Fry's take on the Trojan War is as much a history of the city and the many people involved as it is a war story. Highly entertaining, and I'll probably try the audio version next year.

A really interesting read. Stephen Fry gave us a magnificent book, that can really fascinate the reader. Welll done!

This was another great book by Mr. Fry, I loved the re imagining of the Greek Mythology, this was such a well done mythology.

An interesting take on mythology that helps it feel relevant, current, and compelling. This was well-structured and researched, but added a unique flavor to the storytelling that often gets lost in typical academic study. I do think some chapters were shorter than needed while others were unnecessary, but overall enjoyed this. It adds dimension to a story many think they already know everything about and humanizes the actions and trauma of the time.

I knew I was going to love it as Stephen Fry never disappoints and his storytelling and humor makes this myths lively and made me discover new aspects.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This book is incredible. I cannot even begin to comprehend the research that has gone into creating it. The amount of names and storylines and detail. It is phenomenal. It actually boggles my brain!

Stephen Fry somehow still seems to make it all manageable though - his warnings about not trying to remember every name or family line were well heeded - and he was right that the needed names and threads would stand out and all come to make sense. I admit there were times I had no clue who or what he was writing/talking about (I listened to come via audio), it didn't seem to matter.

My favourite parts were Achilles and Patroclus (after reading The Song of Achilles, how could it not be?), but I loved all of the characters - heroes and villians, Gods and Godesses. There were lots of parts I had heard before, and I loved hearing them all again and putting it all into place. And there were lots of stories I had never heard. The details of Paris's birth and upbringing, and the story of the golden apple...

Thank you so much NetGalley for my gifted copy - I'm off to re-watch Troy now (the Brad Pitt version). :)

I absolutely love everything Stephen Fry so it's no surprise that I absolutely adored this!
Fry makes mythology and legends incredibly accessible and fun to read so I am always excited to see when he has a new book coming out.
If you're a fan of story telling then I definitely recommend picking this one up.
Beautiful writing and a gripping story to match.

A big thank-you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for giving me a copy of this book for an unbiased review.

5/5 - Loved it.

Where to begin with this brilliant book. Perhaps I can start with the fact that after being given a free copy for a NetGalley review, I realized I'd be recommending this book to everyone I come in contact with and should probably own a physical copy to share with my friends and family. So I bought "Troy", along with "Mythos" and "Heroes." All three books now occupy a place of honor on my bookshelf.

Stephen Fry's writing is nothing short of brilliant. I will be honest - I have long been obsessed with Greek and Roman mythology, but the siege of Troy for me was a rather boring event that one had to know about, but could speed read over. I could not get enough of the gods, the heroes, the wanderings of Odysseus, the monsters, the star-crossed lovers... but Troy felt stale to me. I could never connect with the characters or see their humanity. I struggled to keep the lineages and alliances straight. Consequently, I never cared much about Troy or the horse that has since become such a stereotype that we've almost stripped it of its original form.

Stephen Fry's "Troy" converted me. His narrative untangled the complex storylines and relationships, and brought characters such as Helen, Paris, Hector, and Agamemnon to thundering, vivid life! I genuinely felt transported to the sandy battlegrounds at the walls of Troy. The pride of the Greeks, the pain of the Trojans, the duplicity of Paris and the vengeance of lovers wronged felt absolutely real to me. On top of that, Fry provides historical annotations to explain points which might confuse a reader, or to offer added context. For the first time in my life, I finally understood the story of Troy for all its tragedy and all its glory.

As I'm certain my review indicates, I think this book is phenomenal. I think it should be read by everyone, because I cannot imagine reading this book and not plunging headfirst into its gripping narrative.

Stephen Fry is always a must-read. I love mythology and it's easy to become intimidated by the names and keeping track of everything. What I love about Fry's work is I'm continually validated that I'm not expected to remember all of that and it's really about enjoying the story. The stories are so narrative and I collect all of his books as go-to references. I can't recommend his work enough!

We all know the story of Troy. In this retelling written by Stephen Fry you can experience these myths once again. The story begins with the introduction of each character important for the story like Hercules, the Greek gods, the royal family of Troy, etc. What I liked in this book was that the myths I heard separately in my teen years were in chronological order. For the first time, I actually understood how Helen ended up in Troy and why it was destroyed. The book was written in an easy language to understand the story well, and included illustrations connected to the story. I’m a big fan of this book and I will definitely read other books by Stephen Fry. His way of retelling this story was very special to me and brought me back to the time when I was a teen obsessed with Greek Mythology. I could bring this part of me back for the time when I was reading this book.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Stephen Fry, and Chronicle Books for providing me with the ARC copy of this book! I recommend it to everyone interested in Greek mythology, these reimagined myths are just for you!

