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yasmeen_books's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
laurengrubbsshaney's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
daja57's review against another edition
4.0
Loosely based on the Oresteiad and told from the perspectives of Clytemnestra and her daughter Electra in the first person and Orestes in the third person.
This summary of the plot contains spoilers: Agamemnon sacrifices his daughter, Iphigenia, in order to get fair winds so he can sail off to war. His wife Clytemnestra, Iphigenia's mother, can't forgive this. So, she starts a relationship with Aegisthus, a rival claimant for the throne, and, when Agamemnon returns, Clytemnestra murders him. She and Aegisthus begin a reign of tyranny, kidnapping the children of leading citizens in order to ensure their compliance. Clytemnestra's son Orestes is also sent away with these boys but he and another boy Leander escape with Mitros, a very sick boy. They find refuge at the house of an old woman. After some years, the old woman and Mitros die and Orestes and Leander return home. Leander joins the rebels while Orestes, still ignorant of who killed his father, resumes his place at the palace. But, when he discovers what really happened, he kills his mother. The rebels capture the palace.
I just didn't understand why Toibin used the characters and much of the story from an incredibly well-known myth and then introduced such significant differences. If you want to rewrite the story, change the names. Otherwise you run the risk of readers like me becoming distracted by the discrepancies. And they're not little tweaks. I can just about accept the truncation of the war from ten years to three, although this means that it doesn't really give time for Orestes to grow up. But the fundamental is in the character of Orestes, here portrayed as young, naive and rather wimpy (despite committing several murders). In the original he is faced with a stark choice: he has to fulfil his duty of avenging his father's death but the only way he can do this is by matricide. And the aftermath is that he is driven mad by guilt and that it is only after he has been tried and shown mercy that he can resume his kingly duties (becoming a rather unpleasant warlord). None of that is in here. So Toibin has taken away the fundamental dramatic and psychological crux of the story to produce this emasculated, rationalised version. So why keep the names?
Of course it is beautifully written. It's Toibin. He's good.
This summary of the plot contains spoilers: Agamemnon sacrifices his daughter, Iphigenia, in order to get fair winds so he can sail off to war. His wife Clytemnestra, Iphigenia's mother, can't forgive this. So, she starts a relationship with Aegisthus, a rival claimant for the throne, and, when Agamemnon returns, Clytemnestra murders him. She and Aegisthus begin a reign of tyranny, kidnapping the children of leading citizens in order to ensure their compliance. Clytemnestra's son Orestes is also sent away with these boys but he and another boy Leander escape with Mitros, a very sick boy. They find refuge at the house of an old woman. After some years, the old woman and Mitros die and Orestes and Leander return home. Leander joins the rebels while Orestes, still ignorant of who killed his father, resumes his place at the palace. But, when he discovers what really happened, he kills his mother. The rebels capture the palace.
I just didn't understand why Toibin used the characters and much of the story from an incredibly well-known myth and then introduced such significant differences. If you want to rewrite the story, change the names. Otherwise you run the risk of readers like me becoming distracted by the discrepancies. And they're not little tweaks. I can just about accept the truncation of the war from ten years to three, although this means that it doesn't really give time for Orestes to grow up. But the fundamental is in the character of Orestes, here portrayed as young, naive and rather wimpy (despite committing several murders). In the original he is faced with a stark choice: he has to fulfil his duty of avenging his father's death but the only way he can do this is by matricide. And the aftermath is that he is driven mad by guilt and that it is only after he has been tried and shown mercy that he can resume his kingly duties (becoming a rather unpleasant warlord). None of that is in here. So Toibin has taken away the fundamental dramatic and psychological crux of the story to produce this emasculated, rationalised version. So why keep the names?
Of course it is beautifully written. It's Toibin. He's good.
mcgrathprj's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
dimetrio's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
tonyinco's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
motui's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
bookish_emily's review against another edition
3.0
Greek mythology has always interested me, so I was drawn to House of Names - an adaptation of the story of King Agamemnon and his family. I appreciated Colm Toibin's creative imagining of how Clytemnestra reacted to her daughter's death and everything that followed, and the insight in Orestes' life and thoughts. It was an entertaining novel, but never really gripped me. It would have been nice to have more of Electra's point of view, since she became such an influential figure. Additionally, it had a rather abrupt ending. That said, fellow fans of Greek mythology will find the tale enjoyable!