Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati was a really thought provoking read. By utilizing the multiple different myths out there going from Helen to Clytemnestra I was able to see the lesser known ones branch together in a cohesive way that didn't get confusing, including when it came to Helen's portion with Thesus. ( One of the many different sides of Helen.) I love the in depth research which came down to nailing down time periods in a little more. When including Castor and Pollux which multiple other heroes of the time.

The emotional tumlt that speaks from the words that Clytemnestra and it tells you even more about the curse of the house of Atredi helps even more. I already know a lot from reading Greek and Roman history. But it gets visually graphic. The life of Sparta to the island of Mycene it really brings everything vividly to life. The harsh reality of being a women in that era. Clytemnestra link Helen was infamous eons later through what each Greek came home to.

I recommend this book if you are interested in the other side of Helen's story, Circe, Achilles etc. I received this ARC from netgalley and I'm posting an honest review.

There's been a trend in recent years for historical retellings, and Casati's book is the latest example. What separates it from the other retellings is that it's focused on choices and opposites. It personifies the idea of our lives being shaped by our choices, but possibly being defined by the choices of others too.

5 stars

This was a stunning book full of complex characters. I knew zero about Clytemnestra going into this and after reading it I just want to go research and learn so much more.
Casati has a beautiful way with words and her story telling ability. This book will be with me for a long time and I cannot wait to read more from this author.

This is a beautifully written historical fiction novel that tells the story of Clytemnestra. I was engaged from page one, and I thoroughly enjoyed how the author, not only told the stories of the characters, but delved into their emotions and cognitions to create depth and complexity. The reader starts with getting to know a clever, outspoken, strong, and fearless princess, and is taken on a journey through her rise to a fearless, powerful, and ultimately vengeful queen. In more than one way, this is a story as old as time. A strong and dynamic woman who spent her life fighting against the men trying to “tame” her, own her, and make her relinquish her power and submit. However, in the face of violence, loss and tragedy, she prevailed. She played the long game, but eventually took her justice.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc copy! I couldn’t put it down!

Brutal brilliance. A retelling from an unsung mythic queen. I will be waiting impatiently for more from Costanza Casati.

Even though I knew the basic beats of her life story and what would happen, I was still hanging on every word. I haven’t stopped thinking about this book since I put it down, which is what made it worth rounding up to a 5 for me. I also liked the format; having it split into sections made the time jumps less jarring. Clytemnestra is a masterpiece, especially as a woman with a lot of rage and a perhaps overdeveloped sense of justice myself. This is a morally grey protagonist done very well. I didn’t always think she made the right decisions and some things she does are just wrong, but I could always understand her motives. This is a Greek myth retelling that is absolutely worth your time.

Clyemnestra is a novel rich in detail that tells the story of a queen who we only know few things about. Though fiction, we hear a powerful story about a woman who lived at a time when it was a men's world, yet managed to thrive and rule. It's also a novel that is a fresh perspective of interpretation coming from Greek mythology that can be enjoyed by both lovers and those who don't care for Greek mythology alike.

This book is a must read for everyone and anyone! Personally, I couldn't put this book down from page one! I would love to see more books like this from Casati!

Costanza Casati's Clytemnestra is an enthralling, engaging read. It was so hard to put down! Readers who have read and loved Song of Achilles or Circe by Madeline Miller will thoroughly enjoy this feminist twist on the legend of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon. Casati depicts the brutality of Ancient Greece and the role women had to play in society with such fierce sincerity. Clytemnestra, the long suffering daughter of Sparta and queen of Mycenae, is a striking heroine who yearns to be free. Casati's slow burn of Clytemnestra's revenge moves quickly enough that the reader will feel incredibly satisfied when her plans come to fruition. The graphic depiction of sex, rape, and violence may be uncomfortable for some readers, and this book is definitely for mature readers.

