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The Silence of the Girls
- Narrated by: Kristin Atherton, Michael Fox
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
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Publisher's summary
A Washington Post Notable Book
One of the Best Books of the Year: NPR, The Economist, Financial Times
Shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award
Finalist for the Women’s Prize for Fiction
Here is the story of the Iliad as we’ve never heard it before: in the words of Briseis, Trojan queen and captive of Achilles. Given only a few words in Homer’s epic and largely erased by history, she is nonetheless a pivotal figure in the Trojan War.
In this audiobook she comes fully to life: wry, watchful, forging connections among her fellow female prisoners even as she is caught between Greece’s two most powerful warriors.
Her story pulls back the veil on the thousands of women who lived behind the scenes of the Greek army camp - concubines, nurses, prostitutes, the women who lay out the dead - as gods and mortals spar, and as a legendary war hurtles toward its inevitable conclusion.
Brilliantly written, filled with moments of terror and beauty, The Silence of the Girls gives voice to an extraordinary woman - and makes an ancient story new again.
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Critic reviews
“Beautiful…It is as if Barker had found an artifact with an as yet undeciphered alphabet among the glittering grave treasures of Homer’s epic."—The New York Review of Books
"Almost Homeric in its brilliance... Refreshingly modern... Ms Barker [switches] nimbly between the daily drudgery of the camp and the horrors of conflict... Venerable scenes and mythic names magically become new... Domestic details are piercingly described, bringing the squalor of the camp to life... A masterful and moving novel."—The Economist
"Beautifully done."—Annalissa Quinn, NPR
Featured Article: Best Authors for Fans of Margaret Atwood
Iconic Canadian author Margaret Atwood is more than a beloved novelist, poet, and essayist. She’s also a feminist, environmental activist, and innovator. Atwood examines important themes across many genres, including nonfiction, poetry, dystopian fiction, science fiction, and retellings of mythology. If you've worked your way through all of her stellar audiobooks and don’t know where to go next, here are some listens by authors similar to Atwood for you to enjoy.
Editor's Pick
An intimate retelling of The Illiad
"Barker focuses on The Illiad as experienced by the captured women, and the perspective shift is a perfect opportunity for audio; Kristin Atherton and Michael Fox’s intimate narration mirrors and reinforces the severely personal nature of this book. As a whole,The Silence of the Girls creates an experience that brings you so much closer emotionally to a story that continues to have profound influence."
—Michael D., Audible Editor
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Three women loved him. Two betrayed him. One fulfilled his destiny. Desired tells the story of the legendary strongman through the eyes of the three most important women in his life. The fiercely loving Jewish mother who nags him toward greatness … and rebellion. The impoverished Philistine girl, Amara, who becomes Samson’s bride. And the emotionally damaged seductress—the legendary Delilah—who becomes the instrument of his destruction and the key to his tragic triumph.
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really cool perspective on this story
- By Lisa on 02-11-13
By: Ginger Garrett
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The Emperor's Knife
- Book One of the Tower and Knife Trilogy
- By: Mazarkis Williams
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 15 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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There is a cancer at the heart of the mighty Cerani Empire: a plague that marks each victim with a fragment of a greater design. Geometric patterns spread across the skin, until the victim dies in agony or becomes a Carrier, doing the bidding of an evil intelligence. The lost prince Sarmin, the emperor's only surviving brother, lies locked in a hidden room. As the pattern draws closer to the palace he is at last remembered: now he awaits a bride, Mesema, a Windreader from the northern plains.
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Unable to listen
- By T Rao on 09-28-15
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The Mirror Empire
- Worldbreaker Saga, Book 1
- By: Kameron Hurley
- Narrated by: Liza Ross
- Length: 17 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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On the eve of a recurring catastrophic event known to extinguish nations and reshape continents, a troubled orphan evades death and slavery to uncover her own bloody past - while a world goes to war with itself. In the frozen kingdom of Saiduan, invaders from another realm are decimating whole cities, leaving behind nothing but ash and ruin.
