HOUSE OF ODYSSEUS by Claire North (BUDDY READ BOOK REVIEW)
Beth and Nils return to Claire North’s Greek isles in House of Odysseus, the sequel to Ithaca.
We’ve done our very best to avoid major spoilers, but this is an in-depth chat about the themes and characters, so there may be minor spoilers for both books.
From the author of the critically acclaimed Ithaca – A Sunday Times Historical Fiction Book of the Year – comes an exquisite and gripping new tale that breathes life into ancient myth. This is the story of Penelope of Ithaca, famed wife of Odysseus, as it has never been told before.
On the isle of Ithaca, Queen Penelope maintains a delicate balance of power. Many years ago, her husband, Odysseus, sailed to war with Troy and never came home. In his absence, Penelope uses all her cunning to keep the peace – but this is shattered by the arrival of Orestes, king of Mycenae, and his sister Elektra.
Orestes’s hands are stained with his mother’s blood. Not so long ago, the son of Agamemnon took Queen Clytemnestra’s life on Ithaca’s sands. Now, racked with guilt, he is slowly losing his mind.
Penelope knows destruction will follow in his wake as surely as the Furies circle him. His uncle, Menelaus, the battle-hungry king of Sparta, longs for Orestes’s throne – and if he can seize it, no one will be safe from his violent whims.
Trapped between two mad kings, Penelope fights to keep war from Ithaca’s shores. Her only allies are Elektra and Helen of Troy, Menelaus’s enigmatic wife. And watching over them all is the goddess Aphrodite, who has plans of her own.
Each woman has a secret. And their secrets will shape the world.
House of Odysseus is out today from Orbit Books. You can order your copy from Bookshop.org
Let’s begin with expectations and first impressions?
Beth: As always, I like to go into a book knowing as little as is possible, so I haven’t read the blurb. I have a vague notion of the story of Odysseus from Madeline Miller’s Circe, so I know he goes home at some point, and my expectation is that’s what will be covered this time round.
Straight off the bat though, I’m immediately struck by the shift in narrative tone. I wasn’t sure if Hera would still be our narrator or not, but straight away it’s clear that, although we have a divine narrator, it’s not Hera. There’s a lightness to this one, a stronger sense of the importance of themselves, and a focus on aesthetic and appearance – it is of course Aphrodite. I wasn’t expecting her to come in to this story, I thought perhaps as Athena and Artemis appeared in the last book, this time it would be from one of their points of view. But I’m actually really looking forward to Aphrodite’s take on things; what I loved about Hera was the way she viewed the story from the point of view of the women, giving voice to the voiceless. Athena and Artemis, I don’t feel, would have put a focus on women, but I think Aphrodite will give an interesting perspective of women’s desire…
Her beauty is a diminish, beaten-upon thing. To please her husband she must be radiant, glorious, a creature of the highest divinity. But if she shines too brightly, Zeus cries out that is a harlot, a hussy, a whore – just like Aphrodite, indeed. He does not know where this line is, between one whose beauty is merely pleasing and one whose beauty is an unacceptable fanfare, but he absolutely knows it when he sees it…
Yep, Pg 24 and she’s already reassured me on that front …
Nils: Unlike Beth, I’m less aware of the Greek myths, I know a few but I don’t really know the story of Odysseus, but ooh Beth, he comes back?
Beth: He does eventually, at some point, yes…
Nils: Eek, ok can’t wait!
So yeah I’m going in blind of sorts. Ithaca was a book that surprised me in so many ways, when I first started I was sure I would get overwhelmed with all these iconic Greek characters, some of whom I recognised but many I didn’t. Yet Hera’s narration completely won me over, her cynicism of these foolish men, her humour, her ability to fully flesh out all these female characters who previously had only been glanced over. I was hoping for the same in House of Odysseus and although whilst I’m writing this I’m only five chapters into the story, I have not been disappointed so far.
“Let me assure you, as one who watched the heroes of Troy most particularly, that sometimes even Paris had to take a shit in the bushes, and lovely Hector with his adorable button nose snored like a bear and farted like an ox. So much for the stiff dignity of marbled heroes.”
