own life.

There will come a time when songs are sung about her, about the people she loved and the ones she hated. Though the author does not resort to any form of exaggerated sentimentality, it is impossible to remain unaffected by Clytemnestra's story.

Bernie Sanders opens his latest book with a compelling thought: conventional wisdom says you get more conservative in politics as you grow older, but he finds himself going the opposite direction. Better to be there to go on, seize the next day, and have a mighty victory for a glorious, long life. While royalty may burn, rape, steal, and kill as they like the only thing forbidden to them is to hurt a noble person. Casati’s careful consideration of different perspectives allows the reader to sympathize deeply with Clytemnestra. Again, I enjoyed how this take muted the fantastical mythological elements and focused on the mortal human character emotions and actions.