Troy
Stephen Fry
The story of Troy speaks to all of us - the kidnapping of Helen, a queen celebrated for her beauty, sees the Greeks launch a thousand ships against the city of Troy, to which they will lay siege for ten whole years. It is a terrible war with casualties on all sides as well as strained relations between allies, whose consequences become tragedies. In Troy you will find heroism and hatred, love and loss, revenge and regret, desire and despair. more
414 pages, Hardcover
First published Michael Joseph
4.35
Rating
29339
Ratings
2738
Reviews
Stephen Fry
235 books 10361 followers
Stephen John Fry is an English comedian, writer, actor, humourist, novelist, poet, columnist, filmmaker, television personality and technophile. As one half of the Fry and Laurie double act with his comedy partner, Hugh Laurie, he has appeared in A Bit of Fry and Laurie and Jeeves and Wooster. He is also famous for his roles in Blackadder and Wilde, and as the host of QI. In addition to writing for stage, screen, television and radio he has contributed columns and articles for numerous newspapers and magazines, and has also written four successful novels and a series of memoirs.See also Mrs. Stephen Fry as a pseudonym of the author.
Community reviews
"Somebody find me my damned seer. " Problem with reading books about Troy or Trojan War is that you begin the book knowing that there are no happy endings for a single character involved. It's impossible to pick a favorite side, so everything always comes down to a lose-lose situation. I was actually surprised to see Fry go such a tragedy, breaking away from his usual light, and funny short-stories. "All things, Troy included, begin and end with ZEUS. more
“No, Paris was not a good boy. ” Ancient Greeks sure loved their sprawling soap opera dramas, didn’t they. Game of Thrones can shut up and sit in the corner quietly and take notes and learn from those epic bloody myths. “How strange is our mortal zest for fame. Perhaps it is the only way humans can be gods. more
I don't even have the words to describe my excitement for this. . more
Greek mythology - few things are as epic as the stories of Herakles’ deeds, Odysseus’ wits, or Achilles’ prowess. And here, we get one of THE most famous tales: the rise and fall of Troy. Troy, the jewel of the Aegean Sea. Ruled by Priam, defended by Hector, but ultimately doomed by Paris. In this book, Stephen Fry once again proves his talent in not only knowing every detail of the source material but of also cunningly choosing what is interesting and important and what would be too repetitive or killing the reader with boredom (anyone having read The Iliad will know what I mean). more
Stephen Fry's retellings of the Greek myths and epics resonate with the educator, parent, and hopefully, someday grandparent in me. While I thoroughly enjoyed Mythos and Heroes, Troy is my favorite in the series thus far. Fry uses Homer, Ovid, and Virgil as his sources. In addition to the Illiad, the book includes the stories of The Judgement of Paris, the Birth of Achilles, the Abduction of Helen, the Trojan Horse, and the sack of Troy. Fry's writing is lively and witty. more
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. Stephen Fry’s TROY is a retelling of the 10 year epic battle of the Trojan War. Achilles, Agamemnon, Odysseus, Menelaus, Helen of Sparta, Hector of Troy, and Paris are portrayed in all their glory as the heroes or villains that they are. Told in an easily understood prose, TROY is intense and humorous. more
I loved this take on the Illiad, but let me say exactly HOW and WHY I loved it. Of course, there are much more detailed and complex analyses of the work. There are probably dozens if not a hundred different translations and fanboys *scholars* who can tell you things like how much wood was used to make the horse. This is not that. 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. more
The rise and fall of Troy told by Stephen Fry, in his unparalleled wit and verve. He's really some charming guy. 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. Nevertheless, it was again a struggle to keep all the characters and their relationships straight. more
4. 5/5“When she fell, a hole opened in the human world that may never be filled, save in memory. Poets must sing the story over and over again, passing it from generation to generation, lest in losing Troy we lose a part of ourselves. ”Stephen Fry relies upon various sources in compiling this comprehensive volume that begins with the origins and foundations of the city of Troy (mythical, historical and geographical) and proceeds to paint a picture of the immortal and mortal forces that lead to the events that ultimately result in the Trojan War. “When the gods play so deep a part in our affairs, we should count ourselves cursed. more
“We achieve immortality not through ambrosia and ichor but through history and reputation. Through statues and epic song. ” 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. more
This is now October and the limb that I am going out on might might no longer be as fragile when I say: THIS COULD BE THE BEST BOOK I HAVE READ IN 2022 (and I have read more than 150). I’ll give you more of the reasons at the end of this review. Stephen Fry assures us: "…no preexisting knowledge of the Greek mythological world is presumed or required for you to embark on Troy. As I remind you from time to time, especially early on in the book, do not think for a minute that you have to remember all those names, places, and familial interrelationships. To give background, I do describe the founding of many different dynasties and kingdoms; but I assure you that, when it comes to the main action, the different threads turn from a tangle into a tapestry. more
أهذا هو الوجه الذي أشرع ألف سفينة ؟ وأحرق أبراج طروادة الشاهقة ؟ يا هيلين الجميلة امنحيني الخلود، بقبلة" مارلو. more
With Stephen Fry's usual wit and humour, this is a fantastic retelling of the Siege of Troy. I have to say that the audio version of this is spot on, and Fry remains one of my favourite narrators. . more
