elektra book review guardian

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Delighting in all things bookish, book review: elektra by jennifer saint, about the book:.

An exciting and equally lyrical new retelling from Jennifer Saint, the Sunday Times bestselling author of ARIADNE.

Clytemnestra

The sister of Helen, wife of Agamemnon – her hopes of averting the curse are dashed when her sister is taken to Troy by the feckless Paris. Her husband raises a great army against them and determines to win, whatever the cost.

Princess of Troy, cursed by Apollo to see the future but never to be believed when she speaks of it. She is powerless in her knowledge that the city will fall.

The youngest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, Elektra is horrified by the bloodletting of her kin. But can she escape the curse, or is her own destiny also bound by violence?

Published by Hachette Australia – Wildfire

Released April 2022

My Thoughts:

The Ancient Greeks sure have a handle on maintaining a family grudge down through the generations. In Elektra, Jennifer Saint reimagines the story of Helen of Troy through the perspectives of the women from the House of Atreus, along with Cassandra of Troy. The resultant novel is spellbinding, gripping in its unflinching portrayal of female rage, vengeance, Gods and mortals, ancient curses, and the sacrifices and spoils of war.

‘I don’t stop her from embracing me. Her hair is soft against my cheek. Menelaus lived in a humble tent on a foreign shore for ten years to have her in his arms again: men beyond number died for it; my husband murdered his own daughter for the privilege of winning Helen back. In these long years, she has become something other than herself, more than one woman could be. I can’t reconcile all that bloodshed with my sister.’

I quite enjoyed Jennifer Saint’s first novel, Ariadne, but I absolutely loved this second one. She has gone from strength to strength between these two novels and I am filled with anticipation for what she has up next for us. Retellings of Greek mythology have become popular in recent years, and I feel that Jennifer Saint has firmly placed herself into the inner circle for this sub-genre. She’s an author I feel I can confidently rely on for a masterful retelling. She reimagines the lives of the women of ancient Greece with such vividity and realism, allowing an accessibility to these ancient myths that has previously been elusive. Female rage has never been so on point.

Personally, I loved Cassandra the most in this novel and Elektra the least, with Clytemnestra somewhere in between. Each perspective was written to provide a uniquely personalised gaze upon the same story, to offer a different view of the men who were warring and controlling the destinies of these women. I particularly liked the ending, where the curse upon the House of Atreus was played out with heartbreaking intensity.

I highly recommend this novel. Note, Elektra is not a follow on from Ariadne, the two are standalone stories.

*Book 9 in my 22 in 2022 challenge*

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*chuckle* I’m starting to worry about your enjoyment of these stories about women exacting violent revenge!

Like Liked by 1 person

Ha! Now that you’re pointing it out, there does seem to be a reading trend…

I feel like MOST of the retellings I read lately have been from the same category——-Greek Mythology

They draw me in, that’s for sure.

Here are the ones I read so far:

1. Song of Achilles 2. Circe 3. Daughters of Sparta

All on my tbr!

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Book Review: Elektra by Jennifer Saint

Jennifer Saint’s  Ariadne  was featured in our best books of 2021 list and within just a few chapters of Elektra , it’s clear that the author’s follow-up book will be equally lauded and adored. Set in the same world of Greek mythology but centred on different characters, Elektra  is the story of three women in ancient Greece: Clytemnestra – the oft overlooked sister of Helen of Troy and the wife of Agamemnon; Cassandra – the cursed Princess of Troy trapped in a besieged city, and Elektra, Clytemnestra’s youngest daughter, who finds herself torn between her father’s bloodlust and her mother’s vengeance.

Though Elektra is the titular character, it’s perhaps surprising that she doesn’t truly come into her own until a little later into the book. The first part of the story gives a greater focus on Clytemnestra and Cassandra, separated by oceans and armies, but connected by their lack of power. Hoping to break the cycle of men killing their own kin for the throne, Clytemnestra marries Agamemnon and for a time she’s happy. But when her sister, Helen, is taken to Troy with the feckless Paris, Agamemnon raises a great army against the Trojans. To win favour with the gods, he makes a terrible sacrifice that breaks something in Clytemnestra. Consumed by her hate for her husband, she dreams of his downfall. It might be years until the war is over, but Clytemnestra is determined to get her revenge.

Across the seas, Cassandra is a princess with the gift of foresight but, cursed by Apollo, nobody believes her when she tries to warn them of the future. She knows that Paris will bring ruin on her people, that her city will eventually fall, but she can’t stop the events already in motion. Elektra feels equally powerless. Growing up with the father she adores fighting a war in a foreign land, she lives for his triumphant return. In his absence, Agamemnon becomes a god-like figure and it pits Elektra against her mother. Elektra knows that Clytemnestra is plotting something terrible, she just doesn’t know what. As the war rages on, the ferocity building on both sides, Elektra becomes consumed by her own rage, turning it on the one person who always tried to protect her.

I see it all the time, in my mind’s eye. How he will storm the gates of the city; how they will fall cowering at his feet at last. And after it all, he will come home to me. His loyal daughter, waiting here for him as year after year passes.”

