They took up most of the narrative, leaving Elektra’s to actually be the least developed point of view, both from a narrative perspective and from a character development one. I did like the idea to have multiple POVs and particularly enjoyed following Cassandra’s and Clytemnestra’s perspectives. Unfortunately, this book didn’t quite bring that out for me. If you’re familiar with the original story, you’ll know that all three women had the potential for being very complex characters as they slowly move through life to fulfil their tragic destinies. This time, the author chose to tell the story through three POVs, giving a voice to Cassandra, princess of Troy Clytemnestra, wife of Agamemnon and the titular Elektra, her daughter. I saw Aeschylus’ original play performed in theatre all the way back when I was in high school and I read Colm Tóibín’s House of Names a few years ago, so I knew there would hardly be any surprises in the plot, but I was looking forward to a more feminist take on the story, giving these women more of a voice. It’s no secret by now that I enjoy retellings, especially ones of myths and legends and those focusing on female characters, and with the current burst in Greek myth retellings, I’m certainly spoilt for choice! I had enjoyed Jennifer Saint’s previous book, Ariadne, even if I had some issues with it so I was quite curious to see how she would approach a retelling of Elektra’s story, one which I thought offered even more potential than Ariadne’s.
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