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Captivating & thrilling
- By Sean Higgins on 09-19-15
By: Kameron Hurley
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The Gates of Athens
- By: Conn Iggulden
- Narrated by: George Blagden
- Length: 14 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Evoking two of the most famous battles of the Ancient World - the Battle of Marathon and the Last Stand at Thermopylae - The Gates of Athens is a bravura piece of storytelling by a well acclaimed master of the historical adventure novel.
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One of Iggulden’s best ever!
- By Bud R on 01-15-21
By: Conn Iggulden
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The King Must Die
- By: Mary Renault
- Narrated by: Michael York
- Length: 2 hrs and 51 mins
- Abridged
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This is the story of the young Theseus: Prince of Troizen, King of Eleusis and Athens, and slayer of the Minotaur. Acclaimed novelist Mary Renault weaves myth, legend, history, and fiction into the story of a young hero's search for his destiny and the countless challenges he faces. From Theseus's early life as a prince, to his leadership of a captive team of bulldancers in Crete—not to mention his thrilling encounters with Poseidon—The King Must Die captures the full force of adventure, battle, and an epic quest.
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Poetic and short
- By Ben on 04-07-24
By: Mary Renault
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The Serpent Sword
- The Bernicia Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Matthew Harffy
- Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards
- Length: 12 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Beobrand is compelled by his brother's almost-certain murder to embark on a quest for revenge in the war-ravaged kingdoms of Northumbria. The land is rife with danger, as warlords vie for supremacy and dominion. In the battles for control of the region, new oaths are made and broken, and loyalties are tested to the limits. With no patronage and no experience, Beobrand must form his own allegiances and learn to fight with sword and shield. Relentless in pursuit of his enemies, he faces challenges which transform him from a boy to a man.
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Amazing story, needs a warning in the description.
- By Lisa Schilling on 04-12-17
By: Matthew Harffy
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Ben-Hur
- A Tale of the Christ
- By: Carol Wallace
- Narrated by: Firdous Bamji
- Length: 14 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Now a major motion picture from MGM and Paramount studios, the story follows Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish nobleman whose childhood friend, Messala, betrays him. Accused of trying to murder the new Roman governor in Jerusalem, Judah is sentenced to the galley ships and vows to seek revenge against the Romans and Messala. But a chance encounter with a carpenter from Nazareth sets Judah on a different path.
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Maginificient remake
- By Amazon Customer on 07-23-16
By: Carol Wallace
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The Half-Drowned King
- A Novel
- By: Linnea Hartsuyker
- Narrated by: Matthew Lloyd Davies
- Length: 15 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Ragnvald Eysteinsson, the son and grandson of kings, grew up believing that he would one day take his dead father's place as chief of his family's lands. But, sailing home from a raiding trip to Ireland, the young warrior is betrayed and left for dead by men in the pay of his greedy stepfather, Olaf. Rescued by a fisherman, Ragnvald is determined to have revenge for his stepfather's betrayal, claim his birthright and the woman he loves, and rescue his beloved sister, Svanhild.
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I was disappointed
- By TC on 04-06-18
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The House of the Stag
- By: Kage Baker
- Narrated by: Sean Crisden
- Length: 13 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Before the Riders came to their remote valley, the Yendri led a tranquil, pastoral life. When the Riders conquered and enslaved them, only a few escaped to the forests. Rebellion wasn't the Yendri way; they hid, or passively resisted, taking consolation in the prophecies of their spiritual leader. Only one possessed the necessary rage to fight back: Gard the foundling, half-demon, who began a one-man guerrilla war against the Riders.
