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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
The story of Helen of Troy is one of those tales that everyone sort of knows generally without actually reading or watching it first-hand, as if we've taken it in via cultural osmosis (I've found the same to be true with the Star Wars movies and Moby Dick). We all somehow know that Helen was a pretty lady whose "face launched a thousand ships", and she caused a huge war involving some trickery called the Trojan horse. Pretty basic, but isn't it cool that a myth that built up around real events and real people who lived 3000+ years ago, on a totally different continent, is still in our cultural consciousness? The answer is f yes.
What I liked best about the book was how it completely drew me into its world. The amount of detail in describing the places, the people, and their actions created a convincing reality for the story, and it felt good to just let go and lose myself in it. I've been reading a lot of non-fiction lately, so this was a good book for getting outside that mindset and do some reading just for the pure pleasure of a story.
Another thing I really liked about this story was finding out how many famous myths and heroes are connected to it, and through it to each other. It was like all these other myths were half of a puzzle's pieces, and the story of Helen of Troy is the other half that helps bind them all together into one.
The thing that drove me nuts about this book was the abundance of prophesies, and the fact that people would seem to fear them and yet act surprised when they came to pass. If they go to the trouble of seeking out prophesies, then why don't they believe them and accept that their actions can't alter anything? Also, way too many people in the book had prophetic powers, it sort of kills the magic of second sight if most people have it.
What I liked best about the book was how it completely drew me into its world. The amount of detail in describing the places, the people, and their actions created a convincing reality for the story, and it felt good to just let go and lose myself in it. I've been reading a lot of non-fiction lately, so this was a good book for getting outside that mindset and do some reading just for the pure pleasure of a story.
Another thing I really liked about this story was finding out how many famous myths and heroes are connected to it, and through it to each other. It was like all these other myths were half of a puzzle's pieces, and the story of Helen of Troy is the other half that helps bind them all together into one.
The thing that drove me nuts about this book was the abundance of prophesies, and the fact that people would seem to fear them and yet act surprised when they came to pass. If they go to the trouble of seeking out prophesies, then why don't they believe them and accept that their actions can't alter anything? Also, way too many people in the book had prophetic powers, it sort of kills the magic of second sight if most people have it.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is the first George book I’ve tackled since being defeated by the sheer bulk of the biography of Cleopatra. Helen’s story, while no less exciting than Cleopatra’s, was a bit more engaging. She was portrayed as very much more down-to-earth than the Egyptian queen. Helen was a queen as well, but instead of lusting for power as Cleopatra did, Helen was only wanting to be happy, to have peace, to be normal. I was not as familiar with Helen’s story as I am with Cleopatra’s, and had no idea she was from Sparta originally. Nor did I know what happened to her after the fall of Troy. This book goes into just enough detail make the characters vivid, but not overtly so. All throughout the novel, Helen is just independent enough for me to admire her and just tragic enough for me to pity her.
I read a pretty solid chunk of this last year. forgot about it.
It was pretty meh.
dnf it. whoops.
It was pretty meh.
dnf it. whoops.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a very well thought out book. Quite accurate and done well. But... there was something missing. A book about a women who left her whole life to live with the man she loved, but there was no passion. I just didn't believe that Paris was Helen's soul mate. Alot of looking into each others eyes, and not much actually getting to know each other.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
If you’ve read Song of Achilles and loved it, I beg you to read this book. MG walked so the other could run.
I know that womb to tomb is part of a Margaret George endeavor but this book needed to be at least 25% shorter to be at least that much more tolerable, because that's how much of it felt like Helen and Paris just being mopey dumb dumbs about their love causing a war while also denying that it's all their fault, and it's hard to sympathize with them when Trojans and Greeks are dropping like flies. (It was also not a great idea to read Song of Achilles in the middle and get in my feelings about Patroclus in particular and Achilles as a consequence because Helen did not think Achilles was a chill dude.) Pretty standard Margaret George fare with some light mythology but so long, so very very long.