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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
I got about 50% into this book but it just was unable to hold my attention sadly.
DNF.
DNF.
dark
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Story of Helen, her early life in Greece, love for Paris and life in Troy and then after its fall. It moved along fairly well and seemed well-researched (but who knows what the real story was). It did seem to bog down at the end with a long way to go after the fall of Troy.
This book lagged a bit in the middle - where Helen and Paris are in Troy, and everyone is waiting for the war to start. Also for the first few years of the war. Once Achilles dies, it picks up again. Props for writing Helen's story from her own perspective. It's nice to get a woman's view of things, instead of the man's view we usually get. There is some really beautiful and profound writing too, especially near the end.
This book takes too many liberties when it comes to the mythology.
Clytemnestra is said to be the eldest of Leda’s four children, Castor and Pollux are five years older than Helen, and Helen is the youngest. She also states Helen is the only descendant of Leda’s encounter with Zeus in the form of a swan.
However, in the myths, Leda laid two eggs, one contained Castor and Pollux, while Clytemnestra and Helen came from the other. While I understand parentage is debated because Leda has relations with both Zeus and her husband, Tyndareus, on the same night, the children were all born the same: from eggs.
Honestly, I couldn’t look past this enough to continue. Mostly because these basic things we learn in the first few chapters will have quite the influence later.
Clytemnestra is said to be the eldest of Leda’s four children, Castor and Pollux are five years older than Helen, and Helen is the youngest. She also states Helen is the only descendant of Leda’s encounter with Zeus in the form of a swan.
However, in the myths, Leda laid two eggs, one contained Castor and Pollux, while Clytemnestra and Helen came from the other. While I understand parentage is debated because Leda has relations with both Zeus and her husband, Tyndareus, on the same night, the children were all born the same: from eggs.
Honestly, I couldn’t look past this enough to continue. Mostly because these basic things we learn in the first few chapters will have quite the influence later.
Okay, here is something to know about me: I love the Trojan War. The mythos fascinates me, and I’ve been reading about it since early “choose your level” kids books introduced me to things like the Salem Witch Trials, the JFK assassination, and tales from ancient history. There’s a familiarity with the story, and that was what drew me to this book.
Unfortunately, I found myself just reading at times so I could finish and start a new novel. It’s not that Margaret George’s writing was poor – I enjoyed the relationships and family histories of the characters, and felt she did a wonderful job weaving the myths and histories of the Trojan War into a single novel. What frustrated me was the dialogue. It seemed like all of the characters had the same speaking patterns, and the same formal, tragic dialogue. This may have been a conscious decision on behalf of the author – and in fact, a brilliant move on her behalf, structurally speaking. But as a reader, choosing the novel not for literary analysis or the opportunity for marginalia, I was bored and a little disappointed the novel didn’t grip me as I hoped.
Unfortunately, I found myself just reading at times so I could finish and start a new novel. It’s not that Margaret George’s writing was poor – I enjoyed the relationships and family histories of the characters, and felt she did a wonderful job weaving the myths and histories of the Trojan War into a single novel. What frustrated me was the dialogue. It seemed like all of the characters had the same speaking patterns, and the same formal, tragic dialogue. This may have been a conscious decision on behalf of the author – and in fact, a brilliant move on her behalf, structurally speaking. But as a reader, choosing the novel not for literary analysis or the opportunity for marginalia, I was bored and a little disappointed the novel didn’t grip me as I hoped.
I've read a few other takes on the myth of Helen of Troy and even the Illiad and the Odyssey itself. This was a detailed and interesting take on it. Took me a bit, but I enjoyed it in the end.
This was such a long read. I love Margaret George's writing, but tend to forget just how long and slow it can be, at times. She puts so much detail into her stories, and so much thought. She creates all these full-bodied characters from just a myth or a painting. It's incredible how she can put it all together, and make you believe that you're reading history rather than fiction based on history, and in this case, just a story. I actually had no idea that there's no evidence that Helen or Paris or Achilles ever existed, nor that Troy and its famous war ever happened.
This was my third attempt at reading this book.
For the most part, I enjoyed the tale being told but, to be honest, I feel this story could have been told in half the time; George's editor(s) should have had her shave at least 10 000 words off this story. The book was hard to stay with (I did walk away from it several times to read other books) and there are some very dry parts in the middle that make you BEG for the war to start just so the plot picks up.
This is one of those books you read a chapter at a time before you go to bed every night.
For the most part, I enjoyed the tale being told but, to be honest, I feel this story could have been told in half the time; George's editor(s) should have had her shave at least 10 000 words off this story. The book was hard to stay with (I did walk away from it several times to read other books) and there are some very dry parts in the middle that make you BEG for the war to start just so the plot picks up.
This is one of those books you read a chapter at a time before you go to bed every night.
Overall the book was a decent read. However, George's Memoirs of Cleopatra was much better written, perhaps because there is a good amount of historical evidence regarding Cleopatra unlike Helen of Troy. I had difficulty getting into the involvement of the Greek gods in the storyline as well as the length of the book. I felt it dragged on for quite some time (perhaps much like the supposed Trojan War....). Of the 600+ pages, the last 100 were the best. The book left me wishing there was more historical information/proof of the existence of Helen of Troy and the details surrounding her life.