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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
I delight in the retellings of Greek myths from female perspectives. I really enjoyed the detached tone in this book that emulated many of the myths I’ve read, a kind of blank acceptance of fate, the gods, and the passing of time that speeds up and slows down considerably in spots. Overall, an enjoyable retelling, if a bit longer than necessary.
I have to admit I was quite trilled with this novel! such amazing description and the amount of historical events it had and the way Margaret connected them was so amazing that you could only believe the related events were really real facts. no one is perfect in this book. everyone has its faults, even the gods themselves. I really enjoyed it! :)
This was so boring and uninteresting. The "love story" between paris and helen was super bland and it also itched me how there is literally no description of notion of time, if you don't know, you'd be confused as to if the war lasted four days or fifty years.
It's way too long. I liked the beginning and end, but almost the entire middle could have been cut. I love Greek myths, but this got really boring. Sometimes long books fly by, but this wasn't one of them.
A bit slow at times, especially towards the end, but an enjoyable read
I reviewed this book when I initially read it a few years ago. Below is my original review!
I thought this book was really good. I picked it up, because I was looking through book on Amazon, and it was in when I went to the library. I love reading about Ancient Greece, or Italy, and mythology. I had read a book of mythology recently, but forgot this story. I was genuinely immersed in the book, I found it a page-turner and very very good. I thought the detail was amazing, and when it finally occurred to me that I knew how it ended, I tried to convince myself that it wasn’t THAT story. I totally cried.
My only problem was the very end. It was kind of confusing. I mean, yeah, I can piece it together, but like… George told the story in so much detail, that to leave it hanging and vague like that was kind of eh. Not appreciated!
I suggest it though. It was a long read, but definitely a good one!
I thought this book was really good. I picked it up, because I was looking through book on Amazon, and it was in when I went to the library. I love reading about Ancient Greece, or Italy, and mythology. I had read a book of mythology recently, but forgot this story. I was genuinely immersed in the book, I found it a page-turner and very very good. I thought the detail was amazing, and when it finally occurred to me that I knew how it ended, I tried to convince myself that it wasn’t THAT story. I totally cried.
My only problem was the very end. It was kind of confusing. I mean, yeah, I can piece it together, but like… George told the story in so much detail, that to leave it hanging and vague like that was kind of eh. Not appreciated!
I suggest it though. It was a long read, but definitely a good one!
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
DNF'ing about 150 pages in. There are two plot points at war here and they don't make any sense, and I don't feel like reading 600 pages of it. The two plot points are:
- Helen knows there's a prophecy that she will be the cause of a major war with lots of loss and death, and she does not want this to happen.
- The story is basically suggesting that the main reason Helen would leave Menelaus is because she's not sexually satisfied by him. That's fine, but, it's in direct conflict with the first bullet point, above. She would know better than anyone that leaving the King of Sparta for a Trojan prince would definitely cause a major war with lots of loss and death. I would need her to have a much larger motivation than sexual satisfaction to resolve with the fact that she's going to cause a major war.
This is not going to be worth the read, for me. It's not validating my theories about Helen at all.
- Helen knows there's a prophecy that she will be the cause of a major war with lots of loss and death, and she does not want this to happen.
- The story is basically suggesting that the main reason Helen would leave Menelaus is because she's not sexually satisfied by him. That's fine, but, it's in direct conflict with the first bullet point, above. She would know better than anyone that leaving the King of Sparta for a Trojan prince would definitely cause a major war with lots of loss and death. I would need her to have a much larger motivation than sexual satisfaction to resolve with the fact that she's going to cause a major war.
This is not going to be worth the read, for me. It's not validating my theories about Helen at all.
My review for Margaret George's Helen of Troy is a hard one to write. Whether you are like me - knowing little of Helen beyond her "abduction" by Paris - or you know all the details of her story - I don't want to give you a long synopsis. If you are a newcomer to the tale, I won't spoil it for you, and if you are a Helen aficionado, I won't bore you with the details.
Described by Christopher Marlowe as the "face that launched a thousand ships," Helen of Troy is a captivating historical figure with a story that fascinates and intrigues us even today. In Margaret George's spellbinding Helen of Troy, the story of Helen is told through her eyes and experiences. George's incredible writing pulls the reader into the story, offering a first-hand account of Helen's day-to-day life.
Helen of Troy is simply stunning! I was mesmerized from the first sentence to the surprise (to me anyway) ending. Helen is portrayed with all her metaphorical warts, as a flawed and tortured woman, and Paris as a somewhat naïve young man yearning to prove himself. The larger-than-life "supporting" characters - Menelaus, Agamemnon, Odysseus, Achilles, and even the goddess Aphrodite - leapt off the pages, creating a multi-layered story that was credible and gripping.
Margaret George's glorious descriptions of the setting were simply beautiful and superbly written. Her words bring ancient Greece to vivid life, making Helen of Troy a highly readable recreation of the mythic story. This is the best book I've read all year, and I will definitely be looking to read more historical fiction from Margaret George in the future.
Described by Christopher Marlowe as the "face that launched a thousand ships," Helen of Troy is a captivating historical figure with a story that fascinates and intrigues us even today. In Margaret George's spellbinding Helen of Troy, the story of Helen is told through her eyes and experiences. George's incredible writing pulls the reader into the story, offering a first-hand account of Helen's day-to-day life.
Helen of Troy is simply stunning! I was mesmerized from the first sentence to the surprise (to me anyway) ending. Helen is portrayed with all her metaphorical warts, as a flawed and tortured woman, and Paris as a somewhat naïve young man yearning to prove himself. The larger-than-life "supporting" characters - Menelaus, Agamemnon, Odysseus, Achilles, and even the goddess Aphrodite - leapt off the pages, creating a multi-layered story that was credible and gripping.
Margaret George's glorious descriptions of the setting were simply beautiful and superbly written. Her words bring ancient Greece to vivid life, making Helen of Troy a highly readable recreation of the mythic story. This is the best book I've read all year, and I will definitely be looking to read more historical fiction from Margaret George in the future.
How could I not read this after the Achilles book. This is well written and takes you through to the end of the Trojan war to Helen's death. Loved rereading the story through Helen's eyes. It is "historic fiction" based on well researched mythology and it is fun to read. The author takes pieces from the Iliad,the Odyssey and the Aeneid along with other sources to put the story together. The book also offered a different depiction of Achilles, showing him to be a warmonger and selfish jerk, adding to what the Song of Achilles offered about him. Loved the differing views on the war and the people who stared in it. Feel well versed in this imaginary or possibly true tale. Having read only bits of Homer, this was a big help to filling out the details.