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A review by savage_book_review
Helen of Troy: Goddess, Princess, Whore by Bettany Hughes
challenging
informative
medium-paced
3.0
I thought I'd try a different approach to Greek myth this time around and pick up a book by Bettany Hughes, a historian whose TV work I really enjoy. This book examines the 'real life' Helen of Troy and tries to piece together clues about the life she would have lived beyond what we think we know from Homer's works, while also examining her cultural impact and various guises throughout history. Unfortunately, it just didn't hit the spot for me.
On the surface, it is clear that the author is passionate about this era of history and the book reads as well researched, with personal touches and anecdotes that evoke a sense of place for the reader. It's broken down into bite sized chapters and sections, and so it easy to read and take breaks from to digest. Treating Helen as a real woman and examining the archaeology, artifacts and other evidence that help in fleshing out the world she lived in, teasing out her character and her experiences is a fascinating project and it is something that does truly interest me.
However, for whatever reason I could not get engaged with the narrative. I felt that the writing walked a line right between the mythological and the factual, but didn't really provide enough detail of either for me to truly invest in the work. And although the writing does generally follow a chronological timeline of Helen's life, it still somehow felt quite disjointed, which in turn made it harder to follow. To be totally honest, as much as I was paying attention when reading it, I don't think I've absorbed anything from the book at all. Which means I'm really struggling to come up with anything construct to say!
I think I'm definitely more at home in the world of mythology and fantasy - the one thing I do remember is Hughes' description of Eris, the Goddess of strife:-
"As befits the very best of the bad fairies (Eris is rarely portrayed in classical art, but when she is... [it is] sometimes with black wings and pointy black boots)..."
So of course my brain automatically thought of another Eris, trying his hardest to impersonate a Bat Boy in the hope he'll impress his Shadowsinger... And this was my highlight!
So while I would recommend the book if you are interested in Greek mythology from a scholarly perspective, for someone who is more into the stories themselves it's probably one to pass on.
On the surface, it is clear that the author is passionate about this era of history and the book reads as well researched, with personal touches and anecdotes that evoke a sense of place for the reader. It's broken down into bite sized chapters and sections, and so it easy to read and take breaks from to digest. Treating Helen as a real woman and examining the archaeology, artifacts and other evidence that help in fleshing out the world she lived in, teasing out her character and her experiences is a fascinating project and it is something that does truly interest me.
However, for whatever reason I could not get engaged with the narrative. I felt that the writing walked a line right between the mythological and the factual, but didn't really provide enough detail of either for me to truly invest in the work. And although the writing does generally follow a chronological timeline of Helen's life, it still somehow felt quite disjointed, which in turn made it harder to follow. To be totally honest, as much as I was paying attention when reading it, I don't think I've absorbed anything from the book at all. Which means I'm really struggling to come up with anything construct to say!
I think I'm definitely more at home in the world of mythology and fantasy - the one thing I do remember is Hughes' description of Eris, the Goddess of strife:-
"As befits the very best of the bad fairies (Eris is rarely portrayed in classical art, but when she is... [it is] sometimes with black wings and pointy black boots)..."
So of course my brain automatically thought of another Eris, trying his hardest to impersonate a Bat Boy in the hope he'll impress his Shadowsinger... And this was my highlight!
So while I would recommend the book if you are interested in Greek mythology from a scholarly perspective, for someone who is more into the stories themselves it's probably one to pass on.