I have been a fan of Mr. Fry for a long time. Happily his writing is as intuitive as his humor. Here he is retelling the story of Troy. He treats us to the passion, the intrigue,the wisdom of an age long written off as boing. He writes with a real love of all that is history. He captures the fierce nature of man and the woman who ‘launched a thousand ships’ . It is a fitting addition to his series. The characters breathe in his retelling and are at once heroic and human. Happy reading

Huge amount of thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle books for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion/review.
Stephen Fry can do no wrong in my eyes. He does an amazing job of retelling Greek myths and continues to do so in Troy; covering the events leading to the Trojan War and the 10 years of fighting that follow. It is a lengthy book, but SO good. It’s amazing how he can breathe life into a story that is centuries old. His trademark sense of humor and wit are present throughout the book. Fingers crossed he will continue to bless us with more Greek retellings.

True to form, Stephen Fry has written another anthology that any Greek mythology fanatic would love. This detailed, thorough account of Troy and all its players is similar to what you’ve come to know and like in Mythos and Heroes.

This book, as I’ve said, is detailed, and certainly not meant to be read straight through to enjoy it. This is a book you’ll want to come back to and reference frequently. In Fry’s dry humour, he sticks to the predominant narrative in his retellings. For example, he doesn’t represent the coming together of Peleus and Thetis as rape explicitly like you may have read in other novels, instead he explains it as Thetis being too tired to fight it.

Don’t let its thoroughness deter you, Fry’s Troy is a must read for anyone who has an interest in the Battle of Troy, or Greek mythology.

Troy comes out June 22, 2021. Thanks to Net Galley and Chronicle Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Stephen Fry has once again provided history nerds (and laymen alike) with a fantastic retelling of ancient myth and legend. Once again in this third installment of his Greek mythos series Mr Fry provides a wealth of information without overwhelming the reader or causing lost interest.

A highly entertaining retelling of the Trojan War and the tragic fall of Troy. The chapters are kept short so it's easy to take a break and walk away when needed but if you're anything like me, you'll end up wanting to keep going anyway.

Received an ARC of this edition of the book, for which I humbly thank NetGalley and Chronicle Books.

I find Greek myths fascinating. Don't ask me why, because I don't know. I'm a history nerd in general, but Greek mythology has always held a special attraction. I still remember the first book I checked out of the library about them and how it looked, though I can only ballpark my age at "in elementary school". The drama, tragedy and betrayal captivated me even then: Orpheus and Eurydice, Cupid and Psyche, Hercules, Jason and the Argonauts, Odysseus' wanderings. And of course, Troy.

Stephen Fry is no stranger to mythology books, as evidenced by Heroes and Mythos, and when I learned he was going to write about Troy, I was excited. The problem (if there is any) with Greek myths is that it's a giant tangled web of people who have the same names, mortals and gods mixed with muddled parentage and so many characters and places that it can feel impossible to keep it all straight in your head. And the Trojan war is where everyone who is anyone is thrown together, making it even more difficult.

As with his previous books, however, Fry manages to cut through that in most places, deftly plucking out what is important and what isn't and avoiding possible confusion by pointing out himself how complex things can be. And he does so without simplifying the story (much). He doesn't leave out the intervention of the gods, he doesn't gloss over the bits where the story honestly doesn't make sense as written. He just tells it how it is, but in interesting and engaging prose that gives you enough details to keep you interested, but not so much that you get overwhelmed by it all.

That being said, if you're looking for a streamlined and sweeping tale, this might not be the book for you. It is a sweeping and dramatic story, but it's also nonsensical and sometimes requires some suspension of disbelief. But if you're looking for a solid retelling of the Illiad that will keep you interested, this is the book for you.

As a Classicist, this work was an absolute delight.

I have previously read Mythos and Heroes and thoroughly enjoyed both, but I will admit that when it came to Troy, I have been hesitant to pick up a copy. I can't quite say why, but I can say that I have been proven wrong (and I am thrilled about it). For one of the first times, I have held in my hands a book that condenses *all* the information about basically *every* mythological character right there on the same page. Ajax? Salamis? Anchises? Not only does Fry have you covered, but he supplies you with a whole host of footnotes that remind you where you saw the aforementioned character before, who they're related to, where they come from, why they're involved - it is fantastic, and such a relief to not have to keep flipping backwards and forwards through the book to remember how so-and-so is actually someone else's third cousin twice removed by Zeus (aren't they all?). The further condensing of this in the List of Characters at the back is a treat - don't even get me started on the family trees.

I must also congratulate Fry on his knack of presenting an amusing account of the ancient world and ancient epic that also remains unbiased - no easy feat. The representation of Cassandra and Odysseus reflects this particularly well.

My only hesitation might be that, for a non-specialist/non-classicist, totally new to the ancient world, this work could be daunting, as you are (inevitably) overloaded with information. Regardless, I would still recommend the volume to Classicists and non-Classicists alike.

Thank you very much for giving me access to the free eARC - an absolute privilege!