In her novel Daughters of Sparta , Claire Heywood explored the story of sisters Helen and Clytemnestra. Elektra was just a child in that book, her anger simmering under the surface, and she was more of a background character. In Saint’s novel, Elektra grows from that cross child into a bitter young woman. Her wrath is potent; many of her chapters are spent lurking in the shadows – watching and waiting. She’s a strong yet desperate character, fiercely loyal to her father but misguided in her belief that he’s some kind of saviour being betrayed by his wife. Clytemnestra is a much more sympathetic character but her understandable inability to move past her grief ruins her relationship with Elektra. The more time passes, the more the chasm between them grows, until there’s no way they can ever reconcile.

Saint writes her characters in such a way that they feel entirely real. Fabled figures including Hector and Achilles play small but pivotal parts during the palpable war between Sparta and Troy, but Elektra begins and ends as a story about women. They love and hate and hurt, just like any figure from history. They are victims of the cycle of violence that built their world, but Saint’s expressive storytelling allows their voices to be heard amidst the darkness. Despite their sufferings, these mythological women are cloaked in strength, bravery and a formidable rage that makes reading this novel a powerful and emotional experience. It’s a simply stunning retelling.

Elektra is published by Wildfire on 28 April 2022

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Elektra by Jennifer Saint

Synopsis The House of Atreus is cursed. A bloodline tainted by a generational cycle of violence and vengeance. This is the story of three women, their fates inextricably tied to this curse, and the fickle nature of men and gods.

Clytemnestra The sister of Helen, wife of Agamemnon – her hopes of averting the curse are dashed when her sister is taken to Troy by the feckless Paris. Her husband raises a great army against them and determines to win, whatever the cost.

Cassandra Princess of Troy, and cursed by Apollo to see the future but never to be believed when she speaks of it. She is powerless in her knowledge that the city will fall.

Elektra The youngest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, Elektra is horrified by the bloodletting of her kin. But can she escape the curse, or is her own destiny also bound by violence?

After the huge success of Ariadne , Jennifer Saint has returned, this time bringing us the story of three very different women whose lives are forever changed by the Trojan War. Clytemnestra is the sister of Helen, who has gone to Troy with Paris, deserting her husband Menelaus, for Paris, Prince of Troy and thus starting the war against Troy. Clytemnestra’s husband, Agamemnon, brother to Menelaus, leads the army to get Helen back, but in doing so betrays Clytemnestra by sacrificing their eldest daughter Iphigenia to appease the gods and get a fair wind to sail. Elektra, is the youngest daughter of Clytemnestra, and sister to the sacrificed Iphigenia, who looks up to her father regardless of what he has done. Finally, Cassandra, princess of Troy and priestess of Apollo. She is a prophetess, but is punished by Apollo so her warnings of the future are always ignored. She forsees the war, and the ultimate destruction of Troy, but her family will not listen. She finds herself as one of the prizes, taken by Agamemnon back to his palace in Mycenae. The stories of these three women weave together giving the female voice to this well known myth.

Ariadne was one of my top reads from last year, so I was excited to be offered a copy of Elektra to review from Wildfire Books, and it has lived up to expectations. What I love about Jennifer Saint’s books are that she gives a voice to the women in these classical myths, rather than just being told from male perspective which is the norm. Clytemnestra, Cassandra and Elektra are three women whose lives and destinies are forever changed before, during and after the ten year Trojan War. All three feel abandoned and betrayed in some way by their families: Clytemnestra being duped by her husband that results in the sacrifice of her daughter, Cassandra being seen as the mad daughter, not to be listened to, that ultimatley leads to the death of her family, Elektra, the eponymous character, who grows up with her father away at war and her mother locked away grieving for her older sister, rather than being a mother to her and her siblings. The different perspectives give a fascinating insight into this popular story, and I felt real empathy for the characters, their sense of betrayal and ultimately need to exact revenge on those who have wronged them.

Jennifer Saint’s prose flows beautifully, moving between the different perspectives with ease and taking the reader on a fascinating journey with them. I felt she really got under the skin of this myth, capturing the nuances of the characters, the atmosphere of the settings, and the morals that underpin all these Greek Tragedies. I think it is wonderful that these myths are being retold, and with such skill and aplomb by writers as talented as Jennifer Saint, who make these stories accessible to a new audience.

I absolutley adored Elektra , and even though it is a myth I know very well, and one I read not that long ago, I was still completely mesmerised by the story. Jennifer Saint has breathed new life into this myth and put her own stamp on it by including the voices of Cassandra and Elektra, rather than just Clytemnestra’s. These myths are called Greek Tragedy’s for a reason, they are full of drama, betrayal and revenge making for such a compelling and riveting read. Another brilliant read from Jennifer Saint, and I’m looking forward to which classical myth she decides to tackle next.

I would like to thank Hatchett/Wildfire books for sending me this wonderul book in return for my honest review.

2 thoughts on “ Elektra by Jennifer Saint ”

Brilliant review Juliet. I love the feminist take on Jennifer Saint’s books. I’m really looking forward to reading this one, I just got it in my LoveMyRead box.

You won’t be disappointed it’s a fab read

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by Jennifer Saint ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 3, 2022

Royals, revenge, curses, and prophecies done right.

The tale of the Trojan War told by three women who have their own battles to fight.

