Skip to content

The Silence of the Girls

The Silence of the Girls

Historical FictionLiterary Fiction
Pages
304
Published
2018
Language
English

Synopsis

Pat Barker reimagines the Trojan War through the eyes of Briseis, a queen captured by Achilles. Forced into servitude in the Greek camp, she witnesses the brutal realities of war and the conflicts between powerful men. As the siege of Troy drags on, Briseis finds herself in a unique position to observe the events that will shape the fate of nations.

Prose complexity
7/10

Vibe

DarkEmotionalReflectiveThought-Provoking
SurvivalMorally Grey

Genres

Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Mythology Military

About the author

P
Pat Barker

Patricia Mary W. Barker (née Drake; born 8 May 1943) is an English writer and novelist. She has won many awards for her fiction, which centres on themes of memory, trauma, survival and recovery. She is known for her Regeneration Trilogy, published in the 1990s, and for a series of books set during the Trojan War, starting with The Silence of the Girls.

Characters

BriseisProtagonist
AgamemnonAntagonist
AchillesSupporting
PatroclusSupporting

Achilles's companion, who tries to broker a place for Briseis and imagines a future for her once the war ends.

All characters in The Silence of the Girls

Frequently asked questions

  • Has The Silence of the Girls won any major literary awards?

    It has been shortlisted for several major prizes but has not won one: the 2019 Women's Prize for Fiction, the Costa Novel Award, and the 2020 International Dublin Literary Award.

Read all 1 reviews