Elektra

Wow! What a powerful and compelling novel! I absolutely loved this book and finished it in about 3 days! I loved that Jennifer Saint actually wrote from three different perspectives, it added some interest and I felt like I knew all three of the characters. I would read this book again, which is saying a lot!

This review may contain spoilers...if there is anything to spoil?My BFF and I are traveling to Greece this summer and she suggested this book, both due to the location and due to our shared love of female-centric stories. I thought telling this story from the women's point of view was interesting, especially as in Greek myths women are not the story-tellers; they are not the point of view of the story.I don't know how I feel about this; the author [to my knowledge--it has been A MINUTE since I have read any of the original source material] did not take the opportunity to change anything significant about this story. She didn't give Cassandra a voice people would heed; she didn't alter the tragedy of these three women's lives; the men in these stories are still shaping their destinies in many ways. But there was still something very compelling about hearing the same story, told from these three women's point of view, that kept you turning the pages. Maybe I was hoping for a different outcome? Maybe for the story to be remembered differently--which it is, because it is remembered from the point of view of these women while at the same time, as a women, it feels like something you have read before? Maybe because you have thought about these women and filled in some of these gaps yourself--put yourself in their shoes and imagined what this must have been like?I don't know. There were no real big moments in this book, but it was at the same time, impossible to stop reading as you watched these women and their actions play just as important of a role in shaping their own tragic destinies.

I have to say that I read “A Thousand Ships” by Natalie Haynes first and I loved it, so my review is quite biased.I found that this author is telling us too often how the characters feel, rather than showing us. Most importantly we never see why Elektra loves her father so much and SPOILER ALERT: also we never know what she thinks of his sacrificing her sister for a good wind! We see just how twisted up Clytemnestra became over it, but it seems like Elektra has no opinion about it! Why does she not condemn him like her mother does? At one point she said that mothers lose their daughters all the time!Also, for a book entitled “Elektra” it was told most of the time, from Clytemnestra’s perspective. I also felt mixed emotions about including Cassandra as a narrator.Another sticking point is that how likely is it that SPOILER ALERT: Elektra marries a poor farmer? He’s actually the only one who says that the cycle of violence has to stop. But no one listens to him.Also, where are the Fates when Agamemnon comes home? Why do they not torture Clytemnestra? Additionally SPOILER ALERT:could a woman ever actually wield a war axe and swing it over her head 3 times?Also I imagine it’s a difficult task but I didn’t really have the feeling that it took place in the Bronze Age. Also I didn’t get much enjoyment out of her Helen’s character. It felt very flat and the book would have been better without her character.Overall I think it’s a good read but I truly loved Haynes portrayal of the exact same story. I actually read Natalie Haynes book twice in one month! It is written in spare lyrical prose that is very descriptive. I strongly recommend reading that book and skipping this one.

I’ve been fascinated by the entire drama surrounding the House of Atreus since senior year of high school and having been teaching it for the past 7 years. This novel is pretty wonderful, especially in capturing the emotions and points of view of the female characters. Elektra has always been an intriguing character who bridges Iphigenia’s murder and Agamemnon’s murder, but often gets minimized. Thank you for writing this story so the legacy is approachable and lives on for future generations.

Really enjoyed this story, though there were noooo likeable characters except a few. Cassandra was one of them, and also 1 of 3 POVs in the story.Recommend this book if you liked her other book, Ariadne.

Jennifer Saint does not miss! I recently stumbled upon this genre and Jennifer saint retells these stories I such a gripping manor. I wept for this generational curse that plagued this family. But the different POV made this journey such an excellent read.

Saint’s agent, who suggested the title for this book, did her a disservice. She may not have read this book, because the main character is Clytemnestra. The chapter of Clytemnestra and Iphigenea in Aulis is masterful. Unlike the altered Euripedes play, and most of history’s playwrights, the focus is on Clytemnestra, who tells us that Iphigenia was not saved by the gods from her father’s dagger. Her horror at witnessing the murder of her daughter is told with a gut-wrenching awareness of the treachery that has unfolded and a mother’s raw disbelieving grief. This dramatic solution in the mode of Greek tragedy makes more sense in light of her eventual revenge on Agamemnon. Dividing the book into the stories of Elektra and Cassandra weakens the book considerably. Cassandra is a marginal character, handled better by Natalie Haynes in A Thousand Ships. Profiling Elektra as a young girl destroys her dramatic relevance. She adores her father (Agamemnon) despite his having killed her oldest sister. She mopes for the ten years he is away, and mopes when Clytemnestra takes a lover. After Clytemnestra’s death, the story ends with a whimper. Such a disappointing reading experience after Saint's Ariadne.

Enjoyed reading this book. Emotional, informative and engaging.Much better than Ariadne.

Me gusto pero me costo mucho leerlo, se volvio tedioso. Y eso que me gustan mucho este tipo de historias, es un libro algo lento y pesado de leer.

Muy contenta con el estado del libro, perfecto. I el libro en si me ha encantado... merece la pena leerlo!

I liked this story very much, very interesting, very exciting.I wood like to read more of this kind of books

Jennifer Saint is my new favourite author for these kinds of books! This novel was interesting, intriguing, and very well written!