Z’s Reviews > A Thousand Ships > Status Update

-Penelope was underdeveloped
-didn’t care for Athene’s portrayal, childish even for a god
-sold as the untold stories, but from what I've gleaned of reviews, only a few things were original or added

4.5* rounded down cuz it was a well-written and easy read that has sparked more interest in these modern retellings but did lack an original content that stood out, particularly not fleshing out Penelope

I like Greek mythology and plan to read more soon, so I’m hoping these retellings continue to be enjoyable and well-written

+audiobook
+emotional depth despite some short chapters
+Calliope annoyed at Homer’s (presumably) small scope
+Cassandra’s fate being fleshed out

Yes, it could have gone deeper but all this in 350 pages is such a feat! The research alone. The writing was exquisite and you feel them faced with decisions, should I fight back/speak up, when is snark not going to get me killed, do I want to die. The women are not shown to be endlessly forgiving or begging for mercy, they are shown to have the same capacities for cruelty or hatred, as well as piousness and love.

Oenone’s final moment w Paris was so relatable, who hasn’t imagined what you would say if someone came crawling back, try to gain some pride or at least vindication. It’s hinted at to be a dream but with our knowledge we know it was.

Some women we only visit once and yet each chapter did give me enough voice from the characters, I empathized and understood their minds

These letters were full of a woman telling off her oh-so-intelligent husband all the stupid things he actually does, despite being so wise! It was sharp humor that I enjoyed immensely. We don’t learn too much bout her in particular or what she’s been up to other than avoiding suitors, so she is still given to us as an accessory of her husband’s story.

I liked how Calliope wanted to tell the broader story but Homer only wanted to hear of Achilles, of war and men’s accomplishments and punishments

I particularly liked the squabbling of the three goddesses over the Apple and hearing of the Odyssey through Penelope’s letters to her husband.

I don't remember much of these stories, but it’s pretty telling that any name I recognize is decidedly male. I don’t think that some of these women are overlooked or forgotten as they have plays and many modern retellings exist, so I do think maybe a different approach would be better suited. Like, emphasizing that that heroism isn’t reserved for the men who fight in the wars as stated before.

So the author voiced the audiobook? Wow. She did fantastically. In her afterword she mentions that we never doubt Achilles is a hero but he spends 18/24 books arguing, sulking then seeking guidance. That heroes/victims are not deigned to one gender

“Heroism is something that can reside in all of us...It doesn’t belong to men, any more than the tragic consequences of war belong to women.”

Calliope ends it with “A war does not ignore half the people whose lives it touches. So why do we?”

She does and they build a new Troy, her second son and her late son merging in her memories

“Her later life was lived amid a set of shadows and reflections of all that she had lost in the catastrophes of her early life. And if the shadow of happiness fell short of happiness itself, it was more than she had ever expected to find when she lay prostrate on the shores of Troy, weeping for her beloved child.” Wow