The fires of Troy
The fire of Troy (English title The Firebrand ) is a novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley portrays, which appeared in 1987, and the Trojan War from the perspective of clairvoyant Kassandra.
action
Although Troy is under the protection of powerful gods, the flames do not stop at the city. This shifts the forces and Queen Hecabe , herself an Amazon and warrior, has to submit to the new law of men. That is, submission, and for women, their place is now in the house and at the stove.
The inheritance and responsibility for the family passes to the son and no longer to the daughter.
Trojan queen Hecabe is about to give birth when she has a dream in which she sees her own son lighting Troy with a torch. When the due date came, the queen gave birth to both a boy and a girl. The son gets the name Paris , the daughter the name Kassandra .
The children's father, King Priam , sees to it that Paris grows up as a shepherd, unrecognized, while Kassandra is allowed to stay at her parents' court. King Priam does not value his daughter as much as he does his son. However, he has to grow up far away without the privileges he would be entitled to because his father, the king, fears the bad omen . Kassandra is just as clueless as her brother Paris about the role that fate has intended for the siblings. However, it turns out early on that the princess has a very special gift, Kassandra can see into the future.
Apollon calls Kassandra to serve him as a priestess. The princess obeys this request. During this time she is also sent to the Amazons where she is taught martial arts . When Troy is besieged by the Achaeans , it is the death of many heroes.
In the meantime Paris has also returned to Troy, has won public competitions and is welcomed with open arms at the royal court as the winner - ignoring the bad omen. Paris, who fell madly in love with the beautiful Helena and kidnapped the married woman from Sparta, sparked the beginning of the Trojan War , which dragged on for many years. The princess has strong visions in which she foresees the downfall of Troy. However, Apollo ensures that no one believes Kassandra's warnings. That Kassandra is a woman plays into his hands.
Kassandra has to realize that she is in a losing position and that a fate seems to be predetermined for her that was not in sight.
meaning
Bradley, who gained notoriety among readers with her retelling of old myths, dedicates himself to the battle for Troy and the fall of the city. The author revives classical antiquity in her work. This story has been told in new ways since Homer . The special attraction of the story told by Zimmer Bradley is that she tells it from the point of view of Kassandra, and thus from the point of view of a woman. The novel also contains an important narrative thread that deals with the replacement of matriarchy by patriarchy .
The author describes what was believed in the past and gives it a current meaning. So it raises the question of whether Achilles was really a glorious and honorable warrior, for that was out of the question for Homer, and not only for him. But what, so the question, is glorious and honorable about a man who leaves his wife and child behind to go to war for the sake of glory.
review
The Cosmopolitan praised: "Again, exciting to the last line."
The author Evanesca Feuerblut was of the opinion that in this book, which is told from Kassandra's point of view, the reader gets "an obtrusively vivid view of a time that is so different from everything we know today". As a result: "Troy from a female point of view and highly recommended for everyone who wants to read a different view of things."
Booksellers from various publishers said, for example, "a wonderful book [...] in which the view of strong women" is "in the foreground". Or also: Fascinating historical novel, which tells the legendary fall of Troy again - with a different perspective.
expenditure
- The fires of Troy . Krüger Verlag, Frankfurt 1988, ISBN 978-3-8105-2612-0 .
- The fires of Troy . Fischer-Taschenbuch-Verlag, Frankfurt 1990, ISBN 978-3-596-10287-7
Individual evidence
- ^ A b “The Fires of Troy” by Marion Zimmer Bradley sS phantastik-couch.de
- ↑ Marion Zimmer Bradley: “The Fires of Troy” sS fischerverlage.de
- ^ "The Fires of Troy" by Marion Zimmer Bradley sS wasliestdu.de
- ↑ Marion Zimmer Bradley: “The Fires of Troy” sS thalia.de