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The Silence of the Girls

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The Silence of the Girls

By: Pat Barker
Narrated by: Kristin Atherton, Michael Fox
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About this listen

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker, read by Kristin Atherton and Michael Fox.

A GUARDIAN BEST BOOK OF THE 21ST CENTURY

From the Booker Prize-winning author of Regeneration

Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction, the Costa Novel Award and the International DUBLIN Literary Award

There was a woman at the heart of the Trojan war whose voice has been silent - till now. Discover the greatest Greek myth of all - retold by the witness that history forgot . . .

'Magnificent. You are in the hands of a writer at the height of her powers' Evening Standard
'Chilling, powerful, audacious' The Times

Briseis was a queen until her city was destroyed. Now she is slave to Achilles, the man who butchered her husband and brothers. Trapped in a world defined by men, can she survive to become the author of her own story?

©2018 Pat Barker (P)2018 Penguin Audio Ancient Fantasy Fiction Historical Fiction Magic Science Fiction Women's Fiction Thought-Provoking Greek Mythology Ancient Greece War

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All stars
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brutally honest sounding, a different point of view from the usual Troy / Trojan / Helen stories

alternative view, savage story

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A wonderful book, evocative and original.
The narration was completely in keeping with the story

Powerful and absorbing

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This is an extraordinary retelling of the Iliad. Seen through the eyes of the women captured during the Trojan war, its fascinating and disturbing in equal measure. It was spoilt for me by the the reading of Achilles part which is done badly by someone who sounds like he went to Eton and Sandhurst, not an accent I hear as heroic at all. But buy it for the story, its gripping.

Slightly spoiled by Michael Fox!

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Extraordinary on every level. The reader lives the story with every beautifully written word. Loved it.

A phenomenal testament to the human spirit.

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I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone, whether you have an interest in Troy, Greek Mythology or not.

It beautifully and often sorrowfully - but always powerfully - explores the untold stories of the other half of the people living and dying on the beach of Troy, those that histoory so often forgets; the women.

Should be a GCSE text!

Brilliantly powerful

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The writing is wonderful, bringing to vivid life Troy and the Greek army attacking it. The research is immaculate, the characters full and rounded, the story rich with complex layers that make the reader step back and consider war, the relationships between women and men, between men and men and between friends and foe. The narration is superb, both readers draw you into this ancient world and show you it through the characters eyes. I love it.

Fascinating Wonderful Complex Read

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I really enjoyed this book, although the male narrator was incredibly jarring. He didn't appear until at least half way through the book and his voice was not the voice we had come to expect from Achilles after listening to the lovely narration of Kristin Atherton.

Loved this book but...

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Even before the Trojan war, Briseis was miserable (she refers to her husband’s palace as a prison and talks of being forced into the marriage at 14 and bullied by her mother in law). She grows slightly more miserable with each beat of the plot that drags on rather pointlessly. She doesn’t seem to grow as a character or form any meaningful relationships along the way. Even in her relationships with Patroclus and the other women she’s not an active player, they just happen to her, as does everything else. Even Achilles’ emotions are more interesting than hers, but I don’t understand the purpose of him being made a POV character for a few of the chapters.

The technical quality of Baker’s writing is high though. Maybe if the story didn’t just centre on boring Briseis, but included the POVs of other women, Helen, Andromache, Chryseis, maybe Cassandra, maybe Hecuba, Silence of the girls would be a much more powerful book. Alas...

As an audiobook it is narrated well. I’m glad there is an option for faster playback (2X) as it is a very slow story.

Boring plot for an interesting premise

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This story is well told and thought provoking. By looking at the women’s stories Pat Barker brilliantly allows a glimpse into women’s lives both in classical times and now. Her understanding of trauma gives the characters depth.

Amazing and thought provoking

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This story stayed with me for days afterwards. Beautifully written and read by both narrators.
Fantastic to hear this story from the female perspective which of course is very different and not often given.

Shocking, heart-wrenching, brilliant

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