Troy

Greek mythology was a part of literature in school and I did learn a bit back then. The translations tended to be rather dry so I wasn’t enthralled with it like some people are. Still, I picked up some of the basics with the regular forays into that branch of literature. I’ve revisited some of the stories more recently, having reread Homer’s “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey” a few years ago. I enjoyed that for what it was and there was a certain beauty to the writing there. But I still wasn’t terribly engaged.

Perhaps what was lacking is a translation with good storytelling. In this book, we have some beautiful storytelling where the myths come alive like I’ve not seen before. I am quite familiar with Stephen Fry and I can just imagine hearing him narrate these stories. I was able to feel the stories in ways I have never done before and there’s a chance more of the story will stick with me in the long term. Of course, with the improved storytelling, I found it to be even more blood-thirsty than I would have in the past. This version really shows there are no good or bad guys in these stories. Just flawed characters with some very human traits like greed, rage, and jealousy.

One of the books’ outstanding features is the number of illustrations and images included. This just adds more depth to the stories, seeing how events were depicted in ancient times. Also, the book abounds with footnotes which are filled with fuller explanations and more information to round out the reader’s knowledge. That said, sometimes it was hard to keep reading footnotes as I read the story as there were so many. Perhaps that might be a reason to go back for a second read?

I will add one last remark, about all the names in the stories. I knew there were many that I don’t recall but this book makes clear that the ones I remember are really a tiny part of the mythology. Fry often reminds readers that it’s really not necessary to worry about remembering all these characters. But in case you still worry, there is a list of characters at the end of the book to help keep track.

I give this book 4.5 stars. I want to thank Netgalley and Chronicle books for sharing an advanced reader copy for free. I have voluntarily written this review.