Who couldn’t love this perspective from Aphrodite?
It seems Aphrodite made a strong first impression on us! How did we continue to feel about her?
Nils: At first I didn’t think her narration was all that different from Hera, they both have this cynicism towards the men, they both cast a critical eye over the events and they both tell the stories of the forgotten women of Ithaca.
Beth: I’m not sure, I think she’s a lot more forgiving than Hera? I actually found her a lot less cynical and more balanced, it’s like she was able to take a step back and view a person as a whole. Not just men, but her fellow divinities also. She could see people’s flaws and could understand them in ways where Hera would just be derisive of them.
Nils: I definitely began to see those differences as I read on Beth. I also definitely agree that Aphrodite was a lot more balanced. She still casts a judgemental eye on awful men like Menelaus and his son, but she also praises and appreciates men such as Laertes, Kenamon and even sympathises with Orestes.
Aphrodite also holds more brazen humour. Hey Beth, remember the bit about the Spartan bums and Nicostratus’ erm lack of prowess in the bedroom?!
Beth:
Nicostratus is a miserable little shit with all the tender love-making skills of a broken pot.
I full on guffawed.
Nils: When you sent me that quote on WhatsApp I almost dropped my phone from laughing!!
I also really appreciated the way Aphrodite sees beauty in both men and women, gods and humans, and unlike Hera who’s perspective reflects that of power, Aphrodite focuses on desire.
Beth: I loved what she had to say about desire! I loved the exploration of this theme throughout the book as a whole, the distinctions between love, desire, lust, and again the distinctions between different kinds of love. The power Aphrodite holds over people shape their desires. At one point she curses Menelaus and I thought it such an incredibly powerful curse:
I will come to you and give you desire, such desire, that shall never be sated. You will love a long, long time in your bag of bones, waster flesh and wilted muscle, fatted only on longings unfulfilled.
Nils: Oh Beth, you’re right, that was such an incredibly powerful curse and I could totally see how Menelaus would live an utterly miserable life unfulfilled, and I’m glad for it. He’s a right bastard, isn’t he?!
Beth: I mean, it comes to something when the goddess of love hates you. You know you have a proper villain on your hands then.
What I loved most about having Aphrodite as a narrator was the way in which female sexuality and lust was addressed. Aphrodite herself boldly admires men and women throughout the story, and she celebrates the female gaze throughout. I particularly loved the way North examined the numerous contradictions placed upon women, for example here, the way women are urged to be sexual but at once condemned when they are:
Once Zeus tricked me into lying with a mortal.
“Tricked” is his word, of course. He was incredibly proud of the whole affair. “Look at the little whore, fucking a mortal man!” he cackled.
Aphrodite’s introduction to the story could be seen as a somewhat tenuous link at first, but I loved (unironically) her telling of the story, her inclusion in North’s retelling, and her portrayal as one of the most powerful and yet underappreciated divinities.
Nils: I actually felt sorry for Aphrodite because she knew how the other gods perceived her, she knew they thought little of her worth. We saw that with her interactions with Athena and it felt like Aphrodite herself was lonely. It was her love for those such as Helen of Troy that gave her pleasure and yet the other gods saw that as a weakness.
Beth: Nils that is such a brilliant point, yes! No one took her seriously and she did seem very lonely, yes!
Nils: Going back to the theme of desire though, yes I absolutely loved the exploration of this and as I mentioned before I really enjoyed Aphrodite’s take on beauty too. Here is where her perspective became wonderfully reflective too.
“For a woman to contemplate her own beauty is vanity, superficial pride, shallow beyond contempt, the sign of a mindless slut. Of course for a woman to be anything less than beautiful is for her to be ugly, or in the best case invisible and without merit, and that is also unacceptable, but still, but still. The most a woman born without socially acceptable perfection can do is worry about these things in secret, rather than be caught trying.”
Aphrodite recognises that women can never really win here.
Did you find new favourite characters in House of Odysseus? Which characters stood out to you the most this time around?
