The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

"Great Achilles. Brilliant Achilles, shining Achilles, godlike Achilles...oh how the epithets pile up. We never called him any of those things; we called him 'the butcher.'"
That is how Barker starts the story and how Briseis narrates it. Epithets were important, especially in the Homeric epics, to make it easier to pinpoint who is who and to describe the characters in general.
☆☆☆☆☆
"How do you separate a tiger's beauty from its ferocity? Or a cheetah's elegance from the speed of its attack? Achilles was like that — the beauty and the terror were two sides of a single coin"
I usually never highlight things or remember much more than what the characters made me feel and the plot but this book still has me spinning from beginning to end. Barker just has exceptional writing and she captures Achilles so well, it's out of this world.
☆☆☆☆☆
"God of plague, hear me!"
Chapter 9:
"Nothing happened. Well, of course, nothing happened! Isn't nothing what generally happens when you pray to the gods?"
I have to admit, this bit made me laugh. I really loved the character of Briseis, she was strong and brave and quick on her feet. Also, I really just loved the way Briseis and the way the narration was written, it's like a mother telling the child a story.
☆☆☆☆☆
All in all, this was an absolutely wonderful book and an instant favourite. I will buy a physical copy at some point and will definitely be rereading it. Out of all the books about Ancient Greece that I have read so far, this is my favourite. Barker definitely knows what she is doing and she hits you right in the heart with all the feels. And so, dear readers, I give you, one last quote:
"And perhaps they were lovers, or had been at some stage, but what I saw on the beach that night went beyond sex and perhaps even beyond love. I didn't understand it then— and I'm not sure I do now— but I recognized its power."

Rating: 5/5 stars