A massive thank-you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author of Clytemnestra for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this outstanding book! I appreciate it so much! This book is absolutely bewitching. It is fiery and dark and painful and retributive in all the best ways, exactly what I’d hope for in a retelling of Clytemnestra’s story. Clytemnestra not only does justice to its source material but also transforms it, adding complex perspective and depth to its characters, themes, and events. Its spiral into tragedy is compelling.

Part of what drives Clytemnestra’s intoxicating sense of immersion in the narrative is its structure. The book is split up into sections surrounding major events in the protagonist’s life, establishing temporality through time skips and flashbacks. This segmented structure works exceptionally well to pace the story. It adds narrative weight exactly where it needs to go, which is crucial in a story dotted with tragedy like this one, and helps to move the book forward with Clytemnestra herself. Also, establishing a consistent structure and style of immersion like this means that when the format is briefly broken-- like when suddenly the story is being told in letters, or the limited perspective suddenly shifts to follow a new character-- the contrast is all the more fascinating. Clytemnestra’s structure both constructs its addictive downward spiral and emphasizes the fleeting periods of happiness in the story to make the inevitable tragedies hit even harder, pulling the reader along with the protagonist as she descends.

The writing of Clytemnestra is even more absorbing than its structure. Every word of the book feels intentional and fitting for its setting, characters, and plot. The syntax and figurative language, especially its similes and metaphors, mirror Clytemnestra’s character arc through the novel: in just the first few sections the writing evolves, like her, from devoted and burning and focused to considering and tentatively unguarded, more and more relaxed and peaceful until the plot’s fever breaks into tragedy. It continues to develop as the book goes on with concise, articulated grace perfectly suited to Clytemnestra herself, and complements the book’s atmosphere with its imagery and emotional pull. I love how vicious the language of this book gets at points, especially in contrast with how refreshing its moments of delicacy or natural beauty are-- its imagery of changing seasons to note the passing of time is particularly striking when considered in the context of Clytemnestra’s emotional state and character development. Also notable is the dialogue, which itself is written thoughtfully and grippingly: each character has a distinct voice that matches, or in many more intriguing cases contrasts, the protagonist’s view of them.

Clytemnestra’s characters are utterly fascinating, which is crucial for a novel so driven by the reconciliation between humans and their agency when confronted with tragic fates and unfair societies. Helen is one of my favorite characters. I’ve never read a version of Helen quite like this one. Many retellings paint her as manipulative or aloof or cruel, which is interesting in its own right, but this story does its best to paint Helen in a thoughtful, sympathetic light. She struggles with her self-worth in the face of surface-level judgment and with constant comparisons to her sister. When her issues boil over the cover of subtlety and mildness she tries to fit herself to, she becomes understandably spiteful, then regretful, then desperate. Even after the Trojan War begins, Helen remains an interesting character in the mind of Clytemnestra, who has to grapple with the biased memories she holds of her sister: did the childhood perfect and unbothered version of Helen that Clytemnestra held in her mind ever really exist at all, or was Clytemnestra’s perception of her tainted by comparison? I love how Helen and Clytemnestra’s sisterhood is so complex. It develops through the novel realistically and intriguingly, not to mention Clytemnestra’s relationships with her other siblings and family members.

Other characters I especially enjoyed reading are Penelope, Odysseus, and Electra, but really everyone in the cast of this novel, no matter how significant their role, stands out as multifaceted with plenty of layers to consider-- Clytemnestra herself definitely included! She defines this novel as its voice; her perspectives are the ones the audience looks through. This book does a fantastic job of truly bringing its audience along with its protagonist and putting them in her mind while also presenting foreshadowing (the constant references to Artemis are my favorite example of this, knowing Iphigenia’s story) and dramatic irony to tinge the background. The audience processes the world through Clytemnestra’s mind, but they are given enough surrounding information to be able to see the faults in her reasoning and her flaws. Clytemnestra’s development is externally like a downward spiral; however, this book immerses its audience so thoroughly in her world that they cannot help but feel her rage at the injustice and tragedy she is forced to endure again and again and again. Making Clytemnestra into an understandable or sympathetic character is no small feat-- yet this book completely succeeds at doing so, painful and upsetting but also cathartic and contemplative, almost wistful and bittersweet in its moments of reflection.

