Clytemnestra (Review)

“If power isn’t given to you, you have to take it for yourself.”

The vibe

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The review

Many know the story of Clytemnestra — wife of Agamemnon, hero of the Trojan war, revered and feared, powerful, and looming large. But few know her story of love, loss, motherhood, leadership, and vengeance. In this epic story, you’ll meet Clytemnestra — the huntress, the warrior, the mother, the murderess, and the queen.

I’ve now read several Greek retellings and they tend to all overlap at certain points. This book was no different for me. In fact, the last one I read — Elektra by Jennifer Saint — included a lot of Clytemnestra’s story, as well as Cassandra (a Trojan princess taken by Agamemnon after the war) and Elektra (daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon). Despite my prior knowledge on the subject matter, the author managed to completely overwhelm my emotions (aka I cried) and captivate me with a story I could not put down.

Skip this next paragraph if you want to go in blind!

I knew three very big things about Clytemnestra (and these are things I think most people know, if they have any interest in ancient Greek writing. I knew that Clytemnestra’s eldest daughter, Iphigenia, was sacrificed by her own father in front of her mother in order to obtain favor from the gods to sail off to war (aka, she was killed for a gust of wind). I also knew that she kills Agamemnon in the bath after he returns from war in revenge of this murder of her daughter. I also knew that her son and daughter, Elektra, plot to avenge their father by killing their mother (this isn’t included in this particular novel, btw). What I didn’t know that this book introduced me to is the early years of Clytemnestra’s life — her relationship with her parents and sister, her previous marriage, and all that Agamemnon took away from her.

OK, come back! Spoilers are done!

It’s a 4.5-star read for me, and I don’t hesitate to recommend it! I really enjoyed Elektra too, but I think reading the two too close together could be a bit much, so avoid doing that!