Troy

Troy is the third volume in Fry's retelling of the ancient myths and legends of Ancient Greece and, like Mythos and Heroes before it, Troy does not disappoint. This is not just a modernisation of Homer's Iliad, although that epic poem obviously forms the foundation of this book. Fry also takes the time to explain the complicated lineages of the main players such as Agamemnon, Menelaus, Helen, Odysseus, Hector, Paris and others, fleshing out the story and giving motivation and depth to many of the characters.

Fry writes with style and wit, explaining detail with copious footnotes where he needs to, but otherwise letting the story flow. His vast knowledge of the subject is evident and he treats the tale with respect, never descending to parody or overdoing the humour.

It's a fine and valuable retelling of an epic for modern readers, ensuring that the stories live on for generations to come.

While I'm a fan of mythology and retellings of them in general, I don't usually pick up Greek mythology stuff because there are too many names and I have such trouble keeping track of them. While I did enjoy listening to the audios of Mythos and Heroes, it was more for the experience rather than actually trying to grasp and memorize the stories. But the story of the fall of Troy seems to be the only one I know a bit, virtue of some movies and shows I've seen as well as loving The Song of Achilles.

So this was actually fun to listen coz not everything was unfamiliar. It was also interesting to get to know the backstories of some of the major players of the Trojan War and how they came to be. But after deeply connecting with Achilles and Patroclus as a couple in TSoA, it was hard to see them not have a similar relationship in here. But overall, Stephen Fry's narration brings so much life to the story. He also seemed to be less sarcastic in this one compared to the previous two, but it seems to have suited this particular story, making it an enjoyable listen for someone like me, who is not well versed in the Iliad.