Elektra is just a girl when her father, Agamemnon, leads the largest Greek army ever assembled to wage war against Troy. She pines for his return as she comes of age over the decade it takes for Troy to fall. Her mother, Clytemnestra, seethes with rage, grief, and, above all, the desire for vengeance for what her husband is willing to sacrifice for this war of vanity. Meanwhile, in Troy itself, Cassandra watches the daily horrors unfold. Try as she might to warn her people of the devastation she sees coming, she can’t overcome her reputation as a madwoman. The novel is told from the first-person points of view of these three women, and, at first, trying to sort out all the names and family histories, however familiar, feels like the homework assignment it once was. But with the pieces in place, author Saint animates the three women and sets them off. Clytemnestra, the most fully realized, propels the narrative forward with a fresh, raw depth of emotion for a story that’s been told through the ages. Elektra’s and Cassandra’s sections can feel repetitive, but they tend to be shorter, which quickens the pace. Together, these voices show how three very different women understand family, the costs of war, and how to exercise their power. While Helen, Clytemnestra’s twin sister, has some nuance in this version, it seems odd that Saint chose not to take the opportunity to animate the perspective of the legendary beauty who incited the war. Nevertheless, the women whose perspectives are represented are riveting.

Pub Date: May 3, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-250-77361-6

Page Count: 304

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Review Posted Online: March 29, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2022

LITERARY FICTION | GENERAL FICTION

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A dramatic, vividly detailed reconstruction of a little-known aspect of the Vietnam War.

A young woman’s experience as a nurse in Vietnam casts a deep shadow over her life.

When we learn that the farewell party in the opening scene is for Frances “Frankie” McGrath’s older brother—“a golden boy, a wild child who could make the hardest heart soften”—who is leaving to serve in Vietnam in 1966, we feel pretty certain that poor Finley McGrath is marked for death. Still, it’s a surprise when the fateful doorbell rings less than 20 pages later. His death inspires his sister to enlist as an Army nurse, and this turn of events is just the beginning of a roller coaster of a plot that’s impressive and engrossing if at times a bit formulaic. Hannah renders the experiences of the young women who served in Vietnam in all-encompassing detail. The first half of the book, set in gore-drenched hospital wards, mildewed dorm rooms, and boozy officers’ clubs, is an exciting read, tracking the transformation of virginal, uptight Frankie into a crack surgical nurse and woman of the world. Her tensely platonic romance with a married surgeon ends when his broken, unbreathing body is airlifted out by helicopter; she throws her pent-up passion into a wild affair with a soldier who happens to be her dead brother’s best friend. In the second part of the book, after the war, Frankie seems to experience every possible bad break. A drawback of the story is that none of the secondary characters in her life are fully three-dimensional: Her dismissive, chauvinistic father and tight-lipped, pill-popping mother, her fellow nurses, and her various love interests are more plot devices than people. You’ll wish you could have gone to Vegas and placed a bet on the ending—while it’s against all the odds, you’ll see it coming from a mile away.

Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024

ISBN: 9781250178633

Page Count: 480

Publisher: St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023

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A touching story of love and grief ends in an epic battle of good versus evil.

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Elektra by Jennifer Saint

Elektra by Jennifer Saint

The House of Atreus is cursed. A bloodline tainted by a generational cycle of violence and vengeance. This is the story of three women, their fates inextricably tied to this curse, and the fickle nature of men and gods. Clytemnestra The sister of Helen, wife of Agamemnon – her hopes of averting the curse are dashed when her sister is taken to Troy by the feckless Paris. Her husband raises a great army against them and determines to win, whatever the cost. Cassandra Princess of Troy, and cursed by Apollo to see the future but never to be believed when she speaks of it. She is powerless in her knowledge that the city will fall. Elektra The youngest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, Elektra is horrified by the bloodletting of her kin. But can she escape the curse, or is her own destiny also bound by violence?

I loved Ariadne and it was my fiction book of the year for 2021 and Jennifer Saint now returns with Elektra (Wildfire Books) which is released on 28 April, so not too long to wait and if like me you really enjoyed Jennifer’s writing then you are going to love Elektra it is well worth the wait.

What Jennifer Saint has given us in Elektra is the story from three women of the Trojan Wars. Clytemnestra who is the sister of Helen and is the wife of Agamemnon, Cassandra who is the Princess of Troy and is cursed by Apollo and then there is Elektra who is the youngest of the daughters of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon and she conspired with her brother to eliminate her mother.

This is a fabulous sweeping mythological story that now gives voice to the three women. Their lives are now brought to life and each of the characters are complex, and each has their own destiny and their ambitions. Admittedly I found the story to focus more on Clytemnestra but that does not in anyway detract from the voices of Cassandra and Elektra. Each of the chapters is by one of the three women in their own voice and their stories of revenge. There are a number of themes that are written into this story, but Jennifer writes with great sensitivity.

I have to say that I have come to really love the way Jennifer Saint writes and how she weaves the stories in both books, all the characters really come to life, with all their own induvial tragedies and I found as in Ariadne easy to follow and I just really enjoyed the interactions. The is complex at times as you would expect with Greek mythology, but it is a joy to read and beautifully written.

