Ithaca

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There is something fateful about The Songs of Penelope trilogy: that this voice would come to this story, a pairing so perfect it was worth waiting a few thousand years for. There is clever plotting at the heart of this book which is fitting given that Penelope and Odysseus were known for their wits. Hera, the goddess of wives and narrator of Penelope's tale, tells the stories of women but also has much to say on the subject of men and her fellow Olympians vying for power. Despite being Penelope’s story, the novel itself is narrated by Hera, who is, according to ancient Greek religion, the Goddess of marriage, women and family, and the protector of women during childbirth. there is an originality of voice here that I have not come across in Irish fiction for quite some years now.

actually yeah I am sick and tired of “feminist” “retellings” of ancient classics, because I’m tired of the “feminist” label being slapped on otherwise mediocre books as a marketing ploy to make them seem somehow more important than they are in reality, which is: not that fucking much! My one main complaint about this book was that the narration by Hera was sometimes very annoying and the writing bothered me at times. Penelope is intelligent and skillful in navigating the labyrinth of obstacles and hordes of suitors plaguing her home. This could only be done by someone with a firm foundation in the source material who also has a brilliant ability to wield her craft.It is told by the goddess Hera, who feels largely forgotten by the poets in the shadow of her husband Zeus, and step daughters, Athena and Artemis. I didn't feel any connection to the characters or the events - I felt highly disinterested in the characters and the events I've previously fallen in love with and felt that it hurt the story. I loved how the narrative was so feminist with some strong female characters at the centre of the narrative. Dillon has done an excellent job of reimagining the end of The Odyssey and charting Telemachus' growth from a timid youth to a capable young man . But what makes it unique is the fact that, instead of being told from Penelope’s pov, it’s instead narrated by Hera, Greek Goddess, wife of Zeus, who risks her husbands ire by delving into the lives of men and inserting her influence to help Penelope along the way.

In Ithaca, her story comes to life, and we see the brutality, heartache, determination, and strength of a Queen. Had I not been familiar with these, I might have gotten lost in the names and the plot and not noticed the superb writing and how North was playing with form. The men have left for Troy and all the other nations’ rulers have come back (or their successors have), but Ithaca is still without its king.This was an interesting choice that lent a blunt and cynical humour to the book, while also not shying away from her own brutal view of some of the men, and the Gods. Set while Penelope is entertaining suitors and weaving (and unweaving) her father-in-law's funeral shroud, it explores what it means to rule as a woman who must be seen not to rule at all. He is the author of 7 books, including Truth, Lies, Gin: The Much-Lamented Death of Madam Geneva, and The Last Revolution. I wont give anything away for those that don’t know the original story, but safe to say if I was in Clytemnestra’s position, I don’t think I would or could have held out as long as she did.