Troy (Stephen Fry’s Great Mythology #3)

I said that “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down” in my review of one of the previous volumes. I felt it even more, here. Stephen Fry is a delight to listen to, and I doubt anyone could have done a better job with the story of the Trojan War and all the myths that accompany it. But I wasn’t impressed with the Odyssey and the Iliad in high school, and though 50+ years later I have come to appreciate many books that I didn’t enjoy so much in high school (Dickens, whom I now love, for example), this has not improved with (my) age. War for no good reason. Maybe no war has a really good reason, but this is totally absurd, and they know it. The gods on this side or that. On and on and on. So much hyperbole: the most beautiful, the most valuable, the most powerful. Eh. “Love” for the shallowest of reasons. There are books about war (War and Peace, Stalingrad are two of the best) that can evoke all the emotions and be real, presenting real characters who are developed with all the human flaws. At the every end, in his appendix, Fry says that these stories show all the human weaknesses: envy, pride, lust, etc. and no one has ever done it better than Homer. I beg to differ. I know that these stories are part of the canon and are part of our vocabulary and so I took my medicine. But I can think of so many modern great books that do it better: Les Miserables, A Tale of Two Cities, and so many other great works do it better. I imagine that Shakespeare fans would also think Shakespeare did it better. So, if you need to learn about the mythology of the Trojan War, maybe no one can do it better than Fry, but I am not a convert to appreciating the greatness of this ancient literature.

Would give 10 stars if possible. I’ve listened to Mythos and Hero’s several times and no doubt it will be the same for Troy! Hoping and praying he’ll cover the Odyssey next.

just another amazing book by Stephen Fry who by all means should be granted Greek citizenship. not only it makes a very well-told story compelling but his own performance in narrating this book makes it worthwhile to read and read again or listen and listen again

The third book in the series, following on from Mythos and Heroes. I recommend the audio book version read by Stephen Fry. Another view of the story of Helen and the Trojan horse but with a Stephen Fry flavour and I especially appreciated the 2 appendices which provide more background of the stories the period in time when they happened and the question whether they are history, myth or fantasy – or maybe a combination of all three?

Absolutely a great story interpreted by Stephen Fry. Draws you in and keeps you hooked. Now waiting for the Odyssey.

Galaxyaudiobook Member Benefit

- Able to comment

- List watched audiobooks

- List favorite audiobooks

- Bookmark will only available for Galaxyaudiobook member