I am not going to give any spoilers here; you are just going to have to wait for publication day and you can enjoy. Elektra is already my favourite book of the year so far. It will take some beating. It is compelling as it is rich. I have no idea how Jennifer Saint is going to follow this, but I for one and intrigued and look forward to book three. Elektra is one book not to miss.

My thanks to Caitlin Raynor (PR Director for Headline Books, Tinder Press and Wildfire Books for the review Copy of Elektra by Jennifer Saint.  Published on 28 April 2022 and can be pre-ordered through Waterstones, Amazon and through your local independent bookshop or through Bookshop.org that supports your local independent bookshop. UK Bookshop.org

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Book review: Elektra by Jennifer Saint

by Sarah Deeming | April 27, 2022 | Blog , Reviews | 0 comments

War is coming. Helen has run away with Paris and is living in Troy. Menelaus, Helen’s first husband, mobilises his troops, intent on bringing his wife back and punishing Troy.  

Clytemnestra, Helen’s sister, hopes for a swift resolution, one that brings her husband, Agamemnon, home safely. But as the war continues and Agamemnon’s enemies creep into court, Clytemnestra unravels the curse that plagues her husband’s family and fears for her children’s safety from their father.

Cassandra is a princess of Troy and priestess of Apollo, cursed with premonitions no one believes. She foresees her family’s downfall because of the actions of her younger brother, Paris, but no one takes her seriously.

Elektra is Clytemnestra and Agamemnon’s youngest daughter, living in awe of her father and his heroic deeds though she barely knows him. When her family’s curse ruins her perfect childhood, her own future is uncertain. Will she be a victim of the curse or its agent?

Told through the three women’s points of view, Saint gives us the retelling of the war for Helen of Troy that we need. This retelling doesn’t glorify violence or shy away from it but shows us how the horror of war affects the women at home. The male characters are still present, controlling the lives of their wives, sisters, and daughters, but we focus on their struggle for some independence from seemingly inescapable male dominance.

Saint’s portrayal of Clytemnestra is so sympathetic. As the sister of Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world who has the pick of heroes as her husband, Clytemnestra is often overlooked. Everything is effortless for Helen, while Clytemnestra must work at it, making her relatable. Also, Saint’s writing style is clean and concise, and Clytemnestra’s story is so painful that it was a difficult read, particularly as a mother. Elektra should come with a trigger warning.

I wish we had more of Cassandra’s story. Her parts were equally as agonising as Clytemnestra’s, as Cassandra suffers for not being graceful and articulate like her sisters, and when she is given the gift of prophecy, it quickly becomes a curse, further adding to her position as an outcast. However, Cassandra has one of the standout moments of the book when Apollo gifts her prophecy. It is beautiful and ecstatic, horrifying and poignant, and the end result was I felt physically sick.

I related to Elektra the least, but I feel that may have been the point. She doesn’t react to her father’s atrocities like the other women in the story. Instead, she sees them as appropriate for a man of his status, which puts her at odds with the other women and makes her later actions justifiable. Elektra could not have been shown any other way, which makes this story stand out from other feminist stories with a universal sisterhood. Surprisingly, although the book is named after her, Elektra doesn’t arrive in the book until two-thirds way through. The book is more about the circumstances of her parents and aunts, although every event does shape Elektra’s character. Rich and vibrant, yet painful and cruel, Elektra is a strong story about the effects of living in the shadow of a more popular or powerful family member. This second book from Jennifer Saint is as challenging and groundbreaking as her first, Ariadne. Despite how nauseous and sad Elektra made me, I will be looking for her future works.

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#BookReview of #Elektra by Jennifer Saint | @jennysaint | @Wildfirebks

• #BookReview of #Elektra by Jennifer…

‘IN A WORLD RULED BY GODS AND HEROES, THE VOICES OF STRONG WOMEN HAVE BEEN SILENCED. UNTIL NOW’ – ELEKTRA

[ About the Book ]

The House of Atreus is cursed. A bloodline tainted by a generational cycle of violence and vengeance. This is the story of three women, their fates inextricably tied to this curse, and the fickle nature of men and gods. Clytemnestra The sister of Helen, wife of Agamemnon – her hopes of averting the curse are dashed when her sister is taken to Troy by the feckless Paris. Her husband raises a great army against them, and determines to win, whatever the cost. Cassandra Princess of Troy, and cursed by Apollo to see the future but never to be believed when she speaks of it. She is powerless in her knowledge that the city will fall. Elektra The youngest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, Elektra is horrified by the bloodletting of her kin. But, can she escape the curse, or is her own destiny also bound by violence?

