House of Odysseus, Claire North
House of Odysseus, Claire North
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House of Odysseus

Author: Claire North

Narrator: Catrin Walker-Booth

Unabridged: 14 hr 13 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Redhook

Published: 08/22/2023


Synopsis

This "powerful, fresh, and unflinching" reimagining from the award-winning author of the Penelope trilogy breathes life into ancient myth and gives voice to the women who stand defiant in a world ruled by ruthless men (Jennifer Saint). On the isle of Ithaca, queen Penelope maintains a delicate balance of power. Many years ago, her husband Odysseus sailed to war with Troy and never came home. In his absence, Penelope uses all her cunning to keep the peace—a peace that is shattered by the return of Orestes, King of Mycenae, and his sister Elektra.

Orestes' hands are stained with his mother's blood. Not so long ago, the son of Agamemnon took Queen Clytemnestra's life on Ithaca's sands. Now, wracked with guilt, he is slowly losing his mind. But a king cannot be seen to be weak, and Elektra has brought him to Ithaca to keep him safe from the ambitious men of Mycenae.

Penelope knows destruction will follow in his wake as surely as the furies circle him. His uncle Menelaus, the battle-hungry king of Sparta, longs for Orestes' throne—and if he can seize it, no one will be safe from his violent whims.

Trapped between two mad kings, Penelope fights to keep her home from being crushed by a war that stretches from Mycenae and Sparta to the summit of Mount Olympus itself. Her only allies are Elektra, desperate to protect her brother, and Helen of Troy, Menelaus' wife. And watching over them all is the goddess Aphrodite, who has plans of her own.

Each woman has a secret. And their secrets will shape the world.

About Claire North

Claire North is a pseudonym for Catherine Webb, who wrote several novels in various genres before publishing her first major work as Claire North, The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August. It was a critically acclaimed success, receiving rave reviews and becoming a word-of-mouth bestseller. She has since published several hugely popular and critically acclaimed novels, won the World Fantasy Award and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, and been shortlisted for the Sunday Times/PFD Young Writer of the Year Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award and the Philip K. Dick Award. She lives in London.


Reviews

Goodreads review by jessica on October 30, 2023

im… indifferent towards this. i enjoyed the first book because of its faithfullness to the story of penelope, a story i am familiar with. but this one? its something new that could have happened while odysseus was away on his odyssey. the plot isnt rooted in any ancient story, but rather the authors......more

Goodreads review by Kate on August 12, 2023

I have a smile on my face after reading this brilliant book. Claire North made me laugh my head off at this excellent re-telling of the Penelopiad. This is the second part of the trilogy and, if anything much better than Ithaca, which bodes extremely well for the final part which I now can't wait to......more

Goodreads review by HARES on August 13, 2024

Je m’attendais exactement à ça. Pour commencer, OUI je trouve ce tome largement meilleur que le premier, je m’y attendais un peu mais pas à ce point. Notez qu’il est beaucoup moins contemplatif, forcément, on entre dans l’action. Ménélas, il faut l’avouer, joue un grand rôle dans le côté addictif du......more

Goodreads review by Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) on May 09, 2024

3.0 Stars This novel continues the story of Odysseus and Penelope that started in the first book. This trilogy is undoubtedly intended for readers who love the greek mythology. I like and appreciate the tales but I can't say it's a personal fascination. I mention this because other readers will likel......more

Goodreads review by Ellery on July 16, 2023

3.5 stars. Another well-written retelling by Claire North. This story was more a war of words and sleight of hand than an epic story of heroic battles and dramatic romance, so it's more of a slow burn. I loved the feminist slant of this retelling and found Penelope to be a fantastic heroine, but Aph......more


Quotes

"Richly poetic and does justice to the very real and frustrating world of women forced to survive within a world of patriarchy, assault, and violence. This is an impassioned plea for the lost, disenfranchised queens of ancient Greece, a love letter to the silenced women of history who had to hide their pain behind their eyes and their skills, capabilities, and power behind false incompetence and ignorance."—Booklist (starred review) on Ithaca

"The queen of the gods narrates a crackling tale of secrets and intrigue...taut, suspenseful, and full of Hera’s delightfully dyspeptic attitude. A thoroughly enjoyable exploration of Penelope’s side of the ancient story."—Kirkus on Ithaca

"A dazzlingly complex, twisting tale....Claire North breathes life into a cast of mythical characters from goddesses to queens to slave-women in a richly nuanced portrayal of human life."—Jennifer Saint on Ithaca

"Like Penelope at her loom, North weaves and unweaves, teasing out the threads of Homeric myth to recombine them into something unique, wonderful, and urgently contemporary."—M. R. Carey on Ithaca

“Told in the arresting voice of the goddess Hera . . . Ithaca conjures up a world in which women, abandoned by their men, must weave their own destinies."—The Times (UK) on Ithaca

"A gorgeous, emotive feminist retelling of the classic Greek myth of Penelope."—Belfast Telegraph (UK) on Ithaca