Review of The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

Pat Barker’s novel The Silence of the Girls is a rewriting of the Iliad, the Greek classic that tells the story of the Trojan war. In interviews, Barker has talked about the focus on heroic men in the Greek classic and how women, if present within the story at all, tend to be silenced or speak only if it has a benefit to the male character. By narrating the novel through Briseis, the woman gifted to Achilles after her home is lost in the war, Barker allows for the female voices to be heard and for the romanticised heroism to be scrutinised. Her modern language makes the story both witty and satirical, as she shows the reader how harmful the idealisation of the heroes is for the women around them. The true heroes of the story are the women, who endure severe trauma and violence whilst adapting to their new lives during the war. It is harrowingly beautiful and full of great and empowering quotes: “In my experience men are curiously blind to aggression in women. They’re the warriors, with their helmets and armour, their swords and spears, and they don’t seem to see our battles—or they prefer not to. Perhaps if they realized we’re not the gentle creatures they take us for their own peace of mind would be disturbed?”

By Mie, Information Adviser at York St John