Troy: Our Greatest Story Retold (Stephen Fry’s Greek Myths, 3)

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After reading and absolutely adoring both Mythos and Heroes, I was like a child at Christmas when I saw this at the bookstore where I work. My excitement only rose when I saw that it was about the Illiad and Troy. And of course, no surprise there, Stephen Fry's newest installment to his Great Mythology series was brilliant. Troy. The most marvellous kingdom in all the world. The Jewel of the Aegean. Glittering Ilion, the city that rose and fell not once but twice …’ The only thing I found my Troy is a story that I believe we all know, and it is probably because of that that I did not love this. But, despite reading countless retellings of this tale, I still enjoyed this version, and I believe that is testament unto itself. With a story that has been told a thousandfold, it can be very hard to portray they story from an interesting perspective. Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker achieved this brilliantly. But I believe that Stephen Fry’s attempt to stay as close to the accepted ‘mythology’ meant he could not really explore in that direction, which meant bird of this story felt like regurgitations of the same story we have heard of many times.

An amiable meander through the historic sources . . . Fry's light and graceful tone helps to ease the unfamiliar reader through the complicated genealogies The Times In Troy you will find heroism and hatred, love and loss, revenge and regret, desire and despair. It is these human passions, written bloodily in the sands of a distant shore, that still speak to us today. Fierce nurse of prophets, princes, heroes, warriors, and poets. Under the protection of ARES, ARTEMIS, APOLLO, and APHRODITE, she stood for years as the paragon of all that can be achieved in the arts of war and peace, trade and treaty, love and art, statecraft, piety, and civil harmony. When she fell, a hole opened in the human world that may never be filled, save in memory." And witness the epic climax - the wooden horse, delivered to the city of Troy in a masterclass of deception by the Greeks . . . Like I've said before, I had not been very well-read (still ain't) nor particularly interested in Greek mythology. But with Mythos Stephen Fry did pique my interest.

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I read Mythos and enjoyed it, listened to Heroes and loved it, listened to Troy and enjoyed it. A great first three instalments, with what I believe is only one more to come. When The Odyssey is released, I will most definitely carry on following Stephen Fry's masterful narration for the retelling of one of the most epic return journeys of all time. But the major change most readers would notice here lies with the flow of main plotline. For the first time in this series, we are moving along a single storyline. It's no longer a collection of short-stories, but a gradual, organized build-up towards the Trojan war. I believe that made the reading experience much more immersive compared to Mythos and Heroes. As always, a highly enjoyable read. Fry takes us from the founding myth of Troy, through its most famous inhabitants and the infamous war, to the razing of the city by the vengeful and victorious Achaeans Times Drama - "You’re a big fellow, Ajax, and very strong, but our most valuable asset? I don’t think so.” Odysseus’s smiling modesty was more than Ajax could bear. He stormed from the meeting, leaving behind a stunned and sorrowful silence. “Dear me,” said Odysseus. “What a pity. I’ve always liked Ajax, you know. My deputy Eurylochus will stop by to transfer the armor to my ship. I’ll see you all for supper later on?” Ajax, meanwhile, stamped off to his tent, convinced that he had been deliberately snubbed and insulted."

I must say, Mythos has been my favourite book of Fry's so far, but that does not take-away from my love of his other books (particularly those of the Greek Mythology genre). An Olympian feat. The gods seem to be smiling on Fry - his myths are definitely a hit' Evening Standard It is, however, a work that strikes a very wonderful balance between erudition and an unproblematic focus on the most important characters, but it explains everything in an easy voice often punctuated with wry humor. This is Fry, after all, and he's nothing if not charming and often wry.Troy is a myth in which we seek the truth about ourselves, which Stephen Fry brings breathtakingly to life for our modern age. It is Zeus, the king of the gods, who triggers war when he asks the Trojan prince Paris to judge the fairest goddess of them all. Aphrodite bribes Paris with the heart of Helen, wife of King Menelaus of the Greeks, and nature takes its course. I particularly enjoyed Troy for it's unexpected humour! Calchas' predictions (or rather, Agamemnon's reactions to his predictions) were particularly giggle inducing! Agamemnon dubbed Calchas "The Prophet of Evil," and with good reason too. Maybe there were a couple too many footnotes. But a lot of them were rather charming as well. So I'll give him a pass. I still doubt that I will remember much of it. It's just too much information. But it is nevertheless a very readable and enjoyable book, thanks to Fry's wry humor, capable guidance and charming narrative voice.

An inimitable retelling of the siege of Troy . . . Fry's narrative, artfully humorous and rich in detail, breathes life and contemporary relevance into these ancient tales Observer From the founding of the city of Troy to the story of the apple of discord, Helen's very unusual conception, Odysseus' schemes, Achilles' tantrums and finally, the majestic trap of the horse: not a detail is missing from this epic story of passion and blood, and Fry's trademark erudite wit paints a bright and lively picture of each chapter. I saw TROY on NetGalley and jumped at getting to read one of Stephen Fry’s Trilogy. Last year at the virtual Hay Festival in Wales (thank you Richard) I had the opportunity to hear the author read an excerpt of his book and delighted at his storytelling as well as his voice.

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Stephen Fry takes the reader into the heart of a story both mythical and grounded in history Northern Life Magazine