Stephen Fry does it again with this gripping retelling of the legend of Troy. His writing is as enchanting as ever and his talent for bringing the past to life is unmatched. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait for another masterpiece from Mr. Fry!

An incredibly detailed retelling of Troy, backstories and all. Stephen Fry uses a wonderful conversational style that had me smiling from the start (even the footnotes are amusing or useful!). He tells the reader not to worry if you can’t remember all the various genealogies because who could? I found it easier to read this book in smaller bites, it was just too detailed to be enjoyed in one go, all the names etc become overwhelming (maybe that’s just me) but it’s definitely a brilliant achievement.

I really like Stephen Fry, but this felt more like a slog than a thrilling story. Maybe it's that the first third of the book is all setup and interminable genealogy? And other than the rascally Odysseus, Fry's anachronistic language didn't really work for me. Disappointed but hopefully Fry rebounds with the Odyssey.

I would like to thank netgalley and Chronicle Books for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Complex, but enjoyable.

I really love Stephen Fry’s way of retelling these myths, his style is chatty and warm. It reminds me of parents or grandparents telling a story. He doesn’t take himself too seriously and gives plenty of detail and back story.
I did not enjoy the erasure of my favorite literary couple, Achilles and Patroclus. He was like “yeah they were best friends, like really close, so close they wanted their ashes mixed for eternity. Normal bestie things.” Other than that, I loved this retelling.
I’m not sure if retelling is the right word, it feels more like an in depth analysis backed up by actual scholarly research. Regardless, Highly recommend this book if you want to read about the Trojan war.

Another fantastic book by Stephen Fry. He continues to deliver with the Mythos series, and Troy is no exception. It's informative, funny, and interesting.

Stephen Fry is truly incredible at story telling. The story of the Trojan War and its events and players are beautifully weaved together to tell an ancient story in a new light. Fry is faithful to the source while presenting the story in a way that flows like a story rather than an 10th grade reading assignment. As a fan of greek mythology from a young age, I was excited to draw connection between this book and other beloved retellings. It should be clearly noted that prior knowledge of the Trojan War nor other mythology is not needed to enjoy this book.
Whether a greek mythos fanatic or a novice, this story is fitting for anyone.

Thank you to Chronicle Books, Netgalley and the incomparable author for an Advance Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The author has made this legendary story entirely new and engaging. I read Mythos and Heroes, which were amazing. This is the third book in the Fry's Great Mythology Series and focuses on Troy. It's evident that the subject has been thoroughly researched - I'm amazed at how the author has navigated this dense and convoluted history/myth and translated in a way that is relatively linear. It's hilarious, touching and relevant while being informative and thorough.

The characters of this story, whose names were always familiar, became real to me. Their motivations and personalities were explained in such a human way. I found myself laughing at the way Cassandra's melodramatic prophecies were obviously ignored and getting annoyed at Paris and Agamemnon.

I hope there' s more to come - perhaps the Odyssey next? Please?

Troy is the third entry in Stephen Fry's Great Mythology series and it lives up to all my expectations.

This is the first mythology book by Stephen Fry that I have read, but the stories are familiar and the characters well-known so I was really excited to see what Fry does with it. He makes it thoroughly entertaining to be swept along in a history lesson. And uses great skill in keeping the reader aware of the important parts of the story and leading us in the direction he wants.

I loved the way all the many characters are described and little tidbits and sidenotes added on everywhere. It helped to keep track of what could be an utterly confusing web of events and characters.

Stephen Fry is excellent is holding the attention of a reader and I am excited to try the rest in this series.

“We achieve immortality not through ambrosia and ichor but through history and reputation. Through statues and epic song.”

This was an excellent and very entertaining romp through some of the key events in Trojan mythology. I haven’t read Fry’s earlier books on Greek mythology and although the books are fine to read standalone, I wish I had read those first for the wider context and background. Whilst there is a cast list of thousands, the reader is helpfully given reminders when players re-enter the story, which is invaluable in keeping tabs on who did or said what.

I wondered whether this would read like a textbook, but the style is conversational and amusing, and at times peppered with anecdotes and modern comparisons. I would highly recommend this to mythology fans or anyone new to the topic who is looking for an imaginative telling of the stories.

With thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.