Beth: omgosh Nils we absolutely loved Laertes this time round, didn’t we! He was quite a funny character in Ithaca, but he has a much larger role here. He’s still a very funny character, but it was wonderful to see him also step up and help Penelope and wield his power as a previous king. He’s so lacking in pretensions, a man fully aware of his power and how best to use it. He was a really stand-out character for me this time round.
How about you Nils?
Nils: Laertes was an absolute gem of a character and not only because there were scenes like this that made me laugh:
“Goodness, is that Orestes, king of kings, son of Agamemnon, master of Mycenae and all-round healthy-looking chap standing upon that boat?” Laertes drawls, arms folded and eyes sparkling as they look upon Menelaus. “Well, better not keep him wait-ing, terrible bad form. What will people think of the hospitality of Ithaca? Come on down, lad! Come have a drink!”
Beth: The timing of that particular moment was *chef’s kiss*
Nils: Absolutely! But looking closely at Laertes’ meaning here, he’s actually putting Menelaus in his place in a spectacular way. He first establishes and declares to all Orestes status, one that outranks Menelaus here and then reminds Menelaus on the laws of guests in Odysseus’ house.
Beth: Not to mention highlighting his health, that’s what I found particularly funny.
Nils: Oh yes the way he refers to Orestes as an “all round healthy looking chap” was so funny! He also protects Orestes, diffuses the immediate threat and all the while having a bloody good time doing it! It’s easy to overlook an old man, to see them as dithering and feeble, but no, Aphrodite shows us the clever king, the powerful Argonaut Laertes once was.
I’m not sure if I found another side character who quite stood out to me though. Kenamon took more of a backstep in this instalment and although all the maids were once again fundamental to the story, I don’t think one particular stood out. What do you think Beth?
Beth: I’d have to agree. Whereas with Hera’s narration, the women were quite clearly more important to the story than the men, with Aphrodite there is more of a balance so it does mean that there is less of a focus on some characters who were more to the fore previously.
What were your first impressions of Helen of Troy?
Beth: I was quite surprised when Helen turned up, I hadn’t expected her to be in this one?
Nils: We knew someone important was sailing to Ithaca because Aphrodite was very excited that one of her beloved was on their way, but we never guessed Helen, did we?
Beth: I didn’t, no, but it made perfect sense she was, there was a lot of talk about the three queens of Greece last time, so of course the third queen would make her appearance this time round!
I thought North’s Helen was a really fascinating creature. I felt she did a very clever representation of the different versions of this figure in one contradictory and complicated character; she’s both the empty-headed beautiful innocent who was stolen by Paris, and the clever, conniving orchestrator of her escape with Paris. Which is the true person?
As Clytemnestra was beloved of Hera, so Helen is beloved of Aphrodite, which explains that goddess’s presence then in this story and her interest in the events this time round on Ithaca. I loved what she says here about the three queens:
Three queens there were in Greece – one beloved of Hera, who killed her husband and died. One who is wed to the beloved of Athena, whose husband even now sets forth in this littler rough-hewn boat again. And one who is mine, and whose name will live for as long as there is love, for as long as hearts beat throughout eternity.
Nils: This is what I love about Aphrodite’s narration too, she puts so much passion into her words when talking about these women, these queens. That’s a beautiful piece.
Beth: Just as Clytemnestra put being a queen first, so we can take from this that Helen puts love first. It’s never made clear, it’s never said outright whether Helen was kidnapped or whether she ran away, she never admits to either. But Aphrodite sees her heart, sees what Helen was prepared to do for her chance to be loved.
Nils: I was so surprised by Helen when she first appeared, I did not expect to see a ditsy drunk woman who had been so utterly broken. Yet when you look deeper into Helen’s character she’s so much more and she’s endured more than any of the other queens.
Beth: Oooh do you think so Nils? I think all three have had it pretty bad to be fair!
Nils: Maybe it’s because I felt more of an emotional connection with Helen, I felt her humiliation, her pain and the sadness at being treated so abusively by Menelaus and never being truly loved, and so yeah I felt she had been through more than the others. Like you said though Beth, whether that was forced upon her or of her choosing is never really clarified. There are just so many layers to Helen that I really appreciated because in a way she is broken, Aphrodite shows how her desire to be loved was ultimately her undoing and that was incredibly sad, but there is strength in her too, a strength in her beauty, femininity and vulnerability which others do not see because, as Helen well knows, they do not look.