[ My Review ]

Elektra by Jennifer Saint published April 28th and is a highly anticipated novel, following on from the ‘word-of-mouth sensation ‘ that was Ariadne (April 2021). Ancient Greek mythology always fascinates and Jennifer Saint has captured something special in these books by focusing on the women, empowering their characters and very much bringing ancient Greece to life. I am not a student of the classics so I have absolutely no idea how accurate or otherwise these tales are but they add a dash of excitement to my bookish world and for that I am very happy. The Trojan War is central to Elektra as we dive deep into the family of the House of Atreus. Clytemnestra is the sister of Helen, both married to two brothers, Helen to Menelaus, King of Sparta and Clytemnestra to Agamemnon, King of Mycenae. The two sisters had a very close relationship but Clytemnestra was always in the shadow of Helen’s famed beauty. When Helen set sail to Troy with Paris, the son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy, she left a trail of devastation in her wake that was to have consequences that lasted a decade. Agamemnon and Menelaus called on other leaders to support their campaign to bring Helen home and an army of colossal proportions set sail for Troy. Menelaus was angry, embarrassed and devastated by his wife’s behaviour and his dignity needed to be salvaged. Clytemnestra feared for Helen’s safety and sought a deal with Agamemnon to protect her from Menelaus’ wrath but he was unprepared to protect this woman who was about to cause so much death and destruction. The House of Atreus had never known true peace and was built on the blood of internal and barbaric familial treachery.

“The House of Atreus carried a curse. A particularly gruesome one, even by the standards of divine torment. The history of the family was full of brutal murder, adultery, monstrous ambition and rather more cannibalism than one would expect ” – Clytemnestra

Meanwhile in Troy, Cassandra, the sister of Paris and Princess of Troy, sees into the future having been cursed by Apollo, but her erratic behaviour has folk thinking she is imbalanced and not to be believed. When Helen arrives in Troy, Cassandra feels powerless. She knows what’s coming but is unable to convey the truth in a way that people will believe her. Cassandra is considered touched, a little mad and her words to be taken with a pinch of salt.

“Apollo had blessed me with his gift, and the truth of the world belonged to me. But the other girls, who loved him just as ardently as I did, did not recognise the words I spoke…I truly had the gift of prophecy, breathed into my mouth by Apollo himself. But no one would ever believe another word I said.” – Cassandra

Elektra is very young when she sees her father, Agamemnon, sail off to war. She always had a special relationship with him. He cosseted her, he listened to her and she loved him dearly for it. She waited patiently for years for his return from Troy and during those years she watched her mother’s behaviour become quite volatile. Folk didn’t take much notice of Elektra, but she was an observer of the court she inhabited, secretly hiding to one side, always watching, always paying attention. Her bitterness is vivid. Her vitriol evident.

“There truly was a greatness in our blood, the blood that came to me through Agamemnon. But like so many great families there was a diseased branch, deeply rooted and entwined with the nobility. My father was a man loved by the gods; of this I was sure. He had led the greatest army that had ever been seen to war; they must smile fondly upon him. But he bore the taint of those in our family who were not worthy, those who sought things that were beyond them. It had been up to Agamemnon to rout out the diseased part, to sever it from the healthy, to leave our family whole and intact, with the greatness of those who had gone before us and none of their foulness. But he has made a mistake.” – Elektra

Now we all know what happened in Troy but Jennifer Saint explores this epic tale from the perspective of three women – Clytemnestra, Elektra and Cassandra. Women had to have a deviousness about them, a cunning side to their character that allowed them to have some control beyond the maelstrom of testosterone that swirled around them. Between gods and kings, these women were challenged constantly to be recognised, to be listened to, to have opinions acknowledged. When their voices weren’t heard, they took matters into their own hands and dealt shocking and unexpected blows to an unsuspecting world. I have to admit I did shed a few tears reading Elektra and, when you read it, you will understand why. A particular scene literally took my breath away and as the tears rolled slowly down my cheek, I struggled to comprehend what I was reading. Having an emotional reaction like that is rare for me but Jennifer Saint depicts scenes with such clarity, it almost feels that you are there (albeit to one side as these are very scary people!). Formidable, brave and courageous yet also vitriolic, sharp and vengeful, these are women that refused to be trodden on when faced with the barbaric and arrogant men in their lives. Like in Ariadne , these women were smart, intelligent and extremely capable of holding their own in a man’s world. Although mythological, Elektra feels real. These women suffered terrible losses, they witnessed extraordinary events and lived through great upheaval, yet each showed incredible strength and audacity in the face of carnage and death. Like Ariadne and Phaedra these women were instrumental in their own destinies. They refused to be victims, stepping forward to be counted. Elektra is a wondrous retelling of this ancient tale. Passionate, engrossing and convincing, Elektra is a very consuming and visual experience, a totally captivating tale.

“There is no place for weakness, not anymore” – Elektra

Due to a lifelong fascination with Ancient Greek mythology, Jennifer Saint read Classical Studies at King’s College, London. She spent the next thirteen years as an English teacher, sharing a love of literature and creative writing with her students. ARIADNE is her first novel and ELEKTRA is her second. Twitter ~ @jennysaint

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I’ll be reading Elektra this weekend and after your review, I can’t wait! Cassandra is one of my favorite characters in Greek mythology- so tragic. Excellent review!

Tessa thanks so much. I hope you enjoy x

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Book Review: Elektra by Jennifer Saint

By Rashmila Maiti Posted on 3.23.22

Release date- 3rd May, 2022. CW: Rape, Incest, Mutilation, Sexual Assault.

Jennifer Saint , author of Ariadne , is back with her second novel, Elektra . A retelling of the Greek myth of Elektra, the origins of the Trojan War, and the curse of the House of Atreus. Told from the viewpoints of three women, this novel is an excellent insight into Greek history without remembering the extra dates.