As I have come to expect with this series from Stephen Fry, this is a wonderfully witty and detailed re-telling of the story of Troy. What I always love in these books, and this is no exception, is the fabulous way in which Fry imparts a lot of detail in an accessible way, without ever talking down to the reader. This narrative details the origins of the city, along with the Trojan War and its aftermath. What I will say, is that the Trojan story is probably the most well known and often re-imagined period of Greek mythology, so there aren't many revelations here. Instead what we get is a fun and erudite story that I would definitely recommend, particularly if you have read Mythos and Heroes.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was an epic look at an old story. I enjoyed the retelling of this tragic fall of Troy. I think it was insightful, but not much new information was given.

how can you not love Stephen Fry. I had contact with mythos and heroes both books plus audiobooks were amazing and this one is no exception. Now the author is focusing on the Tales of Troy. His descriptions are straightforward, accessible, and honest, while his dialogue is often irreverent and witty in a refreshing sort of way making the book so easy to continue the reading, breaking in a laugh or two along the way. The short chapters improve the speed because it feels like you are reading so much and you are pulled to keep reading while the photos bring an extra to the book
This is definitely and amazing book and an amazing take on greek myths once again

Stephen Fry has done many things, of which talented author is just one. This is the third in his erudite, witty and well-illustrated books about ancient Greece. His earlier titles, Mythos and Heroes were wonderful (re)tellings of stories, some of which I knew and some of which were new to me. Now Fry has turned his attention to tales of Troy. Yes, readers may think that they already know these stories but I can safely say that they may not and that time with this title is time well spent. I truly enjoyed it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the digital ARC!

I adore the style and structure of Stephen Fry’s Myths Reimagined series, and this installment was no exception. The unique way each easily-digestible section flows from objective, educational descriptions into bite-sized storytelling is something I have yet to see in other books that tackle similar subject matter. His descriptions are straightforward, accessible, and honest, while his dialogue is often irreverent and witty in a refreshing sort of way.

Falling somewhere between reference and retelling, Fry’s “Troy” was yet another hit for me, and considering the beautiful covers and quality of the first two in the series, I look forward to getting my hands on the hard copy following its upcoming publication.

This was a fun re-telling of the classic story of Troy. The format was easy to read, with relatively short chapters and interesting photos and artwork scattered throughout. The narrative highlighted important storylines and gave helpful hints about which details were ok to gloss over. I enjoyed the author's commentary, especially in the footnotes. Definitely enjoyable for a wide array of readers, regardless of whether they are familiar with the story.

Here is another fine volume that is perfect for a reader like myself . I have the average voracious reader's acquaintance with these historical myths. (My Greek friend objects to the use of myth to label what she sees as 100% history.) And my fascination has been hypercharged by reading Circe several years ago and a long string of other such retellings since then. I felt the need for a book like Stephen Fry's that gives the reader a more or less straightforward but not straight faced framework of the Trojan War and the stories of the people both human and divine who were part of it.

SPLENDID BOOK!
I love greek mythology but the thing is that I know nothing about them so this book really helps me to know more about greek gods and goddesses and also their adventure and story! I also read MYTHOS and HEROES!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

If you are interested in an accessible rendition of classics then this is the book for you. My friend is a Head of Classics and she loves them so j have found the books helpful to develop an understanding of the classical world.

Stephen Fry completes his trilogy of Greek tales wit Troy. He takes the Illiad and makes a very readable tale of Homer's poetry of the Trojan War. He takes the time to set the scene, bring together the characters, provide the backstory for the characters and the locations, and then walks the reader through the tale. I first encountered the Trojan War back in the 3rd grade during reading class and then managed to get hold of various Greek mythology books so Fry's style of storytelling is not knew to me. However, Fry does a very good job of placing the myth of Troy in the context of all the Greek myths. Read all three books and enjoy yourselves!

Thanks Netgalley for the chance to read this title!

Any book that tries to tackle the story of Iliad, automatically is on my radar. The original Iliad is a masterwork, but a difficult masterwork to read. But Stephen Fry made the impossible possible - Troy is easy to understand and enjoyable to read.

This book equipped with sarcasm and humor, lets the readers look at the bigger picture. We are introduced to all the major (and not so major) characters, plotlines and ideas long before the Greeks get to Troy. We can get to know the characters and see them change (I am looking at you Paris). What I enjoy about Stephen Fry's writing, is that he humanizes the characters. He doesn't try to excuse their behavior, but tries to show what motivates them. Yes, there are long battle scenes, but the thing that drives the plot are the people.

Another thing that I really liked in this book, was that the author admitted that there are some inconsistencies with Iliad, and didn't try to explain them! He offered some theories, but we, as readers, weren't forced to focus on them.

A definite recommendation for anyone that is interested in (Greek) history and mythology!

Wonderful! Poetical! Fun! Perfect!
Even if you don't know much about Greek mythology, don't skip this one. Stephen Fry is master of storytelling.

I love Stephen Fry, he is such a charismatic and intelligent man, as well as a talented actor and narrator. That makes me even more disappointed that I didn't enjoy Troy .

It was a comprehensive retelling of the Trojan War, outlining all the important characters' roles. As the author repeatedly assured us, we didn't need to remember all the names and details he provided to be able to follow the main story - although, to be fair, I was pretty familiar with it already, and with some of the side-stories. I do wonder why so many details were included if they were not particularly relevant.

It's quite obvious that Stephen Fry is very passionate about Greek mythology and also extremely knowledgeable. Perhaps that's why he wanted to include as much as possible.

I enjoyed the occasional bits of humour, but for me the style was very bland and too summarised. Far too many asides and no added depth. I just felt that I could have read any book about the Trojan War and gotten the same thing out of it.

Maybe I just expected the wrong thing, after reading beautiful and emotional (but fictional) retellings like Madeline Miller's Circe and Song of Achilles. I suppose non-fiction just doesn't do it for me haha.

I did learn some new things, though, but really had to push myself to finish the book.

PS: Poor reading experience on the format provided. Read on my phone, had to read in landscape mode and zoomed in.

One of the best reads for Illiad. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing which was humorous. I watched the movie Troy after this and it all made sense considering the large number of characters and their backstories, relationsips, powers, etc. This is one huge achievement.