Interview: Kirkus Magazine

July 2023

Elena Douglas’ fascination with the Iliad began when she was 8 years old and her mother read her a children’s version during a summer spent in the White Mountains. When she was older and read the unabridged version for herself, she latched on to the character Briseis. In the Iliad, Briseis becomes the concubine of the hero Achilles and is the subject of an epic fight between Achilles and King Agamemnon. Despite being the subject of drama and turmoil, Briseis herself has little to do in the original text. In her novel Warrior’s Prize, Douglas sets out to pull Briseis from the shadows, exploring the terrifying prospect of becoming a spoil of war, ripped from her home to live with the man who killed her husband:

  • “Maira was torn from my grip, but I managed a quick hug and begged Nesaia to look after her. Then I stood alone on the shore, watching them go toward the smaller of the two remaining ships. These women were all that was left of my life. Most were young wives like me. We’d shared companionable hours over the washing at the spring. Mostly they talked and I listened to their tales of how to remove stains from clothes, or the best way to cook beans, or the difficulties of childbirth, or even sometimes, guardedly, how to keep a husband happy. We’d shared stories and toil, laughter and tears. Being a part of their pain would have eased my own. Their company would have lessened my fear. But Achilleus had taken even this from me.”

Kirkus Reviews writes that, “in making Briseis the hero of her story, Douglas skillfully gives center stage to women who are mostly silent pawns or invisible in the Iliad and most texts inspired by it,” and calls Warrior’s Prize “a carefully crafted tale that offers a fresh, woman-centered reevaluation of an ancient story.”

Douglas, who lives with her husband in Berkeley, California, knew for years that she wanted to write Warrior’s Prize. She was immediately taken with Briseis, though despite being one of the richest texts in history, the Iliad itself didn’t give her much to go on. “Reading the full Iliad was a mind-changer,” says Douglas. “It’s one of my ‘desert island’ books. The characters are so developed, it’s almost like reading a modern novel. But Briseis is just in the background while the whole plot revolves around her!”

Therefore, Douglas’ task as a reader and as an author was to put together what Briseis might have been thinking and feeling. But it took nine years of writer’s block to get there. “Her story was just begging to be told,” says Douglas. “But the big problem [in] writing about Briseis is that she’s offstage for all the action. So I had this passive protagonist, and I had to work and work to make her active.”

Douglas’ biggest hurdle in the task to make Briseis an active protagonist was that for the most climactic moment in her story—the death of Patroclus—Briseis is not physically present. And, of course, it didn’t help that Douglas had her own life to live, with her own children to put through college with all the financial aid forms and bureaucracy that come with that, to say nothing of her teaching career. “I’d say to myself, You’re calling yourself a writer, but you’re not! Forget it!” But Douglas refused to give in to the little voice telling her to quit until finally, she figured out how to solve her problem around Patroclus’ death.

Readers will have to pick up a copy of Warrior’s Prize to learn how Douglas untangled that knot, but she says that once she found her solution, she “couldn’t stop writing” and had to take a paper and pen with her everywhere to write down her overflowing thoughts. Douglas doesn’t claim that she was able to keep up the faith the whole time during that decade of writer’s block, but when she at last came up with a solution that would allow her to finish the story, she had “an incredible feeling of wonder and relief.”

Briseis’ difficult lot in life—captured by her enemies, taken as a prize, and fought over like an object—leaves plenty to explore. Douglas was particularly interested in two themes. The first was how and why Briseis’ feelings toward Achilles might evolve over time. How do you fall in love with someone who has killed members of your family in war? And the second was what Douglas describes as “the age-old conflict between men and women everywhere: the man’s desire for achievement or fame or wealth or glory, while the woman, caring for none of those things, wants above all else to have a home and a man’s protection in order to raise her children.”

But throughout Briseis’ conflicts with the various men who control her life, Douglas never loses sight of what brought her to Briseis in the first place: the lack of agency for the women of the Iliad. Briseis encounters other famous women like Andromache and Helen of Troy, but this time with Douglas’ imagination filling out their inner lives and likely alliances and grudges. Kirkus notes that Douglas’ take on the Iliad “adds emotional heft to the bare bones of a foundational work of Western literature.”