The three women in the story are: Clytemnestra , Helen’s sister and Agamemnon’s wife. Helen is taken to Troy by Paris and Agamemnon raises an army to win the battle. Next is  Cassandra , princess of Troy who was cursed by Apollo to see the future but she was never believed. Despite her knowledge about the fall of Troy, she can’t do anything. Lastly is Elektra, Clytemnestra and Agamemnon’s daughter, who conspired with her brother to kill her mother and his lover in revenge for her father’s murder. I had only a vague basic idea about Clytemnestra and Elektra but I always felt bad for Cassandra whom no one believed because she did not give into Apollo’s sexual advances. All the three women are superbly shown in all their complexities, pettiness, ambitions, glories, and disasters.

Cassandra’s chapters were my favorite. The reader sees her family history and her growth from a child to an adult. Every woman who has been dismissed for her beliefs or her version of any event will be able to connect to Cassandra after she’s cursed . Clytemnestra’s motivation to kill Agamemnon makes sense but so does her emptiness after her revenge is fulfilled. My least favorite character is Elektra as I had a hard time understanding her mindless and blind devotion to her father with who she does not even have a long relationship. Elektra and Clytemnestra’s conversations were revealing in many ways, especially the complications and motivations behind their actions.

The Electra complex is a psychoanalytic term used to describe a girl’s sense of competition with her mother for the affections of her father. It has been debunked but the origin is from the Greek character of Elektra. Saint shows Elektra’s feelings for her father and I found that hard to connect to. There were times when I was struggling to understand her viewpoint but it still makes sense, if seen from a historical perspective.

Elektra is an excellent reimagining of the three women, Clytemnestra, Cassandra, and Elektra. The reader will be hard pressed to pick a favorite. Personally, I enjoyed it as I like reading alternative stories and reimagined tales, and for fans of this category, Elektra is a must read. You can find more about Saint on Twitter , Instagram , and Facebook .

This might sound odd but, believe it or not, earlier this year I wrote a short play reimagining an alternative Electra story that takes a different slant on her and brings Pylades centre-stage. It has been submitted for an annual playwriting competition conducted in Mumbai. If anyone is interested, will gladly to share.

p.s. the reason I landed on your page is becoz it showed up when I googled Jennifer Saint’s novel, which I happened to see in a bookshop window this w/end.

Edit: “…will gladly share.”

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BookBrowse Reviews Elektra by Jennifer Saint

Summary  |  Excerpt  |  Reading Guide  |  Reviews  |  Beyond the book  |  Read-Alikes  |  Genres & Themes  |  Author Bio

by Jennifer Saint

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• Historical Fiction
• 17th Century or Earlier
• Strong Women
• War Related

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A house cursed. A devastating betrayal. A prophecy ignored. The intertwined tales of three women during and after the Trojan War are hypnotically reimagined by Jennifer Saint.

Few cultures in history mastered the art of tragedy quite like the ancient Greeks. And very few writers today can revivify those tales so artfully for a modern audience quite like Jennifer Saint. Following up on her highly acclaimed debut novel, Ariadne , which told the story of Theseus, the Minotaur and Ariadne's broken heart, Saint returns to the heroes and villains of Greek antiquity with Elektra — a timeless tale of three women caught in a vicious cycle of vengeance spawned by angry gods and cruel men. For the Greek myth and tragedy novice, the ancient stories often present a Gordian knot of deep backstory — who did what to whom and when — requiring skillful fingers to unravel the gnarled threads. Saint is a master at this, however, beginning with her beguiling portrait of two princesses of Sparta, Helen and her twin sister Clytemnestra. They are greeting a throng of suitors for Helen's hand in marriage. Among the hundreds of men are two brothers hailing from the House of Atreus, infamous for its ancient curse of familial murder and cannibalism. The brothers, Menelaus and Agamemnon, seek to recover the royal throne of Mycenae, stolen from them in their youths. Menelaus, desperately in love with Helen, offers himself before the most beautiful woman in the world who finds his awkward, grateful nature refreshingly "different." Standing next to him in support of his suit, Agamemnon fumes, focused only on his destiny — to reclaim his kingdom back in Mycenae. Clytemnestra is intrigued by the darker, brooding brother. Helen chooses Menelaus and stays in Sparta, as Agamemnon overthrows his throne's usurper and asks Clytemnestra to be his queen in Mycenae. So begins the inevitable march toward unimaginable tragedy. Befitting a writer who read Classical Studies at King's College, London, Saint is faithful to the play of events, with more liberties taken where the ancient sources are silent. Such is the case with Princess Cassandra of Troy . Mentioned only briefly in the Iliad , Saint must imagine the days and nights of Cassandra's unique story and does so movingly. Daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecabe of Troy, Cassandra is introduced as a young girl witnessing her pregnant mother waking from a portentous nightmare and calling for the court seer to divine its meaning. Fascinated by Hecabe's mysterious visions, Cassandra decides to dedicate herself to the service of the god Apollo as a priestess, hoping for the gift of prophecy:

"I still coveted the hidden secret of my mother's dreams, even though the memory of that long-ago night repelled me. That was what I wanted; not a wedding, not a husband or children … Apollo had the gift of prophecy; he might yet choose to bestow it on his most devoted followers … It would be a convenient route for an inconvenient daughter."