The quality of this book that I think sets it unequivocally apart from others in this genre is its commitment to its narrative. Every part of this book feels deliberate; all its potential is followed through to the end. The book commits to its interpretation of events, be that through its own artistic liberty, character choices, or the brutality of its narrative, fully and completely. Many retellings shy away from their own struggle with uncomfortable parts of source material or reinterpret them in a way that is shallow, avoidant, or has questionable implications even and especially when attempting to modernize their themes; Clytemnestra, however, does not suffer this problem and is made better for it. This book leans into its decisions hard. It is violent and horrific when the narrative calls for it, never hiding from its own brutality. While this commitment does result in many extremely uncomfortable, disturbing, and otherwise upsetting scenes, questions raised, and topics covered, I feel that Clytemnestra presents them in a way which brings productive, meaningful light to the implications of the source material. Clytemnestra’s story is dark, tragic, steeped in injustice-- so the book forces its audience to look directly at the ugliness and see it for what it is rather than sidestep it in favor of a more comfortable narrative. Its commitment is commendable.

Ultimately, Clytemnestra is an absorbing, strikingly painful tragedy that draws power from contrast. It is disturbingly violent at times and hazily, near-nostalgically reflective at others, the writing itself crafting powerful immersion within the protagonist’s world and mindset. Its characters and interpretation of events are thoughtfully, evocatively written with depth in every aspect. It raises questions about the truth in a legacy, the sides of stories-- and people!-- overlooked or covered up, and the way people justify injustice itself. This is a brutally powerful novel with a fascinating lead character and message about the cost of being remembered. I loved it.

I’m more familiar with stories of the Trojan War, mostly stories about the men and Helen. Reading a story from the point of view of Helen’s sister, Clytemnestra, was fascinating. Growing up the daughter of the King of Sparta, where the girls learned to fight the same way as the boys was such a different look at a woman’s life in Sparta. I liked seeing the young Clytemnestra with her sister Helen and her brothers Castor and Polydeuces. Everything changes when a she marries a prince from a different country and has a child only to have Agamemnon kill both of them and then force her to marry him. While Clytemnestra is a strong, intelligent woman, she has a temper, is ruthless, holds onto her hate, and is willing to wait years to get her revenge.

Marriage to Agamemnon was not pleasant, and then he tricks her into taking their oldest daughter to supposedly marry Achilles, but actually to be sacrificed to bring winds so the ships can sail. Now he has killed the husband she loved and two of her children. It’s no wonder she hates Agamemnon. It was an interesting view of Clytemnestra’s life as a princess, then as a queen, and finally as a ruler during the 10 years Agamemnon is away fighting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for an advanced copy of Clytemnestra. This is my honest opinion.

I stayed up late on a work night finishing this book because I just could not put it down. I am only vaguely familiar with Helen of Troy and the Trojan War. I know the basics you learn in school and some I've picked up reading other books. I feel like I completely missed Clytemnestra. Her story is heartbreaking but compelling. I loved the glimpse of Helen and Clytemnestra's relationship growing up. My heart ached with Clytemnestra's at her loved ones deaths. I'm so glad this is my introduction to this character.

Clytemnestra was due for her own story. Casati's version is enthralling. Casati first grounds Clytemnestra in her Spartan upbringing, a narrative choice that makes the character sympathetic and compelling. I've read a few other modern stories about the doomed House of Atreus, and this is the only one that bothers to explore Clytemnestra's life before Mycenae and her relationships with her (in)famous siblings. The story does then follow the familiar narrative steps, but Casati manages to make it fresh and interesting by keeping the perspective fairly firmly on Clytemnestra and her rule of Mycenae.

The story ends at an odd place, though-- an ending that is familiarly bloody and vengeful but also oddly hopeful. The only thing I could think is that perhaps the author has a sequel planned (maybe centered on Elektra?), as the book is quite long already.

