ARTS & CULTURE ELEKTRA BY JENNIFER SAINT Hot on the heels of her smash-hit Ariadne comes Elektra , the newest novel from Jennifer Saint, who has pleasingly stuck to re-examining Greek legend for her source material. This time, the book follows the thoughts of a trio of mythical women: Clytemnestra, the sister of Helen and wife of warmongering king Agamemnon; her daughter, the eponymous Elektra; and Cassandra, doomed princess of Troy. In turn, these three tell the stories of their lives and choices running up to, and after, the Trojan Wars. It’s not really a spoiler to mention plot elements written about by ancient Greeks, but Saint’s masterful retelling shines new light on these characters. The depiction of Cassandra’s ‘madness’ is heart-rending, and leaves you feeling guilty for accepting her diagnosis as ‘insane’ in previous
interpretations. Iphigenia’s sacrifice – told from the perspective of her mother Clytemnestra, who is under the impression that her daughter is about to be married, not murdered – is beyond heartbreaking. It starkly depicts the searing, unthinkable horror of the scene – which rolls on, unstoppably, into Elektra’s understandable fury at her mother’s subsequent actions. It’s as if Saint extends a hand to each of these snarling characters, cornered by their fates, enabling them to tell their story, point at their hurt and explain why they did what they did: after all, aren’t we all heroes in our own narratives? If you’re a fan of the movement to re-examine myth, this will no doubt already be on your to-read pile. If you’re new to this world, Saint’s book is a superb point from which to strike out on your own literary odyssey.
GIVE IT A GO Upping the number of books you read can be an enjoyable and enlightening New Year’s resolution – these are some wonderful options to start with
22 JANUARY 2022 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
Powered by FlippingBook