Troy Story

We’re just one week in to 2021 and I’m already failing at my resolution to write reviews as soon as I finish a book. I blame Antifa.

Anyhoo, tearing myself away from The Stupidest Coup, Troy was the perfect book to start my year with and Stephen Fry the perfect host. I’d already devoured Mythos which dealt with the birth of the gods, and Heroes which dealt with the age of Heracles, Theseus and co, so it was a safe bet that I’d love this – especially given that the fall of Troy is, in my not so humble opinion, the greatest story ever told. Excitingly, it seems he’ll soon be following this up with the second greatest story ever told – The Odyssey.

Fry tells the story with aplomb, complete with dry wit and helpful footnotes plus assurances that he’ll explain the various family trees and inconsistencies that we encounter along the way. The way Fry deals with dialogue and interactions of the various epic characters helps bring them much more down to earth, with relatable motivations, although I must admit that due to said dry wit I didn’t feel quite the same level of emotion that I normally do with this story (the death of Hector makes usually makes me weep like the freshly bereaved while I just got a throat lump here, and the fiery fury that normally sees me attempting to send death rays at Achilles was downgraded to a mere temper).

But that’s a very minor quibble and Troy is another fantastic addition to my bookshelves. I can’t wait until The Odyssey joins it.