The Silence of the Girls
13 journalers for this copy...
This is just brilliant. The story of the Trojan war is reimagined from the viewpoint of Queen Briseis, taken as a spoil of war by Achilles who has killed her family, and then later a pawn in the power-play between Achilles and Agamemnon. The women in the camp are powerless, slaves, having no voice, putting up with rape and degradation to stay alive. This is wonderfully well-portrayed, the tensions between the soldiers, the growing filth in the camp, the difficulties of having a goddess as a mother... and most of all, the suffering and endurance of the women who have been written out of history.
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2 by
greenbadger
at
St Albans, Hertfordshire United Kingdom on Friday, December 13, 2019
This will be travelling in the Favourite Book of 2019 Roundabout.
Here's the posting order:
estelle1806 Ireland
Fifna Netherlands
dutch-book Netherlands
Lamilla Belarus
Icila France
Billbooks Australia
Math-Girl40 Canada
Mcsar Canada
original-slicey USA
Valpete USA
Dark-Draco UK
Earthcaroleanne UK
Cross-Patch UK
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3 by
greenbadger
at
St Albans, Hertfordshire United Kingdom on Saturday, December 14, 2019
Released 1 yr ago (12/14/2019 UTC) at St Albans, Hertfordshire United Kingdom
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Sent to estelle1806 who is next in the roundabout.
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4 by
estelle1806
at
Clonsilla, Co. Dublin Ireland on Friday, December 20, 2019
The roundabout is starting... NOW!!
Thanks for the book and postcard, greenbadger :-D
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5 by
estelle1806
at
Clonsilla, Co. Dublin Ireland on Sunday, January 12, 2020
A good read, with loads of gruesome descriptions... Didn't totally fall for the characters, but I enjoyed that book.
Thanks for sharing!
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6 by
estelle1806
at
Voorburg, Zuid-Holland Netherlands on Sunday, January 12, 2020
Released 1 yr ago (1/13/2020 UTC) at Voorburg, Zuid-Holland Netherlands
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Travelling to Fifna.
Please let us know when you release it again...
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7 by
Fifna
at
Voorburg, Zuid-Holland Netherlands on Saturday, January 18, 2020
Arrived safely, thanks estelle1806!
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8 by
Fifna
at
Voorburg, Zuid-Holland Netherlands on Saturday, February 01, 2020
I love Greek mythology and this retelling of the story of the Trojan War is wonderful. Gruesome too - not for the fainthearted, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing - I hadn't heard of this book and this is exactly what the roundabout is about!
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9 by
Fifna
at
Heerenveen, Fryslân (Friesland) Netherlands on Wednesday, February 05, 2020
Released 1 yr ago (2/6/2020 UTC) at Heerenveen, Fryslân (Friesland) Netherlands
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Travelling to dutch-book.
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10 by
dutch-book
at
Heerenveen, Fryslân (Friesland) Netherlands on Monday, February 24, 2020
Received on the 7th of february.
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11 by
dutch-book
at
Heerenveen, Fryslân (Friesland) Netherlands on Monday, March 09, 2020
Fitting theme yesterday reading this with International Women's Day. Interesting story. Great to read from the viewpoint of women. So much blood loss in history, so much cruelty.
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12 by
dutch-book
at
Heerenveen, Fryslân (Friesland) Netherlands on Thursday, March 26, 2020
Released 1 yr ago (3/25/2020 UTC) at Heerenveen, Fryslân (Friesland) Netherlands
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Travelling to Lamilla.
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13 by
Lamilla at
Мінск / Minsk, Minsk Belarus on Saturday, April 11, 2020
received today along with the other book
ETA: After I got through the first 50 or so pages it became quite engaging. I read it mostly during Dewey's 24 hour read-a-thon, too, so got a lot of cheers and comments for it. 3.5 stars
Journal Entry
14 by
Lamilla at
Мінск / Minsk, Minsk Belarus on Monday, April 27, 2020
Released 11 mos ago (4/27/2020 UTC) at Мінск / Minsk, Minsk Belarus
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
You've found a travelling book. Hurray!
The book's journey continues by its finder's cooperation and creativity. By making a journal entry on this book, you can add to the book's story as it travels from reader to reader around the world.
Enjoy your reading!
Привет!
Спасибо, что нашли время зайти на сайт и сделать запись в журнале! Напишите, когда и где вы нашли книгу.
Перед тем, как попасть к Вам, она побывала в других уголках света. История ее путешествий записана на сайте, и теперь к ней добавился еще один пункт. Я очень рада, что она нашла нового читателя в Вашем лице.
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15 by
Icila
at
Nantes, Pays de la Loire France on Saturday, May 16, 2020
The book is here, thank you Lamilla.
I'm not very fond of Mythology but who knows ?
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16 by
Icila
at
Nantes, Pays de la Loire France on Tuesday, June 30, 2020
Thank you for choosing this book, I never would have read it otherwise.
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17 by
Icila
at
Nantes, Pays de la Loire France on Wednesday, July 01, 2020
Released 9 mos ago (7/1/2020 UTC) at Nantes, Pays de la Loire France
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
In the mail to Canada. Enjoy !