One day, Cassandra receives her wish in a mind-shattering encounter with Apollo in his temple. Yet, when the god asks for more than Cassandra is willing to give, the gift becomes a curse. "I truly had the gift of prophecy, breathed into my mouth by Apollo himself. But no one would ever believe another word I said." Cassandra is Saint's most inspired reimagining of the three women: a walking wound, open and raw, seized with head-splitting visions of a future she and her family cannot escape. Pitied, ignored, and treated as a madwoman, her unheeded warnings of Troy's coming apocalypse reinforce that long-ago seer's interpretation of Hecabe's dream: the child, Paris, would be the ruin of Troy if allowed to live. Unable to kill their baby, Hecabe and Priam send the infant off with a shepherd; it is the return of her brother Paris from the far hills that signals the slow death spiral of Troy and all Cassandra holds dear. Saint sets an electric pace by pivoting between the viewpoints of Cassandra, Clytemnestra, and Clytemnestra and Agamemnon's daughter Elektra. A devoted, yet sickly young girl when Helen deserts Menelaus for Paris, Elektra is heartbroken to realize the winds of war will soon carry away her adored father. Before the Greek armies can sail, however, a terrible price must be paid to the gods. Agamemnon, in one vicious act, betrays Clytemnestra, resulting in a pain unbearable except for the promise of vengeance:

"The thought was cold and clear in my mind amid the chaos of grief and pain as I kept my vigil through the night. That pain that clawed me apart from within, tearing away at my flesh and stripping me down to nothing. Nothing but this. The hard certainty at my very core; the cold taste of iron and blood in my center that said: He will feel this too, and worse ."

As the Trojan War drags on for 10 years, Clytemnestra plots her revenge, numb to both her son, Orestes, and the isolated, resentful Elektra. This long pause is where the ancient literary sources are mostly quiet except for the main points: Clytemnestra takes Aegisthus, the son of the Mycenaean usurper Agamemnon killed, as her lover and co-conspirator, plotting Agamemnon's death once he returns from the war. The days, months and years in the tomb-like palace at Mycenae are hauntingly described as Saint masterfully inhabits Clytemnestra and her cold rage, juxtaposing it as she does with glimpses of her serene, collected sister staring down from the walls of Troy. She and Helen both are "architects of their own disaster" in Elektra's eyes, because they have made horrendous choices that cry out for justice. It only remains for her father to return home from the war to mete out the justice coming to Clytemnestra, she believes. But Clytemnestra has other ideas. Saint explores the cosmic themes of betrayal and retribution from the female eye with musical prose that cuts with sharp emotional insights. Elektra is a near non-stop reading experience with expert pacing and riveting first-person narratives from the three protagonists. Readers will eagerly await Saint's next fictional endeavor in the ancient Greek world of capricious gods and violent men.

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Beyond the Book:    The Electra Complex

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Elektra by Jennifer Saint

• Publication Date: May 2, 2023
• Genres: Fiction , Historical Fiction , Mythology
• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Flatiron Books
• ISBN-10: 1250773628
• ISBN-13: 9781250773623
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Elektra, Royal Opera review - moral: don’t wait too long for revenge | reviews, news & interviews

Elektra, royal opera review - moral: don’t wait too long for revenge, a great soprano now struggles with the toughest of roles.

Those were happy days back in 2014 when, justifiably flushed with the success of the Royal Opera’s Tristan und Isolde revival, director Christof Loy, music director Antonio Pappano and soprano Nina Stemme mooted possibly the toughest role challenge of them all, that of Strauss and Hofmannsthal’s vengeful obsessive Elektra. Yet nearly a decade is a long time in the life of a dramatic soprano, and on last night’s evidence, it's come too late in London.

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Spot-on review. desperately.

Spot-on review. Desperately sad to see two great singers way past their best, and a tired, dull production from one of the best directors working today. Superlative orchestral playing couldn't save this grim evening at the Royal Opera.

Sad is the word. I took no

Sad is the word. I took no pleasure in writing what I did, only hoping that celebration of what Stemme was would make some amends. But we have to be honest, right? I'm not seeing that honesty much elsewhere.

Having read this review it

Having read this review it came as no surprise to receive an email from the Royal Opera House saying that for tonight's performance (which I am attending) an indisposed Nina Stemme is replaced by Ausrine Stundyte. Best wishes to Nina Stemme for a speedy recovery.

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Elektra, Royal Opera House review ★★★★ ★

Richard strauss's richly orchestrated opera based on the greek tragedy in which a furious daughter avenges the murder of her father.

By Claudia Pritchard on 14/1/2024

At the Royal Opera House, Richard Strauss's 'revenge opera' Elektra has had nearly four years in cold storage, having been scheduled for Covid-hit 2020. But in Christof Loy's new production, now finally reaching the stage, the vengeful daughter of a murdered father is still baying for the blood of her murderous mother and that of the mother's lover. She hasn't buried the hatchet: she's found, buried and dug up the lethal axe, and intends to use it.

