Troy
Our Greatest Story Retold
Published on 29. October 2020
Book
Hardback
432 pages
978-0-241-42458-2 (ISBN)
Description
Discover the most legendary story ever told in the SUNDAY TIMES bestseller TROY, Stephen Fry's most epic book yet
'An inimitable retelling of the siege of Troy . . . Fry's narrative, artfully humorous and rich in detail, breathes life and contemporary relevance into these ancient tales' OBSERVER
'An amiable meander through the myth of Troy' TIMES
'Troy. The most marvellous kingdom in all the world. The Jewel of the Aegean. Glittering Ilion, the city that rose and fell not once but twice . . .'
_______
The story of Troy speaks to all of us.
It is the kidnapping of Helen, a queen celebrated for her beauty, which sees the Greeks launch a thousand ships against that great city, to which they will lay siege for ten whole and very bloody years.
It is Zeus, the king of the gods, who triggers war when he asks the Trojan prince Paris to judge the fairest goddess of them all. Aphrodite bribes Paris with the heart of Helen, wife of King Menelaus of the Greeks, and nature takes its course.
It is a terrible, brutal war with casualties on all sides. The Greeks cannot defeat the Trojans - since Achilles, the Greek's boldest warrior, is consumed with jealousy over an ally's choice of lover and will not fight . . .
The stage is set for the oldest and greatest story ever told, where monstrous passions meet the highest ideals and the lowest cunning.
In Troy you will find heroism and hatred, revenge and regret, desire and despair. It is these human passions, written bloodily in the sands of a distant shore, that still speak to us today.
Troy is a myth in which we seek the truth about ourselves, which Stephen Fry brings breathtakingly to life for our modern age.
*** NOW COMES WITH A PROTECTIVE DUST JACKET ***
_______
'Fry's knowledge of the world - ancient and modern - bursts through at the seams . . . The reader will find themselves on a fun romp through the world's greatest story' DAILY TELEGRAPH
PRAISE FOR MYTHOS AND HEROES:
'A romp through the lives of ancient Greek gods. Fry is at his story-telling best . . . the gods will be pleased' Times
'A head-spinning marathon of legends' Guardian
'An Olympian feat. The gods seem to be smiling on Fry - his myths are definitely a hit' Evening Standard
'An odyssey through Greek mythology. Brilliant . . . all hail Stephen Fry' Daily Mail
'A rollicking good read' Independent
'An inimitable retelling of the siege of Troy . . . Fry's narrative, artfully humorous and rich in detail, breathes life and contemporary relevance into these ancient tales' OBSERVER
'An amiable meander through the myth of Troy' TIMES
'Troy. The most marvellous kingdom in all the world. The Jewel of the Aegean. Glittering Ilion, the city that rose and fell not once but twice . . .'
_______
The story of Troy speaks to all of us.
It is the kidnapping of Helen, a queen celebrated for her beauty, which sees the Greeks launch a thousand ships against that great city, to which they will lay siege for ten whole and very bloody years.
It is Zeus, the king of the gods, who triggers war when he asks the Trojan prince Paris to judge the fairest goddess of them all. Aphrodite bribes Paris with the heart of Helen, wife of King Menelaus of the Greeks, and nature takes its course.
It is a terrible, brutal war with casualties on all sides. The Greeks cannot defeat the Trojans - since Achilles, the Greek's boldest warrior, is consumed with jealousy over an ally's choice of lover and will not fight . . .
The stage is set for the oldest and greatest story ever told, where monstrous passions meet the highest ideals and the lowest cunning.
In Troy you will find heroism and hatred, revenge and regret, desire and despair. It is these human passions, written bloodily in the sands of a distant shore, that still speak to us today.
Troy is a myth in which we seek the truth about ourselves, which Stephen Fry brings breathtakingly to life for our modern age.
*** NOW COMES WITH A PROTECTIVE DUST JACKET ***
_______
'Fry's knowledge of the world - ancient and modern - bursts through at the seams . . . The reader will find themselves on a fun romp through the world's greatest story' DAILY TELEGRAPH
PRAISE FOR MYTHOS AND HEROES:
'A romp through the lives of ancient Greek gods. Fry is at his story-telling best . . . the gods will be pleased' Times
'A head-spinning marathon of legends' Guardian
'An Olympian feat. The gods seem to be smiling on Fry - his myths are definitely a hit' Evening Standard
'An odyssey through Greek mythology. Brilliant . . . all hail Stephen Fry' Daily Mail
'A rollicking good read' Independent
Reviews / Votes
An amiable meander through the historic sources . . . Fry's light and graceful tone helps to ease the unfamiliar reader through the complicated genealogies * The Times * An inimitable retelling of the siege of Troy . . . Fry's narrative, artfully humorous and rich in detail, breathes life and contemporary relevance into these ancient tales * Observer * Fry's lively writing certainly conveys his lifelong passion for Greek myths . . . It's a rollicking good read * Independent * Perfect for the 21st Century. Ebullient, funny, Fry retells the Greek myths with elegance * The Times * Lively, humorous and intimate, this retelling has real charm * Guardian * A wondrous new immersion in ancient stories we only thought we knew. Brilliant, funny, erudite, inventive, surprising and enthralling -- Richard North Patterson Tragedy and passion abound as Fry retells the epic siege of Troy * Metro * Stephen Fry takes the reader into the heart of a story both mythical and grounded in history * Northern Life Magazine * This pacy, witty retelling is beautifully illustrated, with an epilogue explaining the myths and historical reality of Troy * Daily Mail * Astonishing . . . an excellent read * The Oldie * Curl up on your sofa as Stephen brings to life the legendary . . . passionate and powerful story of Troy * The List * Fry is a genial guide to Greek mythology * Daily Telegraph * Fry's knowledge of the world - ancient and modern - bursts through at the seams . . . The reader will find themselves on a fun romp through the world's greatest story * Daily Telegraph * Full of heroism, desire and drama * Eastern Daily Press * Fry really brings the tale to life, adding his own wry humour to the mix . . . Well worth a read * The Hunsbury Handbook * A story thousands of years old, only Fry could rewrite this so captivating as ever * School House * Fry takes us from the founding myth of Troy, through its most famous inhabitants and the infamous war, to the razing of the city by the vengeful and victorious Achaeans * Times *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Penguin Books Ltd
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 236 mm
Width: 164 mm
Thickness: 38 mm
Weight
720 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-241-42458-2 (9780241424582)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
10/2020
1st Edition
Penguin Books Ltd
€8.99
Available for download
Person
Stephen Fry is an award-winning comedian, actor, presenter and director. He rose to fame alongside Hugh Laurie in A Bit of Fry and Laurie (which he co-wrote with Laurie) and Jeeves and Wooster and was unforgettable as General Melchett in Blackadder. He has hosted over 180 episodes of QI and has narrated all seven of the Harry Potter novels for the audiobook recordings. He is the bestselling author of four novels - The Liar, The Hippopotamus, Making History and The Stars' Tennis Balls - as well as three volumes of autobiography - Moab is My Washpot, The Fry Chronicles and More Fool Me. Mythos, Heroes and Troy, his retelling of the Greek myths, are all Sunday Times bestsellers.