Clytemnestra: A Feminist Greek Myth Retelling of Fury, Fate, and Survival

“Hate is a bad root. It takes its place in your heart and it grows and grows, letting everything rot.” Costanza Casati’s Clytemnestra is a poetic, character-driven retelling of a woman that Greek mythology had previously ostracized and cannibalized—she was a flat portrait of a Queen hellbent on revenge and power, two distinctly unfeminine motives that male writers could not and would not sympathize with. In Casati’s story, Clytemnestra is an ambitious, strong, and competitive person, demonstrated even in her childhood. These qualities, while perfectly befitting a king or general, did not suit a Spartan princess, and while she was at times revered by others for her determined will, more often than not, she was punished for it. “Such is the fate of a woman, no matter how shining and brilliant she is, to be crushed like a grain under a pestle.” There were consequences for her refusal to stay within the box of womanhood that was built around her, and each time she strayed too far from the boundary of those walls, she was slashed with a jeweled dagger, drawing blood, but never fear. This is a Greek myth retelling, and Casati does not shy away from the brutalness of each myth that is woven into this book. It is especially striking that Clytemnestra does not believe in the gods, as so much brutalness in myth is usually attributed to acts forced upon the humans or schemed by the gods, but Casati will not let these characters off with such ease. By taking away the awe and power attributed to the gods, Casati places each character’s actions into his or her own hands, bloodying their palms with their own fallible choices. I especially appreciated how trauma was explored through memory, despite Clytemnestra’s best efforts to escape her past. “Memory is a strange thing, vicious. The more one wants to forget, the more one can’t help but remember. It is alike a rat chewing at the skin, slowly and painfully—impossible to ignore.” This is a common thread towards the end of the book, as her trauma compounds upon itself, hardening her into the vengeful woman that the myths speak of. She struggles to process her memories, to accept what has happened, and becomes fixated on harming those who have wronged her. We see her relationship with her children deteriorate, she loses one of her only faithful friends and loved ones Leon, and she becomes consumed with a man who can distract her from her pain with his own, and who makes her feel less alone in her rage. The only letdown of this book for me was the ending. It feels too tidy, too glossy, for a woman spiraling and consumed with this root of hate that has infected her. Yes, we see her have a spat with her daughter, but this is left very open-ended. I believe in the myth, Orestes and Electra murder their mother, to take vengeance on her for slaying their father, Agamemnon. In my opinion, this would have been a truer and more interesting ending, with the cycle of violence and vengeance continuing, as it so often does. “This is the life she has always known: an endless chain of brutality, with strength, pride, and beauty only bursting from the blood that someone else has spilled—nothing precious can ever blossom on a barren earth.” Unfortunately, Clytemnestra did not break this chain, she was merely another link. The ending of this book cheapens the consequence of Clytemnestra’s all-consuming hate and vengeance, for Clytemnestra’s tale isn’t one with a happy ending. Once her revenge is fulfilled, what now will fill her heart? She has emptied herself for one sole purpose, plotted for nine years, and now that her thirst for vengeance is quenched, she can rule Mycenae with her lover in tow, happy as a clam? I don’t think so. Still, this book was an overall joy for me to read, and I am excited to read more from Casati in the future.

This character came up in the last two books but again, this book sheds light on her story. And gives it much more depth. I really fell in love with this character.

I liked it but the ended sucked. Simpering ending for a strong woman who carved her world. The last chapter was just dumb.

3.6 ⭐️

Yes thank you