Fans of Douglas’ interpretation have another novel inspired by the classics to look forward to. She actually wrote an entirely different novel while researching Warrior’s Prize. That novel, Shadow of Athena, centers on a mysterious ritual in honor of the goddess Athena. And Douglas is working on a memoir that will describe her colorful childhood, including that fateful summer when she first met Briseis.

Chelsea Ennen is a writer living in Brooklyn.

A Response to my Kirkus Review

Lauren McElroy perfectly rebutted the part of my review that I felt was unjustified. Here is what she wrote:

DOES ELENA DOUGLAS “BREAK WITH TRADITION” IN HER RECENT NOVEL WARRIOR”S PRIZE? The novel’s protagonist is Briseis, a woman taken as booty by the Greeks during the war portrayed in the Iliad. The Kirkus review says that “[i]n making Briseis the hero of her story, Douglas skillfully gives center stage to women who are mostly silent pawns or invisible in the Iliad and most texts inspired by it.” The reviewer also calls Warrior’s Prize “[a] carefully crafted tale that offers a fresh, woman-centered reevaluation of an ancient story” However, the reviewer then seems to imply that Briseis should be thinking, feeling and acting in line with “the roles of honor and a heroic death” in Homer’s world. But isn’t this the point of a historical novel, giving the reader an opportunity to imagine personages from history as real people? Isn’t it possible, and even likely, that Briseis had feelings and motives differing from those of the patriarchal society in which she was captive? What do you think? (See review here: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/…/elena…/warriors-prize/

Thanks to the National Archaeological Museum of Naples for this photo of a 1st century Pompeiian wall fresco depicting Briseis being transferred as booty from Achilles to Agamemnon

WARRIOR’S PRIZE is published!

Available from Penmore Press and Amazon, on Kindle as of April 11, 2022. Paperback coming soon.

 

 

 

 

 

Briseis’ world is shattered when her hometown is sacked thanks to its proximity to Troy at the height of the ancient war. The great Achaean warrior Achilleus kills her husband and takes her as a captive slave, and her loyal heart fills with the desire for revenge. Beautiful yet embittered, Briseis soon struggles with feelings for the brave and noble Achilleus, but finds herself a pawn as he battles his ruthless king, Agamemnon. Briseis, pushed and pulled between a man she loves and another she loathes, realizes she must find a way to escape the bonds of men and the horrors of war to control her own destiny. Even in the midst of slaughter, when all seems hopeless and the bravest warriors fall, she must discover her courage and reclaim her life.

The Cover for WARRIOR’S PRIZE

Here is the cover art for WARRIOR’S PRIZE.  It definitely aligns with the mood of the book. Here is the blurb on the back:

Briseis’ world is shattered when her hometown is sacked thanks to its proximity to Troy at the height of the ancient war. The great Achaean warrior Achilleus kills her husband and takes her as a captive slave, and her loyal heart fills with the desire for revenge. Beautiful yet embittered, Briseis soon struggles with feelings for the brave and noble Achilleus, but finds herself a pawn as he battles his ruthless king, Agamemnon. Briseis, pushed and pulled between a man she loves and another she loathes, realizes she must find a way to escape the bonds of men and the horrors of war to control her own destiny. Even in the midst of slaughter, when all seems hopeless and the bravest warriors fall, she must discover her courage and reclaim her life.

 

Editorial Review of WARRIOR’S PRIZE from Readers’ Favorite

Warrior’s Prize, by Elena Douglas

Reviewed By: Jennifer Ibiam

Review Rating: 5 Stars – Congratulations on your 5-star review!

