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

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Clytemnestra is beautifully portrayed, strong-willed, fierce, unapologetic, and independent. Traditionally one of the most hated women in Greek mythology, this story brings a new light to her life. From her childhood through to adulthood, we see how trauma has shaped her life and her personality, and the effects that it’s had in the course of her life and on the decisions she makes. You will feel her anguish, burn with her rage, and vie for revenge right alongside her. Casati begins the tale of Clytemnestra in her early teen years as a princess of Sparta. She trains in combat and is renowned for her abilities in the wrestling ring. She dreams of marrying a king one day, but worries about leaving her siblings behind with their cruel father and alcoholic mother. When a handsome king named Tantalus visits Sparta, he and Clytemnestra soon fall in love and are married. Soon after their wedding, Tantalus has to return to his kingdom for a few months and Clytemnestra decides to stay with her family until his return rather than going with her. I'm a classics major and I have read (and loved) a lot of the classical literature centered around this Trojan War era. I already adored Clytemnestra's story and the tragic fall of the House of Atreus, and Casati's novel just expands the story in such a beautiful way. The writing style is gorgeous — rich in the animalistic metaphors and epithets present in original Greek writings, perceptive evaluations and foreshadowing of big mythical characters, and a digestible amount of history and myth retellings. Just absolutely amazing.

Acceptance or vengeance, infamy follows both. So, you bide your time and force the gods' hands in the game of retribution. For you understood something long ago that the others never did. Thank you, NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to read and review this prerelease book at no cost. This was my absolute favorite title obtained through you so far. Clytemnestra has always been slightly overlooked, overshadowed by her more famous sister, Helen of Troy. Her story is so much more than this, I would say that the nuances and tragedy of Clytemnestra's life provides a more devastating epic, delving deep into themes of motherhood, grief, loss and love. Clytemnestraredefines the retelling genre with a heroine who, instead of enduring suffering, avenges it. 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." — Annie Garthwaite, acclaimed author of CecilyThe face that launched a thousand ships." We all know the story of Helen of Troy, but not as many are familiar with the perspective of her older sister, Clytemnestra. The story is full of complex relationships. It conveys the strength of bonds between family and friends, and the ramifications of betrayals. The ambient prose paints the setting vividly and builds the state of the world around you, in a time dominated by men, where women were consistently underestimated and wrongly treated. This story has a profoundness to it. It becomes an evocative experience, drawing you into the plights of the characters. Costanza Casati renders a singularly vibrant Ancient Greece, absolutely alive with emotion and suspense. Casati reveals a Clytemnestra we've never met before: fiercely intelligent, passionate, and loving - and willing to do anything to avenge the ones she loves Naomi Krupitsky, New York Times bestselling author of THE FAMILY

Let me repeat that: there is no gods in a Greek myth reinterpretation and it still works as a story. And the writing totally makes sense as to why the characters believe the gods meddle in their lives while actively showing other characters operations and how most of the events were not godly. And the story still works! I have yet to see that in a reinterpretation of books like these. If you are a fan of Circe, The Song of Achilles, Ariadne, A Thousand Ships, or Elektra, I can just about guarantee that you will connect with this book, too. Clytemnestra is often called a “bad wife”. She’s a trope all wrapped up in one character (or, more often, a caricature). What is often overlooked is her righteous fury, her vengeful wrath at the loss of her daughter. And the important question, why should a daughter’s/girl’s/woman’s life be worth less than Agamemnon’s/a king’s/a man’s? It shouldn’t. But it did then, in the times her tale was first told, and it probably would today, too.A bad wife? Not if you consider the circumstances, argues Casati. In Clytemnestra’s voice, Casati delineates the many just causes for her fury. Lately kings and heroes have dropped like flies, but, just as her grandmother predicted so long ago, queens outlive them all.” In Clytemnestra, she is the main character. The entire book is written from her, a woman in ancient Greece’s, perspective. She’s not a perfect person. She’s not a perfect mother or a perfect role model. She’s not a perfect woman or a perfect feminist. But she has a traumatizing tale that will gain sympathy from all those who have any to give, as Clytemnestra’s heartbreaking, tragic tale unfolds. The girl has learned much in her training, wrestling the Spartiates throughout her youth. This is part of her training as a Spartan, as part of the royal house, as a girl. The Spariates are the daughters of the best and noblest houses of the warriors of Sparta. They are to train with the commoners until they start a family. King Tyndareus oversees the training and fights and when Helen is challenged for her first fight, Clytemnestra has to do something that is against the rules, something never done. While royalty may burn, rape, steal, and kill as they like the only thing forbidden to them is to hurt a noble person. Will Clytemnestra always break the rules? But, will she only do that for those she loves? Casati brings the blood-soaked world of Greek mythology fully alive in this powerful novel' WOMAN & HOME

Some of my favourite books are The Secret History, The Song of Achilles, Alias Grace, The Book of Longings, and Half of a Yellow Sun. In "Clytemnestra", Costanza Casati has taken a woman who's frequently villainized in Greek mythology and given a fresh and complex take on her life and story. Something that I’m still learning: not everyone can like you – and this applies really well to writing. Not everyone is going to love what you write, so try to just be honest and real. It’ll allow you to be less scared, more excited and, as a consequence, to be a better writer. These tragedies underpin Clytemnestra’s life, but Casati leaves plenty of space for her main character to experience freedom, strength and triumph.Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati 'When vengeance calls and the gods stop watching,what do we do to those who harm the people we love?' Following in the steps of Madeline Miller’s Circe, Jennifer Saint’s Elektra and Natalie Haynes’ A Thousand Ships, Costanza Casati’s novel Clytemnestra sets out to retell the story of Clytemnestra, the Queen of Mycenae, known for murdering her husband, King Agamemnon, after he returned home from the Trojan War.