Elektra is Sir Antonio Pappano's final new production as music director of the Royal Opera before taking up the chief conductor post vacated by Sir Simon Rattle with the London Symphony Orchestra, resident at the Barbican. He is not going far away, in short, and is sure to guest conduct in future at Covent Garden. And a good job too, because under him the colossal and communicative orchestra required by Strauss (100-plus, the percussion section spilling up into the side boxes) produces dazzling and expressive effects, as brilliant as the gold leaf lavishly applied by artists and architects in 1900s Vienna. This gorgeous colour is not always reflected on stage.

At 60, Swedish soprano Nina Stemme is only three years younger in real life than her stage mother, sung imperiously and with arch glamour by Finnish soprano Karita Mattila. The long wait for revenge has not been entirely kind to her Elektra, Stemme singing valiantly through a frog in the throat, and undertaking this very physical role with an injured wrist. Although top notes that should slice bread are faltering, I rather like the oak-aged lower register. Her deranged dance of death is jig-like.

Loy's direction makes little of other characters. The chattering staff do not really gel in the way that colleagues sharing adversities can, and we know tantalisingly little of what's going on in designer Johannes Leiacker's big house. What we do know, as we learn time and time again, is that bloody revenge always fails.

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Richard strauss, sir antonio pappano.

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The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden review – the Dutch house

An outsider shatters the quiet domestic life of a lonely young woman in this thrilling debut set in post Nazi-era Netherlands

I sabel lives alone in the family home, in the provincial Dutch quiet of Overijssel. She is nearly 30, though, and unmarried, and in this 1960s backwater a woman cannot live this way indefinitely. Her younger brother Hendrik holds no claim over the house, but their older brother does: it will fall to Louis as soon as he brings home a bride. Their Uncle Karel has willed this, and since he is the one who secured the house for the family in the first place, Isa lives there only as custodian – that is to say, only on sufferance.

Isa suffers, too, under terrible loneliness. This expresses itself through a cramping kind of possessiveness. Covetous of the patterned plates and curtains that came with the house when the family acquired it, Isa insists all is tended and dusted and polished as her late mother would have wanted – and all the while she suspects the maid, Neelke, of cutting corners and pocketing teaspoons.

Yael van der Wouden does not encourage us to like her protagonist in these opening chapters. Perhaps what we feel for Isa approaches understanding – but never more than that. When they moved here, she was a child still, it was wartime, the family were fortunate to acquire such a house; Uncle Karel – always resourceful – saw to this, and Isa remains beholden. Now Isa is an orphan of sorts: tied to the house, but with no life of her own.

If we soften towards her, it’s through Hendrik. He pays his sister visits, sees the way she pinches at the back of her hand when she’s nervous, which is often. Hendrik has managed a semi-escape from the house and its obligations, living in the city with Sebastian, his French-Algerian boyfriend – a fact not properly acknowledged by the family. Early on, he tells Isa they may move to Paris. Perhaps, with Hendrik’s help and example, she can manage something similar?

Then Louis turns up with a woman in tow. We’ve already heard enough about this eldest brother to know that he falls in love easily, and out again just as fast. But Louis insists that this time it is different – and this woman certainly is. Brassy blond and in too-tight clothing, Eva is an oddity, difficult to place: an outlier in this neatly ordered middle-class world. She eyes it all with a boldness, moreover, a kind of overfamiliarity that riles. Isa sees her touching the countertops, the vases, notices the sheen of sweat on her palms; every move Eva makes seems to overstep a mark. What does she want? After Louis installs her in his mother’s old bedroom, she even tucks a snapshot of her own mother in the frame on the dressing table.

And then Louis departs, leaving Eva with Isa for the whole summer. Just the two of them in the house.

Isa steps up her counting of teaspoons, watching Eva’s every move. Soon she cannot take her eyes off her dress seams, her nape, her mouth – does Eva see this as well? “Was this always your bedroom?” Eva asks, wandering the room where Isa sleeps. All her questions come in the same vein: impertinent and strange, designed to get under Isa’s skin. When Hendrik and Sebastian pay a drunken visit, Eva dances with them in the living room, pulling Isa to join in – and the charge between the two women can no longer be denied.

The summer weeks that follow are electric, and the questions they raise are urgent. Is this passion reciprocal? Could Eva be Isa’s chance? Isa knows she can’t leave, but knows she can’t be without Eva. “‘I can’t just do whatever I want. I can’t -’ And immediately, a flash of last night came to her: her mouth slippery on Eva’s, her hand on Eva’s thigh.”

The novel gets stuck here too, though. The two women reach and grasp, have sex against door frames, on the floor, and at greater length than the narrative – up to this point – can accommodate. It just doesn’t move the story on.

The book’s third act, though, is inspired. It belongs to Eva, and with her the novel comes into its own. Even if you’ve already guessed at her own family’s wartime story, the detail revealed in this last act still has the power to kick you in the gut. If you haven’t, then to divulge more here would be to issue the mother of all spoilers. Suffice to say, the German occupation is still very recent, as are the atrocities, injustices and opportunism that flourished under their watch. The book’s powerful final act provides an already weighty emotional situation with an extra layer of historical heft.

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This is an impressive debut; I already look forward to Van der Wouden’s next. She can draw characters with nuance, without fear too; she creates and sustains atmospheres deftly, and ultimately delivers a thrilling story.

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