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Delightfully humorous
- By Katherine on 09-09-11
By: Kage Baker
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Iron Axe
- The Books of Blood and Iron, Book 1
- By: Steven Harper
- Narrated by: P. J. Ochlan
- Length: 13 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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In this brand new series from the author of the Clockwork Empire series, a hopeless outcast must answer Death's call and embark on an epic adventure... Although Danr's mother was human, his father was one of the hated Stane, a troll from the mountains. Now Danr has nothing to look forward to but a life of disapproval and mistrust, answering to "Trollboy" and condemned to hard labor on a farm. Until, without warning, strange creatures come down from the mountains to attack the village.
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I DON'T WANT YOU TO FOLLOW ME,
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 07-22-17
By: Steven Harper
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The Sekhmet Bed
- The She-King, #1
- By: L.M. Ironside
- Narrated by: Amanda C. Miller
- Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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The second daughter of the Pharaoh, Ahmose has always dreamed of a quiet life as a priestess, serving Egypt's gods, ministering to the people of the Two Lands. But when the Pharaoh dies without an heir, she is given instead as Great Royal Wife to the new king - a soldier of common birth. For Ahmose is god-chosen, gifted with the ability to read dreams, and it is her connection to the gods which ensures the new Pharaoh his right to rule.
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Never listened to a story about Egypt before...
- By E. M. on 12-14-13
By: L.M. Ironside
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The Bronze Bow
- By: Elizabeth George Speare
- Narrated by: Pat Young
- Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins
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In this Newberry Medal-winning novel, Daniel bar Jamin is fired by only one passion: to avenge his father's death by crucifixion by driving the Roman legions from his land of Israel.
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Story a young man's life without & then with Jesus
- By Tiffany Cunningham on 04-17-21
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The Architect's Apprentice
- By: Elif Shafak
- Narrated by: Piter Marek
- Length: 16 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1540, 12-year-old Jahan arrives in Istanbul. As an animal tamer in the sultan's menagerie, he looks after the exceptionally smart elephant Chota and befriends (and falls for) the sultan's beautiful daughter Princess Mihrimah. A palace education leads Jahan to Mimar Sinan, the empire's chief architect, who takes Jahan under his wing as they construct (with Chota's help) some of the most magnificent buildings in history.
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I feel like I should like it more than I do
- By nyog on 04-19-17
By: Elif Shafak
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Seventeen years ago, King Odysseus sailed to war with Troy, taking with him every man of fighting age from the island of Ithaca. None of them has returned, and the women of Ithaca have been left behind to run the kingdom. Penelope was barely into womanhood when she wed Odysseus. While he lived, her position was secure. But now, years on, speculation is mounting that her husband is dead, and suitors are beginning to knock at her door. No one man is strong enough to claim Odysseus' empty throne—not yet.
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I wanted to love this so much!
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What listeners say about The Silence of the Girls
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Stefan Filipovits
- 08-26-20
So powerful, so beautiful
After reading and enjoying Madeline Miller’s Song of Achilles and loving her sophomore effort Circe more than I can possibly say I was desperate for anything remotely like them. It would be dishonest to say there aren’t similarities between Miller’s works and Barker’s but all three books aim to do something novel and original and all three utterly succeed.
Where Song Of Achilles was a war story with LGBTQ themes and protagonists, and Circe was a feminist retelling of the myth and story of the witch Circe, The Silence Of The Girls is the story of the Trojan War told from the perspective of its most famous captive: Briseis. Through her we see what the sack of a city is really like. We see how the fall of a country effects those who aren’t on the battlefield. Most painfully, we see the fate of the women left behind. There’s no glory here. No beautiful and romantic depictions of war and battle. It’s brutal, cruel, dehumanizing, and visceral. The true and horrible fate of those women and children taken captive is described in honest and unflinching detail. The rape, abuse, and dehumanization these characters endure is equal parts honest and agonizing to listen to. If you’re someone who has a difficult time with stories involving rape and abuse then you might want to give The Silence Of The Girls a pass. That being said I don’t think those subjects are written exploitatively or cheaply, quite the reverse in fact. It’s honest and difficult to listen to at times but it can also be inspiring as we hear the characters find the strength to not just endure but even rise above.
