Clytemnestra: Humanising a notorious figure from the Ancient World

My daughter gave me Clytemnestra to read as it's one of her favourite books set in Ancient Greece. The author, Costanza Casati, was born in the US but grew up in Northern Italy. She studied Ancient Greek and Ancient Greek literature and has an MA in Writing from Warwick University. Clytemnestra is Casati's debut novel. I've always been intrigued by Ancient Greece so I dove into the book with interest.

Clytemnestra | Published May 2023 | Read March 2025

First of all, here's the book's blurb:

You were born to a king, but you marry a tyrant. You stand by helplessly as he sacrifices your child to placate the gods. You watch him wage war on a foreign shore, and you comfort yourself with violent thoughts of your own. Because this was not the first offence against you. This was not the life you ever deserved. And this will not be your undoing. Slowly, you plot. But when your husband returns in triumph, you become a woman with a choice. Acceptance or vengeance, infamy follows both. So, you bide your time and force the gods' hands in the game of retribution. For you understood something long ago that the others never did. If power isn't given to you, you have to take it for yourself.

Sounds interesting, right?

I had to do a little bit of research to understand Clytemnestra as I hadn't heard of her before reading the book. That's probably because her sister, Helen of Troy, is the more known historical figure. Both women were daughters of King Tyndareus of Sparta and Queen Leda. Clytemnestra becomes the Queen of Mycenae and kills her husband Agamemnon after he returns victorious from the Battle of Troy.

Costanza Casati writes a powerful debut novel, showing her gift as a storyteller in a book that I devoured quite quickly, despite stumbling over the Ancient Greek names and huge cast of characters. The book is violent and brutal in keeping with the times, but it is a compelling read that felt authentic to me. There is a definite feminist overtone to the book that I loved, but some may find it anachronistic. I don't think the author hides her reimagined (revisionist?) approach to the story so readers need to appreciate this to connect with it. There are parts of the book that are deeply sad and Casati made me feel sympathy for Clytemnestra and her quest for revenge.

I found it hard to rate this book. I was immersed in the book and the trip through Ancient Greece, but I have my misgivings. There was a lot to the story, but it was also absent of a full picture of Clytemnestra's life after she marries Agamemnon and plots to kill him. I didn't mind the liberties Casati took with history, but I wanted to better understand Clytemnestra. I didn't feel the book went deeply enough into her success as a queen and how she planned her husband's murder. Instead of being a villain intent on revenge, Clytemnestra is painted as a victim (described by other reviewers as a girl boss). This characterisation fails to take account of the intricacies of the character and her motivations. Her cleverness is not explored and I would love to have seen more of that. Reading up on the myth I found that Clytemnestra was murdered by her son in revenge for killing his father (as was custom) but this is not the ending the reader is served up in Casati's novel.

Despite my criticisms, I still enjoyed the book, but I am not sure how I feel about feminist revisionist retellings of Greek mythical characters now. Perhaps I need to read something else in the genre to form a stronger opinion.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