House of Names
by Colm Tóibín
Reviewed by Margaret Tomlinson
House of Names makes the classic
Greek legend of Clytemnestra psychologically credible for modern readers,
within a realistic portrayal of ancient Greece. The legends revolving around
the Trojan War tell of King Agamemnon of Mycenae sacrificing his daughter
Iphigenia to the goddess Artemis to gain a favorable wind so his army could
sail to Troy. His wife, Clytemnestra, took vengeance on his return, killing him
in his bath. Their son, Orestes, later avenged his father by killing his mother
and her lover, and was hounded by the Furies for this act of matricide.
Opening
with Clytemnestra's point of view, the novel easily wins sympathy for her when she discovers, too late to stop anything, that her husband intends to kill her
daughter. Later, as she searches for the ally she needs to avenge Iphigenia we
understand her feelings. Though overpowering, they are not simple. "Food
merely whets our appetite," she reflects, "it sharpens our teeth;
meat makes us ravenous for more meat, as death is ravenous for more
death." When the novel shifts to Orestes' point of view, it moves beyond the legend to weave a believable tale of a boy growing to manhood under oppressive circumstances and developing a hatred strong enough to lead him to murder.
The physical setting is vividly conveyed, along with the feelings and interactions of the characters, although sound, scent, light and shadow dominate over visual details. The characters' physical appearance is rarely mentioned, except where clothing or face-paint is a crucial element in a scene. Readers who must "see" the characters to become immersed in a story may be disappointed, but for other readers, the sensory details that are given will compensate abundantly for this lack. It's not necessary to be familiar with the plays of Euripides and Sophocles to appreciate the novel; readers who know the plays will find that House of Names moves beyond them, offering extra dimensions of interest and depth. (2017, 288 pages)
More about House of Names at Powell's Books or The Book DepositoryOther novels based on the legend of Clytemnestra:
Klytaimnestra, Who Stayed at Home by Nancy Bogen (1980), a retelling of the Trojan War story from the perspective of Agamemnon's wife, which depicts Odysseus as a villain. More info
Electra by Kerry Greenwood (1996), about Clytemnestra's daughter Electra and son Orestes, who flee their home and plan vengeance after Clytemnestra murders their father; #2 in the Delphic Women trilogy. More info
Nonfiction about ancient Mycenae:
The Mycenaean World by K.A. Wardle and Diana Wardle (2013). More info
The Mycenaean World by John Chadwick (2011). More info
The Mycenaeans by Louise Schofield (2007). More info
Online:
Mycenae at the Ancient Greece website