Reviewed By Jennifer Ibiam for Readers’ Favorite

A peaceful walk to see the Trojan princes with her husband marked the end of her tranquil life. Achilleus and the Achaeans invaded her home, Lyrnessos, and wiped out the males on the order of King Agamemnon. It was a series of losses for Briseis. First, her husband fell, then her beloved brother and her unborn baby. On top of that, she became a captive and Achilleus’ war prize. Briseis swore to avenge the deaths of her kin. However, her troubles had only just begun as she found herself in the enemy camp on a quest for survival. With everything taken from her, romantic feelings for Achilleus, and the jealous, bitter Aglaia threatening her life, what choice would Briseis make? Vengeance or passion? Find out in Warrior’s Prize by Elena Douglas.

Warrior’s Prize by Elena Douglas is a wonderful novel, one that deserves to be on the big screen. I loved everything about it, from the plot to the storyline, writing style, and historical flavor. The themes explored included honor, betrayal, loyalty, survival, war, wit, and the quest for power. Douglas created a cast of memorable characters that I connected with, like Diomede, Andromache, Briseis, Patroklos, and more. They were strong in their ways and flawed, yet fair and lovable. Briseis falling from one trouble to another brought me a cocktail of emotions, especially when the feelings crept in. She had the courage of a thousand warriors, which I admired. Douglas is a gifted storyteller, and I hope to read more from her.

SHADOW OF ATHENA wins Award from Readers’ Favorite

Earlier this year I entered Shadow of Athena in the annual Readers’ Favorite book contest. Among many entries, it was chosen for Honorable Mention for the Fiction-Adventure genre! Below is a screenshot, and also the link to Readers’ Favorite that gives the contest results. In order to find my book, you need to  enter the genre: Fiction – Adventure; or the title, Shadow of Athena.

https://readersfavorite.com/2020-award-contest-winners.htm

A Writer’s Musings on the ILIAD and its Difficult Hero

Once I sat in a dentist’s office waiting for my appointment and reading a fascinating critique of the Iliad. When I heard my name called, a young technician came to fetch me, and seeing the book in my hands, gave me a look of profound sympathy. “Oh, dear,” he said, “is that for a class?”

No, it is my passion, I wanted to say, for the Iliad opened the door for me into the ancient world of pre-classical Greece and is the inspiration for my second novel, Warrior’s Prize. I’ve read many scenes from it countless times, for the sheer beauty of its language as well as for its profound truths about life. As much as any masterpiece of any age, it comes alive for me. Here are the thoughts I offer to those who don’t know the Iliad and think that reading it might be some form of torture—as well as those familiar with the text who might enjoy a lighter touch.

A WRITER’S MUSINGS ON THE ILIAD AND ITS DIFFICULT HERO

THE BEGINNING

A long time ago I opened a book about the Trojan War, anticipating a dull tome, given that it was an ancient classic. To my surprise I was immediately swept up into a terrifying conflict between two dangerous men. From that moment I could not stop reading.

I like to imagine that when Homer (even supposing he existed and was only one person) first started writing the Iliad, he began it with dozens of stanzas praising the gods and invoking muses, as poets were wont to do back then. But when he submitted this early draft of his manuscript, his editor (perhaps Zeus) sent it back and said, “Homer, my lad, nobody wants to wade through all this claptrap. Get to the story fast—the conflict. In the first few stanzas. The first lines, even.”

So Homer did. I can think of few works of literature that plunge us into the action and the characters faster than the Iliad. Before you can catch your breath, our hero Achilles and his overlord Agamemnon are engaged in a deadly dispute, hurling insults at each other in the presence of the assembled Greek army. This clash will have dire consequences for the outcome of the Trojan War and everyone involved in it.

THE HERO

You might open the Iliad expecting one-dimensional warrior heroes and thinking to yourself, “Bored already.” Well, prepare to be surprised. The characters are varied and far from flat, and Achilles, most of all, fairly leaps off the page as a fully formed albeit flawed human being. Although he has all the attributes of the conventional hero, he is far deeper and more complex. He has many gifts, but also weaknesses and vulnerability, and a bad side as well as a good side.

