Colm Tóibín's historical fiction novel, House of Names, adapts the myth of Agamemnon for a modern audience. Drawing from the work of classic tragedians such as Aeschylus, Euripides, and Sophocles, he chronicles, over six chapters, the cycle of violence and murder that begins after Agamemnon murders his eldest daughter, Iphigenia, as a means to appease the gods and grant his troops passage to Troy. Narrated from three differing perspectives -- from the point of view of Clytemnestra, Agamemnon's wife, as well as from those of his two remaining children: Orestes, and Electra -- House of Names explores themes of violence, spirituality, agency, and language as they appear both within the Hellenic era, as well as the era in which this retelling is read.
Colm Tóibín is one of the leading contemporary Irish authors. His output is varied, including novels, works of prose nonfiction, travelogues, and works of literary criticism. Tóib...
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Colm Toibin