The Silence of the Girls
by Pat Barker
The Silence of the Girls is a re-telling of the story of the Iliad from the viewpoint of the women, and mainly one woman, Briseis who become trophies of the war.
Indeed the story covers more than the Iliad which only runs from the quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles to Hector’s death and the retrieval of his body by Priam.
Pat Barker keeps the Gods out of the story (mostly), preserves the character of Achilles and expands on the relationship with Briseis.
It is man’s inhumanity especially towards women that becomes the underlying theme.
Whilst this is a re-telling focusing on the women, the point-of-view is biased towards the men; and the beauty of Briseis is not mentioned until near the end of the book.
The change in status from royal family to slave is well portrayed especially the way the women become totally dependent on the whims of the captors.
The complexity of the relationship between Patroclus and Achilles is well drawn, but less believable on the accounts if the bodies of Hector and Patroclus.
Club members had a variety of reactions to this book. Appreciation of the “story line”, revulsion at the gratuitous violence, appreciation of the clarity of description and the way it takes you into the moment.
Most people loved the writing whilst disliking the subject.
There were differing views within the group on the character development, some saw it as a men’s book about women, some felt it was only Briseis that developed.
We were left with a big question mark over the historicity of Greek Myths and Legends retold in 21st Century English.
Equally we had an open question over the amount of freedom allowed to Briseis, would a slave be allowed to wander alone along the beach?
Absorbing and compelling writing about a repulsive culture.
PC, 10th November, 2019.
AABC: ****
|