Because of his stubborn pride and terrible temper, his bad side is worse than most. In fact you don’t want to get on Achilles’ bad side. You could end up dead. His vulnerability is not, as some might expect, his heel. That is never mentioned in Homer’s Iliad. It was apparently incorporated into the legend several centuries later, perhaps stolen from another myth. Achilles is as vulnerable as the rest of us. But his greatest vulnerability—his true “Achilles’ heel,” which will be his undoing—is his love for his dearest friend Patroklos.

THE PLOT

You may have heard that there are very few original plots in the world. One of the most common is: “Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl.” (See Pride and Prejudice, among others). The plot of the Iliad has a slightly different twist. It goes something like this: “Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy loses boy, boy gets girl.”

Spoiler (but not really—you will learn this in the first two pages): Agamemnon is forced to give up one of his female slaves because her capture has displeased a god. To make up for this, he commandeers Achilles’ favorite slave girl Briseis, awarded to him as a prize for his valor in battle. Robbed of his honor and deeply hurt, Achilles withdraws from the war. In his fury he swears a solemn oath that no matter how dire their need, he will never fight for the Greeks again. He threatens to sail for home.

Agamemnon says, “Pooh on him! We don’t need him.” And the Greeks continue to fight the Trojans without their greatest warrior.

THE BATTLES

If you love violence, you will love the battle scenes. And you will get lots of them, with great details: men skewered by spears, gashed with swords, spilling their intestines, eyeballs, and other body parts all over the battlefield. Homer describes them very visually, with loads of great similes. If this is not really your thing, you may skim through them, stopping only to pay attention to the single combat scenes, the interesting taunts and insults, and the scene where two opponents stop fighting each other to compare their ancestry DNA, and discover they are related.

THE HERO AT A CROSSROADS

As it turns out, the Greeks do need Achilles. Things go very badly for them without their greatest warrior. So they decide to make reparations and beg him to return to battle. Agamemnon sends a deputation of three men offering many gifts to Achilles (including giving the girl back) but doesn’t deign to go himself.

But Achilles has had a lot of time to ponder the meaning of his existence. He has reconsidered this whole war thing and decided he’d rather return home and have a peaceful, uneventful life. The Fates have given him a choice between long life in obscurity or an early death in battle with everlasting fame. A part of him still yearns for everlasting fame, but due to the loss of his honor and the oath he has bound himself with, he cannot return to the war.

The deputation must go back to Agamemnon empty-handed, but not before Achilles points out the irony that the war is about recovering a stolen woman (Helen) from the Trojans, while Agamemnon steals a woman from one of his own men.

BOY LOSES BOY

Things continue to go very badly for the Greeks. At last his dear friend Patroklos, persuades Achilles to let him go to battle disguised in Achilles’ armor and leading Achilles’ men. Long story short: It doesn’t work. Patroklos is not up to the challenge, ends up facing the Trojan champion Hector, and gets offed in very short order.

REVENGE

Achilles is torn with grief, made worse by the knowledge that this was his fault. He dons new armor and goes out to exact his revenge on the Trojans. There is no stopping his killing spree, until at last he comes face to face with Hector, makes short work of him, and drags the body back to his camp, where for days on end, he continues to wreak his rage upon it. Like I said, you don’t want to be on Achilles’ bad side. Priam, Hector’s father, knows this when he comes to try to ransom back the body of his dead son. He fears things will not go well.

THE END

But don’t worry! Didn’t I tell you Achilles has a good side? Atonement and redemption are just around the corner. Achilles’ best self has returned, his fair-minded, warm-hearted, magnanimous best self. When Priam, his enemy, comes as a beggar on his knees, Achilles takes pity on him. He raises him up, comforts his tears, and treats him with great compassion as an honored guest. In one of the most sublime passages in all of literature, he reflects upon the universality of suffering. Centuries before the birth of Christ, he learns that it is in forgiving that we are forgiven.

He does not die in the Iliad—not until later in the war. But for now he is at peace.

End of story? Not quite! In his very last moment on stage before the final curtain, our hero gets his girl, Briseis.

If you haven’t read the Iliad, you don’t know what you’re missing!