What did you make of the various twists this time?
Nils: I did feel that House of Odysseus was a slower paced sequel and so by the time characters such as Elektra and Orestes and then later on the Spartan King, Menelaus and Queen Helen arrived I was glad to see the plot take a more mysterious turn. We kept going back and forth between theories, didn’t we Beth?
Beth: It’s always so much fun to ping theories at each other! It’s what I love most about buddy reading with you! I agree, I did find the pacing slow to begin with, but then I was expecting that to a certain degree? Ithaca wasn’t a pacey read, it was quite political, and I was expecting more of the same here. If anything, I was quite surprised when events started to unfold and suddenly we had some mysteries to solve, I hadn’t seen that coming. I found them quite satisfying to follow too, especially as we were right about one of them! We’re of course trying to tread lightly here and avoid spoilers, but did you feel these were resolved well?
Nils: Yeah I actually enjoyed how they were resolved. I mean Penelope really shines with how she managed both of the mysteries, how strategically she planned it all.
Were there any other themes that stood out to you?
Nils: There were quite a few really and I think once again North does well to bring to light the many roles women are expected to play whilst also exploring these themes. Penelope’s speech at the end really brings it all together:
“The trick, I find,” muses Penelope, “to living with a pain that cannot be reconciled, a grief, or a fury, a rage that you think will burn you from the inside out, is not to dwell on all the reasons why your life has ended, but to wonder what it might become now. I am a widow queen. This is my trap, my curse. My power. My grief is a knife. My anger is cunning. Having been denied the purpose intended for me – to be a wife, a loving mother – my purpose is to be a queen, to serve not myself, but my kingdom. Mine. The land that is entrusted to me. Not to my husband’s ghost. Not to some … poet’s picture of Odysseus. But to me. I will live and I will take all that has been put upon me and I will make of it something new. Something better.”
I absolutely loved this bit.
Beth: Yes Nils you’re so right, North really does do an excellent job exploring the many contradictory roles expected of women. I also love what she says about power in your quote; like we talked about earlier, Helen’s power is her femininity, the way she wields what people expect of her against them, Penelope does the same with her grief. It shapes her existence, but she’s made it into a tool that enables her to do the things she needs to without the repercussions of a woman taking control. There’s a quote from Disney’s WandaVision that always comes back to: What is grief but love persevering, and I feel like that could be the tagline for this whole story. There are so many people grieving in this story and they express it, or, importantly, do not express it, in very different ways. Grief is entwined with love, it’s another expression of love, which again made Aphrodite the perfect representative here.
Nils: I think there are also different types of grief represented, not just grief for the loss of someone but also grief at the loss of the life you once had, the person you once were, or even grief over the loss of dreams and desires you once had.
Beth I know you loved the part where Penelope talks of forgiveness, didn’t you?
Beth: I did! It’s in line with what I said above about grief and love, what Penelope said about forgiveness when she was talking to Orestes about his grief, she asks him What do you think forgiveness is? What she goes on to say, about Odysseus asking her to forgive him before he left, what her forgiveness of him meant to her and Odysseus, really struck me. I found it one of the most powerful things I’ve read in a while.
“What an unconscionable robbery I performed that day upon my own existence. Because of course, here is the thing – he never said sorry… That would have been his gift to me, of course. His apology, bestowed on me. But that’s not what happened. He asked me to forgive him… he did not give unto me, but took.”
I got utterly swept up in her breakdown of what it meant, what it actually really meant, for her, a wife, to give her forgiveness to her husband in that way. What women are constantly being asked, being expected, to forgive. It really moved me.
We’ve mentioned Menelaus, Laertes, Orestes… Let’s talk more about the men in this story and what we made of them.
Beth: Menelaus was a lot more sly than I was expecting? I was expecting someone who would wield his power in a much more obvious and physically violent way, I guess? Instead, it’s like he’s got the gift of the gab, but reinforced with the knowledge that no one is going to contradict what he says. In that regard, he was quite a familiar figure, I think we’ve all come across a Man in Charge who talks like a charmer but knows damn well no one would dare question him.
