House of Names by Colm Toibin – 3 Stars (Rounded down)

[Hannah]

This book is the retelling of a Greek tragedy, though it was one I was unaware of before reading this book. Agamemnon tricks his wife and daughter into coming to their war camp by saying he wants his daughter to marry one of his soldiers. It is only upon their arrival at the war front that it becomes clear that Agamemnon is going to sacrifice his daughter to the gods to ensure his victory. By continuing with the sacrifice, Clytemnestra, Agamemnon’s wife, vows to avenge her daughter. This was an enjoyable read covering themes of grief, loss, power, betrayal and corruption, though I do think I would have got more out of this had I known the play it was based on.