The Silence of the Girls: A Novel (Unabridged)
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4.5 • 50 Ratings
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
A Washington Post Notable Book
One of the Best Books of the Year: NPR, The Economist, Financial Times
Shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award
Finalist for the Women’s Prize for Fiction
Here is the story of the Iliad as we’ve never heard it before: in the words of Briseis, Trojan queen and captive of Achilles. Given only a few words in Homer’s epic and largely erased by history, she is nonetheless a pivotal figure in the Trojan War. In these pages she comes fully to life: wry, watchful, forging connections among her fellow female prisoners even as she is caught between Greece’s two most powerful warriors. Her story pulls back the veil on the thousands of women who lived behind the scenes of the Greek army camp—concubines, nurses, prostitutes, the women who lay out the dead—as gods and mortals spar, and as a legendary war hurtles toward its inevitable conclusion. Brilliantly written, filled with moments of terror and beauty, The Silence of the Girls gives voice to an extraordinary woman—and makes an ancient story new again.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
The Trojan War gets a fierce feminist treatment in Pat Barker’s celebrated, spellbinding novel. When the terrifying and undeniably handsome Greek warrior Achilles comes for the city of Lyrnessus, Briseis—the city’s young queen—realizes that life as she knows it is over. Taken captive as Achilles’ prized concubine, Briseis desperately prays to the god Apollo for vengeance—and oh, does he answer! We were fascinated by all the ways the myth of this bloody war changes when the male-centered story of the Iliad is told from the perspective of the conflict’s traumatized but resilient enslaved women. A duo of narrators capture the voices of Briseis, Achilles, and everyone else, from scorned women to pompous men. If you love deconstructing history and mythology—or just want to be swept away by excellent storytelling—you’ll love The Silence of the Girls.
Customer Reviews
Lovely
Fantastic story and the narrator is lovely.
The female perspective
Having read several fictional tales about the Trojan war, along with the Iliad and Odyssey, I was happy to finally have a female protagonist. The author did an amazing job describing the anguish the captive women faced daily. My biggest complaint is the modern language used. Frankly some of just doesn’t work well with the setting.
Stunning Story, Amazing Narration
This story in large part about the women of Troy, some like our storyteller who were at the height of Trojan society and made into slaves by the victorious Greeks is most highly recommended. While I am sure reading the book will be rewarding the audio is riveting and makes the listener feel a part of the story.