Super Short Summary

House of Names by Colm Tóibín is a retelling of the ancient Greek play-cycle the Oresteia, following the cursed family of Agamemnon, King of Mycenae. When Agamemnon sacrifices his daughter Iphigenia to appease the gods, his wife Clytemnestra vows revenge, ultimately murdering Agamemnon; their son Orestes later avenges his father's death by killing Clytemnestra. Themes of grief, isolation, repression, and family dysfunction are explored. This book includes graphic descriptions of violence and sexual assault.