3. 5***”A thunderbolt might blast an enemy to atoms, but love’s dart can bring down whole kingdoms and dynasties. ”I wasn’t too sure what to expect going into this- whether it would be another Iliad retelling or more. In this Stephen Fry takes the reader through important family lines of the Iliad, the abduction of Helen of Sparta, the events encountered in the Iliad, as well as Troy’s downfall. In this Stephen Fry does much more than retell the Iliad, he has included the Homeric Hymns (which recount build up/downfall of Troy) and the beginning of Virgil’s Aenid, as well as using some of the tragedies by Euripides and Aeschylus. more
„Ако тази история, историята на Троя, има някакво значение или съдържа поука, това е старият, простичък урок, че всяко действие има своите последици. “Войната, в която е невъзможно да се избере страна. Поне аз се опитах и не успях. Може би защото става дума за чист, приключенски героизъм, а не за идеология. Достойнството, с което се отбраняват троянците и смелостта на гърците, добрият цар Приам, суетният Парис, блестящият Хектор, хитроумният Одисей, импулсивният Агамемнон, непобедимият Аякс Теламонов; а от друга страна недостойните и безчестни прояви и от двата лагера – как да избереш страна. more
Does exactly what it says on the back, covering the story of Troy and its ultimate downfall. We have the beautiful Helen, the wooden horse, the bickering God's. We have a million characters and family trees (Fry even notes that there's literally no point trying to remember everyone's names and families) and the famous Achilles. I will say that this ends very abruptly. We have the sacking of Troy, and that's it. more
“We achieve immortality not through ambrosia and ichor but through history and reputation. Through statues and epic song. ”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. more
Stephen Fry recounts the war of Troy, beginning with the families of the major players and ending with the sacking of Troy. (The Iliad only covers about a quarter of the story. ) His rendition is humorous and very approachable, his narration is brilliant as usual. I knew the story, even if I did not recall every character (there are too many), and it was a lot of fun to experience it in his telling. Whether you know the story or not, this is time well spent - and definitely on audio. more
"We achieve immortality not through ambrosia and ichor but through history and reputation. Through statues and epic song. " The third volume of Fry’s Great Mythology series covers the events that led to the founding, the siege, and the ultimate fall of Troy, drawing mostly from Homer’s Iliad, but other sources as well. It is an accessible, captivating and surprisingly complete (if sometimes rushed) retelling of our greatest epic story, told with Fry’s usual and palpable passion for Greek Mythology, albeit noticeably less wit than the previous installments—I guess that a tragic, decade-long war doesn’t provide too much comedic material. The thing about Fry is that he knows his stuff and likes to give a full picture, but he also knows his audience. more
I enjoyed this one but probably not for the prime reason Mr Fry wrote it. It was the wee footnotes that educated me on the roots of so many words in English and other bits of trivia that I found most interesting. I also enjoyed the gentle, wry humour. I think the subject matter limits it to anything more than 3 stars - the story of Troy is so well known I would imagine its difficult to write anything fresh about it. So, enjoyable but not remarkable. more
"Zeus sighed heavily. 'I wish, all those years ago, Prometheus hadn't persuaded me to make mankind,' he said. 'I knew it was a mistake. '"After reading Fry's wonderful book of Greek mythology (https://www. goodreads. more
Stephen Fry has written a witty, entertaining and amazingly accessible history of the Trojan war. Despite already possessing a deep and detailed knowledge of Greek mythology, which comes from repeatedly watching Jason and the Argonauts and Clash of the Titans, I really enjoyed this. more
In Troy, the third volume in his Greek Myths Reimagined series (following on from his bestsellers Mythos and Heroes), Stephen Fry re-tells the complex, timeless and thrilling story of the Trojan War. Fry's narrative is based primarily on the story as related in Homer's The Iliad (c. 800BCE), although he also draws on other relevant ancient texts including Aeschylus's The Orestia (c. 458BCE), Euripides's Iphigenia at Aulis (c. 420BCE), and Virgil's The Aeneid (c. more
I love Stephen Fry. I love learning about Greek Mythology. The two combined. A match made in Olympus. 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). more
3. 5 stars. A comprehensive narrative about the lead-up to the lengthy battle of Troy. Stephen Fry is clearly an expert, and I was awed by his ability to weave together so many lineages into a complex and colorful tapestry. His occasional injection of humor - directed to the reader - lightened some of the name-dense sections. more
Excellent retelling of the story of the Trojan War. This book tells the whole story, bringing together many stories and plays written in different ages by different writers on the subject of Troy, Fry brings them all together neatly. A large part of the book is spent on the causes and preparation of the war, the creation of Troy and all myths surrounding it. Which heroes were present and why, and which God and Goddess supported which side. All very interesting and it prepares the reader well for the second part of the book, everything that happens during the war, in the Iliad and the aftermath. more
This book and its cover truly is a gift worthy of a thousand ships 🙌🏼. more
Фрай с каждым новым томом все лучше и лучше. Это уже настоящий роман, во многих отношениях круче и богаче "Войны и мира", конечно, потому что генетическая культурная прошивка у нас оттуда, а вовсе не от Толстого. Теперь ждем "Одиссею" (а я еще и "Энеиду" хочу, и дальше. ). more