Costanza Casati’s retelling of the Clytemnestra myth ‘Clytemnestra’ was the story told through the eyes of the model for the unfaithful wife in mythology, justifying her actions for the most part and exploring her pain and suffering. This largely removes the trope of Clytemnestra as a ‘bad wife’ as the myth suggests because it makes all her actions completely agreeable toward the reader when placed in her mind, though there are still occasions where her revenge pushes a little far and perhaps her violence wasn’t extremely necessary. 

 

That being said, the way Casati retold the myth wasn’t the greatest, Agamemnon is clearly the antagonist but there is no process of coming to hate the man more and more, before anything has happened Clytemnestra already despises him and leading up to his murder the plateau of hatred remains completely unchanged (Confident I am not spoiling anything there it is a retelling of a well known myth!) It is also extremely clear which characters Casati has created herself for the story, these figures all having modern names that stand out completely. The myth retelling is also limited in its coverage as though starting right at the beginning, it ends after the murder and the revenge of Orestes is not explored. 

 

Other than plot choices, the narration was very basic and condescending toward the reader in a way, no elements were left for me to determine myself or piece together. ‘Clytemnestra’ was a fine retelling, though nothing more than such.