Clytemnestra

November 14, 2022
Casati’s impressive debut adds to the growing ranks of novels that reframe the Greek myths from a feminist perspective, with her portrayal of Helen of Troy’s twin sister, Clytemnestra. An ominous scene introduces the Spartan princess as she peers into a ravine rumored to be the repository of the remains of dead infants. Then, Agamemnon kills her husband, king Tantalus of Maeonia, and forces her to marry him. Clytemnestra’s infant by Tantalus is also murdered, presaging the more familiar loss of another child. When the Greek forces led by Agamemnon are stalled, he sacrifices their daughter, Iphigenia, believing that doing so will appease the gods, who will then unleash the winds needed for the army’s ships to sail to Troy so that the abducted Helen can be rescued. That filicide sets the stage for Clytemnestra’s ultimate revenge after the Trojan War ends. Simple metaphors illustrate how Clytemnestra differs from her more famous sibling (“Clytemnestra dances for herself; Helen dances for others”), and the author demonstrates her hero’s agency and strength with such scenes as Clytemnestra killing a wild lynx. Despite the essential plot beats being well-known, Casati makes this grim tale feel fresh through vivid imagery and nuanced characterizations. It’s sure to please fans of the revisionist genre.

Starred review from February 1, 2023
Casati's propulsive debut chronicles the tumultuous life of the mythological Greek queen, Clytemnestra. Raised in Sparta to use both her keen mind and fierce fighting skills, Clytemnestra finds herself thrust into a world that values neither when two royal brothers from Mycenae, Agamemnon and Menelaus, visit the Spartan court shortly after Clytemnestra's happy marriage to the Maeonian king, Tantalus. Clytemnestra watches as her father falls under their sway and her beautiful sister Helen responds to Menelaus' attentions, but it's when Agamemnon decides Clytemnestra will be his that he destroys her happiness and takes her away to Mycenae to be his queen. Though her hatred for Agamemnon burns bright, Clytemnestra ultimately finds joy in their four children, particularly their eldest, Iphigenia, until Helen absconds with the Trojan prince, Paris, and Agamemnon's unquenchable ambition once again destroys Clytemnestra's tranquility. Richly drawn and lovingly rendered, Casati's Clystemnestra is a brilliant, fierce woman placed, again and again, in untenable circumstances. If the story loses a little steam in the final section, it's only because what's come before is so powerful. Readers who are enjoying the current plethora of mythological retellings won't want to miss this absorbing examination of a complicated queen.

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