Aspects of History Review

Review by Ella Beales, Public Historian with the University of Bristol.

"Clytemnestra’s Bind is Susan C. Wilson’s debut novel, and the first instalment of The House of Atreus trilogy which follows three women in the notorious Atreus family: Clytemnestra, her sister Helen, and her daughter Electra.

Clytemnestra is perhaps one of Greek mythology’s most infamous mortal women, with many knowing of the sacrifice of her daughter Iphigenia during the Trojan War and her subsequent vengeance on Agamemnon. However, most retellings of her story begin and end with revenge, and are more about her violent actions than about the woman behind them. In this book, the enacting of her revenge is not told at all. Instead, her trauma and grief, and her intense love and fear for her children, is placed at the forefront. Moreover, whilst Clytemnestra’s story might be well-known, Susan C. Wilson’s captivating writing style and unique approach makes the reader feel as though they are learning of this tale for the first time.

Wilson writes of her desire to explore what makes us human, particularly our motivations, desires and instincts - Clytemnestra’s Bind is a stunning, evocative example of such an exploration. With moving lyrical prose, and written in first person, this book allows the reader to finally get close to Clytemnestra as a grieving wife and mother, and witness the enduring psychological impact of her trauma. Unusually beginning with Clytemnestra as a young, happy bride to Tantalus and new mother to her first-born son Iphitus, this book follows her life as the people she loves most are ripped away from her and she is forced to marry the violent man who has caused her such trauma. Wilson cleverly creates this jarring juxtaposition between the young woman we see at the start of the novel, and the woman Clytemnestra has become by the end, which leads the reader to sympathise rather than despise her.

The curse of the House of Atreus is legendary and yet, most retellings focus solely on its existence as inevitable, rather than on the emotional and psychological impact of believing your family is cursed and trying to break the cycle before it passes on to your children. Instead of being portrayed as the villain or a madwoman, Clytemnestra’s Bind puts the female experience at the forefront, and exposes the horrors and injustices faced by many women in Greek mythology. Wilson explores the position of such women in a patriarchal society, using Clytemnestra’s voice to explore the idea that ‘We women, who possess so little of our own, bestow so much […] Women deliver kingdoms and kings’. With a woman’s worth diminished to the services she can offer men, including those they resent, Clytemnestra’s devoted love of her kingdom, her children and her infamous sister Helen, shows the true measure of her character: her bravery and determination in the face of brutality shines through in this book.

Susan C Wilson has masterfully moved Clytemnestra’s story from the footnotes to the forefront of Greek mythology, offering her a voice and agency. I look forward to reading the next instalment in The House of Atreus trilogy."