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18 by
mathgirl40
at
Waterloo, Ontario Canada on Thursday, July 30, 2020
This book is here with me in Canada now. Looking forward to it!
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19 by
mathgirl40
at
Waterloo, Ontario Canada on Saturday, August 15, 2020
I loved this retelling of the Trojan War story from the points-of-view of Briseis and the other Trojan women. Some parts of the story are gruesome, but Pat Barker's writing is beautiful. I've had a copy of The Iliad sitting on my shelves for a long time and I'm now inspired to finally read it.
Thanks, greenbadger, for offering this book. This is another one of those books that would have remained unknown to me had I not signed up for the roundabout.
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20 by
mathgirl40
at
Waterloo, Ontario Canada on Sunday, August 16, 2020
Released 8 mos ago (8/16/2020 UTC) at Waterloo, Ontario Canada
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
This book is on its way to mcsar now.
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21 by
mcsar
at
Richmond, British Columbia Canada on Wednesday, August 26, 2020
The book is here. Thanks for sending. This looks very interesting. I will start this very soon.
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22 by
mcsar
at
Richmond, British Columbia Canada on Thursday, October 01, 2020
I enjoyed this one very much. It kept me engaged throughout the book.
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23 by
mcsar
at
Richmond, British Columbia Canada on Saturday, October 10, 2020
Released 6 mos ago (10/9/2020 UTC) at Richmond, British Columbia Canada
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
To the next reader.
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24 by
valpete
at
Walnut Creek, California USA on Sunday, October 18, 2020
It has arrived. It's next up on my reading list.
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25 by
valpete
at
Walnut Creek, California USA on Friday, November 13, 2020
Released 5 mos ago (11/13/2020 UTC) at Walnut Creek, California USA
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
On to the next reader in the Round-About. I think I'm in the minority. I found it too brutal and didn't want to believe the total disregard for life.
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26 by
dark-draco
at
Ledbury, Herefordshire United Kingdom on Saturday, November 21, 2020
Received... thank you 😀
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27 by
dark-draco
at
Ledbury, Herefordshire United Kingdom on Monday, December 07, 2020
WOW!
I read Barker's Regeneration Trilogy when I was younger - I liked it, but I think a lot of it probably went over my head. It had never really occurred to me to me to see what else she had written - but this was exactly my cup of tea.
There is a level of brutality and acceptance in the novel that a modern person might find hard to understand, but the utter hopelessness of the women's lives is what comes through. I found myself urging Briseis and the others to just run away from the Trojan camp, but you soon realised that option just didn't exist - there was nowhere for them to run too. For better, for worse, this was their life.
Barker does a great job at dealing with the rape scenes - so many times I've read this sort of book and you're not sure whether the author wants you to be revolted or titillated! But here there is none of that - the sex is almost just brushed over. It happens and the women get on with it, somehow finding a way to accept and survive.
The level of supernatural was just right too - the visiting ghosts, the goddess mother, the god-wrought plague - all of it is just seen as another aspect in the short, brutal lives of these early civilisations. It was spot on.
A fantastic read - one that is wasn't on this year's roundabout I would definitely be choosing for next year, as I think it's the best thing I've read in 2020.
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28 by
dark-draco
at
Book Roundabout , -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom on Monday, December 14, 2020
Released 4 mos ago (12/14/2020 UTC) at Book Roundabout , -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Off to the next reader in the roundabout.
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29 by
earthcaroleanne
at
Falkirk, Scotland United Kingdom on Wednesday, December 23, 2020
Arrived today!
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30 by
earthcaroleanne
at
Falkirk, Scotland United Kingdom on Thursday, January 28, 2021
So this is another book I never would have read if it hadn’t been in the roundabout. I was intrigued by this story but not enough to be desperate to pick it up at every opportunity. However I found it really interesting. Some parts of the story are gruesome enough for a modern person to be horrified but we need to live in the period our book is set.
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31 by
earthcaroleanne
at
Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Friday, January 29, 2021
Released 2 mos ago (1/29/2021 UTC) at Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Sending on in the roundabout.
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32 by
Cross-patch
at
Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Friday, February 05, 2021
Arrived along with Fifna’s. I’ll get to it as soon as I can. A brilliant choice might I add.
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33 by
Cross-patch
at
Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Thursday, February 25, 2021
Best of the best of 2019 for me. ‘Nuff said. Thank you greenbadger for sending it round
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34 by
Cross-patch
at
Book Roundabout , -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom on Thursday, February 25, 2021
Released 1 mo ago (2/25/2021 UTC) at Book Roundabout , -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Going home. Deserves all the praise it gets.
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35 by
greenbadger
at
St Albans, Hertfordshire United Kingdom on Saturday, February 27, 2021
Back with me. Thank you for all the reviews.
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36 by
greenbadger
at
St Albans, Hertfordshire United Kingdom on Thursday, March 04, 2021
Released 1 mo ago (3/4/2021 UTC) at St Albans, Hertfordshire United Kingdom
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Travelling next to Sparkish who has it on her wishlist.
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37 by
Sparkish
at
Fleckney, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Monday, March 08, 2021
Thank you very much for sending greenbadger, much appreciated! Will get to it as soon as I can, but it might be a little while. Lots of interesting opinions, it’s great to receive such a well travelled book 😊