The Silence of the GirlsThe Silence of the Girls
Score Modern
What it's about
Briseis, a queen of a city near Troy, is given only a few words in Homer's epic, yet she is at the center of the Trojan War. Captured and given to Achilles as a prize, she comes fully to life here: wry, watchful, forming bonds with the other enslaved women, caught between the Greeks' two greatest warriors.
Why it's worth reading
It was a finalist for the Women's Prize for Fiction and is on the Guardian's list of the best books of the 21st century.
You'll love it if you liked
Circe
The Song of Achilles
The IliadGood to know
It doesn't romanticize the war; it's brutal about the treatment of women.
By the numbers
- Readers28 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics63 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller27 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz10 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #226 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #841 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1561 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Epic, Thought-provoking
More by Pat Barker
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Quick answers
Is The Silence of the Girls worth reading?
Yes. It was a finalist for the Women's Prize for Fiction and is on the Guardian's list of the best books of the 21st century. It ranks #1,561 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 67.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Silence of the Girls about?
Briseis, a queen of a city near Troy, is given only a few words in Homer's epic, yet she is at the center of the Trojan War. Captured and given to Achilles as a prize, she comes fully to life here: wry, watchful, forming bonds with the other enslaved women, caught between the Greeks' two greatest warriors.
How long does it take to read The Silence of the Girls?
About 8 hours (336 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Silence of the Girls?
If you liked it, try Circe by Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller or The Iliad by Homer.