Queen Clytemnestra, happily married to Tantalus and with a newborn son, is devastated when Agamemnon, a rival to the throne of Mycenae, retakes the throne, kills her husband and son, then forces her to marry him. She has three children by Agamemnon, two daughters (Iphigenia and Electra) and a son, Orestes. She vows to protect the children born from her new husband and hides her earlier marriage. When Agamemnon sacrifices Iphigenia to Athena to assure prevailing winds to speed him to his invasion of Troy, he sets in motion his own downfall.
I’ve read multiple versions of Clytemnestra’s story and wondered if this one would provide new insights. This novel begins with her first marriage to King Tantalus rather than with the murder of her daughter Iphigenia by Agamemnon, thus providing the background for her trauma of her marriage to a child-murderer, her relationship with her children, and ultimately her revenge.
I often compare Greek myth retellings to my all-time favorites, Madeline Miller’s Circe and The Song of Achilles. Clytemnestra’s Bind is a lyrical, poetic retelling of the story of the House of Atreus, its prose majestic and in keeping with the scope of the myths themselves. Susan C. Wilson truly deserves a place next to Miller with this magnificent retelling.
********************
Clytemnestra’s Bind (Neem Tree Press June 15, 2023) is available through:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Neem Tree Press
********************
This post may contain Amazon Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small amount from qualifying purchases at no cost to you.