Nils: Menelaus is only ever the brute in front of Helen, isn’t he? To everyone else he’s a charmer, he’s the just king, the absolute right man to rule Greece. He feigns courtesy, he pretends to be the caring dutiful uncle to Elektra and Orestes, he pretends to respect Laertes and Penelope in their own home whilst simultaneously plotting against them all. He wants power but he also wants everyone to see him gain it in a seemingly ‘fair’ way.
Beth: I think there was a lot of fear present there too though, not just between Menelaus and his wife Helen, but there were plenty others who feared him also. The room full of suitors who stood on their feet all day – and it was a testament to his power over them, their fear of him, that they remained standing for so long even after he’d left. I found that a really powerful image.
Nils: That’s an excellent point. He’s also a bit perverse, particularly when he gets aroused by Penelope outmanoeuvring him, by the thought of him crushing a worthy opponent. It isn’t Helen’s beauty that gets him going, it’s Penelope’s challenge.
Beth: There’s a deep irony there, a hypocrisy. He only wants Helen because she’s beautiful and everyone wants her, so she must maintain her looks using all those ointments and makeup. But it’s a status thing, he’s not actually attracted to her. The aspect of Penelope he’s attracted to, the thing he recognises of her, is one she must keep secret and hidden, and no one else recognises in her. It’s like she and Helen are mirror opposites.
Nils: Oh that’s so true! I hadn’t thought of that.
Beth: Nicostratus, his son, clearly tries to emulate Menelaus’ I’m Important And Untouchable aura, but lacks his father’s subtlety and so is just a straight up bully in a place of privilege. He lives in fear of his father so doesn’t know how to reflect anything other than fear.
Nils: I’ve already discussed my fondness for Laertes, but I did also really like Orestes and Kenamon too, although they both don’t have many scenes this time around. However, these two are our more gentle men and make a fantastic contrast to Menelaus and Nicostratus. Kenamon is definitely the lover who is clearly besotted with Penelope and Orestes is definitely the haunted man wrapped in regret.
What are your overall impressions of the book?
Nils: Although slightly slower in pace, I feel House of Odysseus is a great sequel to Ithaca. Aphrodite’s narration brings a different perspective to these well known characters, these three great queens of Greece and refreshingly depicts their tale of survival as the King of Sparta plots to seize power. Penelope is as sharp minded as ever and again uses her brilliance to hold power, Elektra shows some vulnerability, and we are introduced to the infamous Helen of Troy who for me personally, was the most interesting and emotionally engaging character of the three.
Yet, when reaching the end of the novel we see that it is more than it seems, it’s an exploration of desire and how it shapes each character, for good or bad, it’s a reflection on beauty, love, grief and forgiveness. North is an author who gives her readers thought-provoking tales with a wonderful feminist twist, and House of Odysseus is no exception.
Beth: I agree Nils! House of Odysseus is a truly worthy sequel to Ithaca. Just as in that first book, so it is again; you think you know a story, but North gives voice to the voiceless and brings to the fore a different perspective. Who cares what happened to Penelope whilst Odysseus was having his adventures? Who cares what happened to Helen after she was dragged home from the wreckage of Troy? North demonstrates there’s still so much to be told from these ancient tales, and she does so with respect, assurance, and wit. This is not a retelling, it’s a telling untold.
North’s parting shot indicates a reckoning on the horizon for Ithaca, and so once more she’s left me eagerly anticipating the next instalment.
House of Odysseus is out today from Orbit Books. You can order your copy from Bookshop.org
Many thanks to Nazia at Orbit for our advanced reader copies. All quotes used taken from uncorrected proof copies and subject to change.
[…] House of Odysseus by Claire North Another sequel I’d been really excited for, and didn’t disappoint! I’d previously read with Ithaca with Nils, and last month it was our book club read so I listened to the very well-narrated audiobook to refresh myself. Usually I have preferences for particular books in a series, but North does such a brilliant job here, the story is rather seamless between the two. Buddy read review […]
[…] Nils and Beth Buddy Read Review | Available Now […]