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Lori's Reviews > Elektra
Elektra
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I'd enjoyed reading Saint's previous novel "Ariadne", so looked forward to "Elektra" when I heard about its upcoming release. While "Elektra" does focus on the titular character, it also shares perspectives with Elektra's mother Clytemnestra, as well as Cassandra, Apollo's oracle from Troy.
The story begins in the years before the Battle of Troy; Clytemnesetra grows up by Helen's side in Sparta, where her sister鈥檚 beauty earns her and her family (unwanted) attention. After Helen chooses Menelaus, son of Atreus, to be her future husband, Clytemnestra's fate is sealed as well. She is eventually wedded to Menelaus's brother, Agamemnon, further cementing the tie between Sparta and Mycenae. When Helen eventually deserts her husband for Paris of Troy, Clytemnestra is forced to bear with the consequences of Agamemnon's departure for the Battle of Troy which rages for a century.
Cassandra is the second narrator in the story, and she too is a tragic character. As the Oracle of Apollo, she frequently has accurate visions of the future, but has been cursed by the god himself so that no one will ever believe what she says. Her perspective sheds color into what happens within Troy during the ongoing war, and how her prophecies accurately foretold their kingdom's downfall.
Elektra is the third daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, and she grows up without her father's presence in her life, watching as her mother plots behind her father's back. She is the most steadfast and stubborn of their children, but puts her whole trust and loyalty to her father despite some of his own actions and mistakes. Most of her perspective and story is prominent in the later chapters of the book, especially after she's older and able to take actions into her own hands.
I love Greek mythology retellings told from the female perspective, and "Elektra" was no exception. Jennifer Saint has done a masterful job in crafting the story and situations of each of these three individuals, and the many complexities and emotions underlying their actions. The relationship between mother and daughter is one that is covered in great depth and with care, and while there wasn't as much focus Cassandra's perspective and and story, I found it still an essential part of the novel, especially in the brief interaction she and Clytemnestra have.
The story begins in the years before the Battle of Troy; Clytemnesetra grows up by Helen's side in Sparta, where her sister鈥檚 beauty earns her and her family (unwanted) attention. After Helen chooses Menelaus, son of Atreus, to be her future husband, Clytemnestra's fate is sealed as well. She is eventually wedded to Menelaus's brother, Agamemnon, further cementing the tie between Sparta and Mycenae. When Helen eventually deserts her husband for Paris of Troy, Clytemnestra is forced to bear with the consequences of Agamemnon's departure for the Battle of Troy which rages for a century.
Cassandra is the second narrator in the story, and she too is a tragic character. As the Oracle of Apollo, she frequently has accurate visions of the future, but has been cursed by the god himself so that no one will ever believe what she says. Her perspective sheds color into what happens within Troy during the ongoing war, and how her prophecies accurately foretold their kingdom's downfall.
Elektra is the third daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, and she grows up without her father's presence in her life, watching as her mother plots behind her father's back. She is the most steadfast and stubborn of their children, but puts her whole trust and loyalty to her father despite some of his own actions and mistakes. Most of her perspective and story is prominent in the later chapters of the book, especially after she's older and able to take actions into her own hands.
I love Greek mythology retellings told from the female perspective, and "Elektra" was no exception. Jennifer Saint has done a masterful job in crafting the story and situations of each of these three individuals, and the many complexities and emotions underlying their actions. The relationship between mother and daughter is one that is covered in great depth and with care, and while there wasn't as much focus Cassandra's perspective and and story, I found it still an essential part of the novel, especially in the brief interaction she and Clytemnestra have.
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