Black Ships: review proper

[winter]

I've finished reading Black Ships by jo_graham for the third time. I've a feeling it won't be the last.


Each time I read, I discover a new layer or three. Here are the ones I've identified so far:

Adventure
It is a retelling of the Aeneid, one of the prototypes of road movies (ship movies, possibly?). I love the way the sea battles on oar-powered ships are written, dynamic and realistic. Jo gets past the problem of conveying the big picture by conveying the small one: our point of view is that of Gull, and Gull sensibly stays out of the way of fighting she can't contribute to, taking care of the wounded and the dying.
I like the book's dramatic structure, something that's hard to do when taking the characters from one location and society to another and another. It's tied neatly to the characters' individual journeys, and the Achaians are always a shadow on the horizon.

Religion/Mythology
I've had a soft spot for Greek myths ever since Nathaniel Lawrence. There are other mythologies with characters as vivid and imagery as compelling (Japanese gods, for example), but this is the one that defines European culture and weaves under it. Dig deep enough and you'll reach a labyrinth, a Hades, an Olympus.
Religion forms the second layer of Black Ships. One aspect that is touched on is its ability to hold a society together. But it's also a mystic journey, narrated by a priestess. The fragments I love most are the ceremonies; on one hand, we see the preparations and tricks, but on the other, when the ceremony happens, the mysticism consumes the viewer. Layers, again.

History
Historically, I think Black Ships is as accurate as you get. I know Jo even made sure no modern idioms were used. It's a strange era, one when cities are suddenly falling and failing, and that edge-theme repeats like links of a necklace.
More than a retelling of facts, the book treats history lovingly. It's like entering a shop where the proprietor loves his wares and displays them before you. "Look, isn't it beautiful?"

Gender
If you know jo_graham, you won't be surprised that gender is handled with refreshing variance and sensitivity. There are a variety of roles for each, all historically accurate. And all of them remain human rather than model, vivid and memorable.
Now that I think of it, almost all roles are paralelled between both genders, with the one exception being warrior (though the bravery of Neas's wife, for example, is recalled and praised). There's an almost perfect balance of genders between the characters, and that lets the reader regard them as themselves, not the representatives of a biological trait.

All else
I could go on like this for a while. And I'm sure there will be more the next time I read the book. But in the meantime, I'm waiting very, very eagerly for Handmaiden, in which Gull is a whole different kettle of fish.



Incidentally, I'm currently working on a story set in Greek mythology for lgbtfest. Re-reading Black Ships, I was reminded of two major issues about that pantheon - how powerful and mysterious was the female, and how dreary, thought-losing, the afterlife. Endless fields of grain under an eternal sun. I hope no-one will mind if I swipe that sentence.

Comments

[artaxastra.livejournal.com]

I hope no-one will mind if I swipe that sentence.

I am sure no one would! *g*

[winter]

You'll be credited :) Though I feature Thanatos, not Persephone. I've a soft spot for the children of Nyx.