I'm a huge fan of Greek myth retellings, and the number of retellings, particular from unexplored female perspectives, has boomed in the last few years. However, some of these retellings are much stronger than others. The best ones explore the unexplored, or bring new facets to characters we thought we knew, or teach us something about people then or now. Casati's Clytemnestra fits firmly into the "so glad I read this!" category of these retellings, and I look forward to more from her.

I received an advance copy of this novel in exchange for this honest review.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

First, I want to preface this review with the fact that I have not read The Song of Achilles, nor Circe. That being said, this book is one of the best books I've read in 2022-2023. It should be noted for those who may be sensitive to it, that there are a lot of casual mentions of SA, almost all superficially gone in to.

Clytemnestra is a book full of names I honestly cannot pronounce right, but had a blast reading anyway. I think the only name I got right was Hermione. But all of that aside, it is a very intriguing story about a Spartan woman and the experience and changes that vengeance brings.

From here there are some spoilers:

Clytemnestra goes through the change of a hopeful young child, to an uncertain woman, to a happy mother, a grieving widow, an angry survivor, and a then finally into the monster she has been trying to defeat most of the novel.

Throughout the story, you see how she ignores her mother's suggestion of not letting hatred and vengeance rule her world, else it turn her into something she doesn't recognize. I am kind of debating, did she turn into her mother, her father, or her husband Agamemnon. Also, would she then marry Aegisthus, if the novel continues into a sequel? (Yes, I am aware this is based off of Greek mythology and the outcome is probably already known by everyone else aside from me).

The story is very well written, it grabs your attention in the first few pages, and then starts to feel like a place you would rather be than functioning out in the outside world. Then it feels like a comfort show. The reading is easy, aside from the Greek names, and almost reads like a YA novel in level of ease. The plot is complete and the loose ends are tied in nicely, leaving room for more should there be a second book.

I was completely absorbed by this book and finished it in just two days. I'm not sure I liked the time jumps - it was a little disorienting to have a major scene, then BOOM - nine years have passed and now it's time for another major scene. Clytemnestra was definitely driven mad by her vengeance, but I can't say that I blamed her. The fact that she lives with Agamemnon for so long is pretty amazing to me. I'm really enjoying these new books that are telling the old myths from the women's point of view and showing that the heroes weren't really all that heroic. It's a nice twist.

A woman's view of the Trojan War, as told by Clytemnestra, wife of Agamemnon, who sacrificed her beloved daughter for a bit of wind. There are no Greek heroes in this book, only villains and a queen bent on revenge. Perfect for fans of "Circe" or "The Firebrand."

As always, thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for an ARC of this title!

Though this was my first experience with Constanza Casati, I needed no introduction to the tale of Clytemnestra, and my adoration for her alongside the gorgeous cover had my extremely excited to dive into this book! My initial read-through definitely did not disappoint -- though marketed for fans of Madeline Miller, Natalie Haynes, and Jennifer Saint, the characterization here paid homage to the true violence and vengeance of Clytemnestra in a way that felt both skillfully done and in apt homage to the original myth.

Overall, this is exactly what I would have hoped for in a reimagining of this character and her mythology, and Casati did a fantastic job in both her prose, her worldbuilding, and her characterization of everyone from Clytemnestra herself to the supporting cast of equally familiar faces. The juxtaposition between Helen and Clytemnestra's roles within a largely male dominated society, even as they are allowed some freedoms that might seem strange to us today, were an incredibly well-written consideration for the book, and perhaps one of my favorite parts of it in general, although the attention to feminine rage and violence was a very, very close second.

I did at times find the pacing, especially at the beginning, to be a bit slow, and the language here to follow a very repetitive cadence which stilted the storytelling at first, but after the introduction I was fairly immersed and found myself reading this fairly quickly. I highly recommend this read, especially as it veers a bit darker than some other retellings, which I greatly enjoyed, and I will definitely be ordering it for our shop!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive an arc in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts and opinions are my own-



Girlboss, gatekeep, gaslight. Clytemnestra has it all. 5/5!

