Troy - Stephen Fry

I really enjoyed Stephen Fry's Mythos, and I knew that much as I love mythology, I really didn't want to slog through any translation of the Iliad again...so I read Fry's Troy. It's 100% a retelling of the story of the Iliad, but with lots of the backstory and aftermath filled in.

For example, the Iliad begins with Achilles sulking in his tent and refusing to fight because Agammemnon has taken away beautiful Briseis, the girl that Achilles picked as his trophy. It ends with Hector's death and funeral. But, wow, there is so much more to the story than that! 

Fry explains why the Trojan War happened--basically a beauty contest between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite judged by an unwitting Paris and instigated by another god, the one of strife and mischief. He explains who Paris is--yes, a prince of Troy but also a foundling, abandoned by his parents because it was foretold that he would be the cause of Troy's downfall. 

He also gives us Achilles's backstory--not as good as in Madeline Miller's Song of Achilles--but still interesting and helpful to understanding who Achilles is. There are ample footnotes and asides and tangents to fill in most of the rest of the holes that Homer's tale assumes his readers already know--who the various gods are and why some have grudges or owe favors to others, why they protect certain cities, and why they seem hell-bent on destroying others.

Once again, I was firmly on the side of the Trojans and hoping against hope that Hector and Priam would survive and that somebody would finally listen to Cassandra and heed her many warnings. I cheered when Aeneas and his family escaped to found Rome--looking forward to reading Lauren Bear's Mother of Rome, which just came out.

Fry includes the story of the Trojan Horse--Odysseus's brainchild--and the horrific sacking of Troy, which Homer left out but which the Greek playwrights fully covered.

As with Medusa's Sisters, which I loved, the net-net is that humankind is better off when the gods stay on Olympus and stay out of human events. They can squabble all they want amongst themselves, but back off and leave the mortals alone!

Fry also has Odyssey, which I plan to read in the not-too-distant future, and I still need to read his Heroes.

I know that many high schoolers still tackle the Iliad and the Odyssey as part of the standard curriculum--I never did because except for Shakespeare, my high school was devoted to strictly American authors :(. 

While I think it is is important that kids learn the Greek and Roman myths and legends, as well as the history, I think Fry's funny, wry, and readable approach will give them a better experience than Homer's. That said, I'm glad that I did actually read the Homeric versions, in translation of course, but they are not for the faint of heart. I think Homer's versions are important to read if you want to understand the evolution of literature, but if you just want the story, Fry's retelling wins hands-down.

And, yes, I fully intend to rewatch the 2004 movie Troy with Brad Pitt as Achilles, Sean Bean as Odysseus, Eric Bana as Hector, and a really great cast overall. One of the things I love about this movie version of the story is that the gods are not depicted at all.

Greek Myths Retold and Retooled: Mythos, Medusa's Sisters, Galatea

I have always loved the stories of the Greek myths, having read the children's versions as a kid, then some Ovid and Homer, and now the reimaginings.

I just finished listening to Stephen Fry read his Mythos, the first of three books in which he tells the stories of Greek mythology. He makes a point of saying that he is retelling the stories, not interpreting or analyzing them but simply passing them along. I like to think that his reading them and me listening is part of the Homeric tradition.

I enjoyed the book immensely--he begins with Chaos and works his way through the creation, the Titans, the Olympians, and the several eras of mortals. He divides the stories into themes--transformations of gods and mortals into animals, plants, rivers, springs, etc--lovers, mostly doomed but a few successful couples--punishments of mortals and gods, particularly for hubris but also for other transgressions, notably lack of hospitality, which was so important to the Greeks. I loved some of the explanation stories--how the honeybee (Melissa) got a stinger was my personal favorite. And, of course, I absolutely loved how Fry would list all the various words that we use today that are derived from the names and stories.

Fry retells the age-old stories, some of which were new to me, with wry humor and some modern sensibilities, but not so much as to be annoying. I am planning on listening to Heroes: Mortals and Monsters, Quests and Adventures next, followed by Troy, which is the book my daughter Sarah read and recommended to me. I decided to start with Mythos so as to have a good grounding.

At 416 pages, Mythos is my first book that qualifies for the Big Book Summer Challenge.

Medusa's Sisters, by Lauren J.A. Bear, is in the reimaging camp. This was a 5-star novel for me, and it was absolutely riveting. In Bear's story, the Gorgons started out as beautiful triplets. The first and second born, Stheno and Euryale, are immortal, but Medusa is mortal. Despite being triplets, Stheno is a stereotypical oldest sibling, Euryale is the Jan Brady figure, and Medusa is the petted, spoiled baby. How they become monsters is a classic case of two powerful beings squabbling over glory and not caring who gets hurt as a consequence of their petty rivalry. 

Despite the tragedy of Medusa--and her story is a tragedy--the really lovely aspect of this reimagining is how these Gorgons wrestle with the consequences of their power to kill--it comes down to not judging the worth of a being by their physical appearance...even when looks can kill! They may have ended up as monsters externally, but the gorgeous gods who callously destroyed their happiness are the real villains in this story.

Bear has another book coming out in January 2025, Mother of Rome, which looks very promising and is already on my TBR list.

Galatea, by Madeline Miller, author of the fabulous Song of Achilles and Circe, is a slender book. Only 27 pages, this reimagining tells the myth of Pygmalion from the point of view of Galatea, the woman the sculptor created out of marble, fell in love with, and begged Aphrodite to bring to life. It reads like a parable, a warning, rather than a myth. It is a feminist take on what happens when a someone believes they own not only the body but the soul of another. Not a particularly fun book to read--a tragedy without the lovely and life-affirming aspects of Medusa's Sisters. Glad I read it but not sure I have the heart to reread it.