If you have read my reviews of Mythos and Heroes, you will know that I am a fan of this series. Though my original plan was to space this book out a bit more and use it as a break from sci-fi and fantasy books in a few months, I could not help myself and dove into it almost immediately after finishing Heroes.
Troy was written by Stephen Fry (author’s website and Amazon profile showing his other books), an actor, comedian, writer, and audiobook narrator (famously for the UK versions of the Harry Potter audiobooks). Troy was released on October 29, 2020. The paperback comes in at 432 pages long.
“You see?’ said Prometheus. ‘It is your fate to be Heracles the hero, burdened with labors, yet it is also your choice. You choose to submit to it. Such is the paradox of living. We willingly accept that we have no will.”
**Note** I am going to assume from here on that you are familiar with the big plot twist at the end of the Trojan War and will not try to avoid spoilers; this story is one of the oldest recorded stories so I think we are past the spoiler warning stage.
I went into this book fully expecting to start with the kidnapping of Helen by Paris. However, Fry takes the time to set the stage. He tells the myths that are needed to give a modern audience the background on the main characters in the Trojan War to set the context. I thought he would have depleted the well of Greek myth in his first two books, but that well has turned out to be incredibly deep.
Then, Fry went into the actual Trojan War. Though I was already familiar with the story since I have read The Iliad (and even studied it and wrote a paper on it in college), the story felt fresh. Fry managed to convey all the emotion that the climactic scenes deserved. The fall of Patroclus had all the rage of Achilles that is the hallmark of that story. The grief of Priam shone. Even the Trojan Horse scene kept me on the edge of my seat despite (obviously) knowing how it would play out.
The book ends with a great little discussion of the line between myth and history. When reading this book, my wife asked me, “Is that story history? Or is it made up?” I told her that it was complicated, and then Fry vindicated my answer with his own chapter that can be boiled down into “It’s complicated.” Fry shows his ability to swing flawlessly from fiction to academic discussion material.
The only downside of this book for me was the length of time that it took to get into the Trojan War. While I enjoyed the background myths, I was ready to move on to the main show. I think that I felt that way because I had just finished Heroes which was entirely in that “short story collection” format, and I honestly think it would not have bothered me if I had a longer break between the books.
Conclusion
Troy is a masterclass in myth retelling. Fry took the source material and shaped it into something understandable for modern audiences–even those who have not studied ancient Greece. Not only does he make it understandable, but he also adds his voice to allow the emotion of this ancient tale truly to shine through. I cannot recommend this series highly enough, and I am hoping we see Fry write a retelling of The Odessey at some point in the future.
You should read this if …
- You like to read. I doubt any reader would fail to enjoy this book.
- You want to experience the emotion of an ancient (yet still relevant) story without slogging through a super long translation of a poem