I received a free advanced copy of this book from NetGalley/Sourcebooks Landmark in exchange for an honest review.

"The 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.

Since her childhood, Clytemnestra was born to rule. The daughter of a Spartan king, she is trained in body, mind, and will. She's often accompanied by her sister, Helen, and the two share an unbreakable bond.

"Leda's daughters will twice and thrice wed. And they will all be deserters of lawful husbands," a prophecy reads. This sets into motion the rest of Clytemnestra's powerful but tragic life.

Helen chooses to wed Menelaus, and Clytemnestra's life changes. Her love marriage is destroyed and her child killed, and she is forced to wed King Agamemnon. From there we pick up the story of Troy that most of us know, but Clytemenestra's perspective gives us a peek into what happened back in Mycenae when the Greeks fought the Trojans.

Casati spins a compelling and provocative tale that doesn't hold back from the brutalities of being a woman and a mother in ancient Greece. Throughout the book, the fortitude of Clytemenestra shines through, and it's clear that she is the real hero of the story, controlling her destiny in the only way she can.

Guilt, betrayal, sisterhood, and mothering are all strong themes throughout the book. Although some parts were hard to read (especially as someone with young kids), it never felt gratuitous. The characters are well-written and give us a different perspective on a well-known story.

The book compelled me from the beginning, and I flew through it, even though I knew the ending.

Fans of Madeline Miller will love Clytemnestra, and I'm excited to have another great mythology writer to choose from.

I loved this book and can't wait to see what else Costanza Casati writes. I'll be first in line to pick up whatever she does next.

Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5147447028?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Costanza Casati's "Clytemnestra" revisits, reevaluates, and retells the life of one of the most villianized women in ancient Greece's literature. Casati breathes life into a centuries old myth, expanding the content of Aeschylus' trilogy of plays (The Oresteia) to dive into Clytemnestra's childhood, family, and development into the woman hell-bent on revenge. It's captivating.

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.

I truly cannot recommend this book enough. Though I had a wonderful time coming at this from the perspective of someone with an education in these stories, themes, and characters already, I think this is a very easy introduction for those who only know Helen as "the face that launched a thousand ships" or don't know Clytemnestra's name or the generic Greek mythology lover. Even as someone who already knew the basic plots, I learned so much by reading this book! I knew nothing about Clytemnestra's upbringing in Sparta and the drama around her siblings and their own mythologies. This novel also does a great job of connecting all of these intertwining but often told separately myths — Odysseus, Jason and the Argonauts, Helen of Troy, the House of Atreus, etc.

My only complaint is I wish that the book didn't end with (SPOILERS?) the murder of Agamemnon. This novel follows all of Clytemnestra's life, and therefore should really follow through on looking through her whole life. If you don't know, her children Orestes and Electra (who receive some great screentime and characterization in Casati's novel) murder her and her lover Aegisthus in revenge (good old cycle of vengeance). I really wanted to see Casati's take on these events, especially since some ancient authors (I'm thinking specifically Sophocles' Electra) paints Clytemnestra in a somewhat sympathetic motherly light. I would have loved to see this complex and victorious version of Clytemnestra tackle that story.

Nevertheless, this is a phenomenal revisiting of the story of Clytemnestra, and absolutely takes the cake as my favorite Greek mythology retelling! READ THIS NOW!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

I am a huge fan of Greek Mythology retellings and this one does not disappoint. The story follows the story of Clytemnestra, sister of the infamous Helen of Troy. But Clytemnestra is no side character of her story. This is a story of long plotted revenge, a slow burn while Clytemnestra finally gets to enact her revenge for the murder of her first husband and child.

One of my favorite lines from this book is "You can't have justice and everyone's approval". Clytemnestra does whatever she must in enact the her revenge of her child,

Overall, I enjoyed this story very much. I will gladly purchase my own copy when it's releases and display it proudly next to my other favorite greek retellings, Circe and Ariadne.