While I don’t find The Silence Of The Girls as beautiful as Song Of Achilles or as profound as Circe there is a powerful, well-written, and superbly narrated story here. Painful and exhausting, beautiful and empowering, Pat Barker has done something really special here and I can honestly say I look forward to more from Barker in the future.
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- Coby
- 10-04-18
Good story
Entertaining
My only complaint was the accents used. I just cant imagine Greek and Trojans sounding just like the guy who sells me a bacon sandwich down the street
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3 people found this helpful
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- Sarah Katherine Hart
- 08-25-21
A little repetitive but excellent
Kristen Atherton is so expressive and spot on with her portrayal of Briseis. The story itself definitely gets repetitive as far as reiterating Briseis’ grievances over and over again, but still a captivating story.
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- Liz
- 01-12-21
Fabulous
The consequences of the Trojan War on the noble women of the cities of Troy are amazingly vivid. The characters of the Iliad are brought to life. I loved this book.
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- riderdiver
- 05-29-21
Good not fabulous
Thoroughly enjoyed this book however the end was so abrupt that I was taken aback. Historical fiction is a wonderful way to learn a little bit about the way things were and a lot about what maybe we wish things were.
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- Samantha F
- 11-09-21
The pain of being a woman
The trouble with these kind of books is it doesn’t matter which stands point is from. A Queen,a princess,the daughter in law of a prince or a slave girl. It is all draining with lost hopes and pointless of what war brings. The females are the one that always suffered a hard blows of before,during and way after. Also children are the eminent as a casualty of wars. Every bit of this book drenched in that from page one to the last page. The suffering of what seem like eternity of dread and lost hopes. Pride seem to be the only thing in the story that kings gets to keep. While others have to swallowed theirs with no honor to go with their bloodline. With every now and then a bit of a glimpse of kindness and poof…gone as fast as it appeared. The author did a great job of reminding you of that. The narrator does it even better by making the dread and the silence of these girls more realistic. Too much of it makes me thankful that I probably will never know those kind of pain in this lifetime. Great read might suggest it to ppl but depends on how much I like these ppl.
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- Lexistential
- 01-30-22
Stirring and Startlingly Good
I consider myself a Greek myth purist, so at first, choosing this seemed unnecessary. After all, isn’t everything about Greek myth already out there for our consumption? But, I’m glad I did, because that long last Briseis— long talked about as an accessory to the mens’ stories of the Trojan War, is given a voice— and the effect is at once startling and powerful. As someone who wrongly took for granted that the women didn’t have exciting arcs in the Trojan War, listening to this made me realize they had tough ones nonetheless: survival.
I loved the story, and I really liked the narrator’s performance. Kristin Atherton’s voice brought Briseis to life— she sounded weary, serious, yet watching her step. Her voice made Briseis relatable and accessible, and even in the tougher turns of the story, I wanted to keep listening to her.
Great retelling, and a wonderful addition to Greek myth “canon.” Who says the guys told the right story in the first place?
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- Kristy
- 08-15-20
wonderful book
It was a wonderful story with beautiful narration. I highly recommend reading and/ or listening to it.
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- Lanita
- 10-06-19
HIS-STORY now her's
If you're a Madeline Miller fan you'll love this book. I listened to this one after devouring her books "Circe" and "The Song of Achilles". To compare I'd say Miller's best at imagery, but Barker's book evokes more emotion and the storyline is less contrived. You won't be disappointed if you enjoy this genre of literature.
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- Teadrinker
- 01-15-19
Mythic History with Depth
I've avoided the Odyssey, Iliad and their ilk my whole life and now I know why. Those are simplified stories of heroic male exploits. This book tells the story from a multi-dimensional human point of view. It's good to see a dose of reality. Not that it was easy to listen to - painful in many places - but it's overcoming, rather than masking, pain that makes art valuable.
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