Troy
Stephen Fry
Narrated By: Stephen Fry
Duration: 11 hours
What to expect
Brought to you by Penguin.
Following the bestselling retellings of the Greek myths in Mythos and Heroes, Stephen Fry's bewitching third volume Troy - concerning love and war, passion and power - is now ready for ordering.
The story of Troy speaks to all of us - the kidnapping of Helen, a queen celebrated for her beauty, sees the Greeks launch a thousand ships against the city of Troy, to which they will lay siege for ten whole and very bloody years.
It is Zeus, the king of the gods, who triggers the war when he asks the Trojan prince Paris to judge the fairest goddess of them all. Aphrodite bribes Paris with the heart of Helen, wife of King Menelaus of the Greeks, and, naturally, nature takes its course.
It is a terrible, brutal war with casualties on all sides as well as strained relations between allies. The Greek's most fearsome warrior, Achilles, argues with King Agamemnon, his commander, over another woman, the Trojan slave Briseis. The consequences lead to terrible tragedies.
In Troy you will find heroism and hatred, love and loss, revenge and regret, desire and despair. It is these human passions, written bloodily in the sands of a distant shore, that still speak to us today.
It is a myth in which we seek the truth about ourselves and which Stephen Fry brings breathtakingly to life.
Praise for Heroes and Mythos:
'Ebullient and funny' The Times
'Entertaining and edifying' Daily Telegraph
'The Greek gods of the past become relatable as pop culture, modern literature and music are woven throughout. Joyfully informal yet full of literary legacy' Guardian
'An odyssey through Greek mythology. Brilliant . . . all hail Stephen Fry' Daily Mail
'A romp through the lives of ancient Greek gods. Fry is his story-telling best . . . the gods will be pleased' The Times
© Stephen Fry 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020
Genre
Ancient Greek religion and mythology, Traditional stories, myths and fairy tales, Folklore, myths and legends, Ancient Greek and Roman literature, Mythical and legendary beings, monsters and creatures
Listen to a sample
An amiable meander through the historic sources . . . Fry's light and graceful tone helps to ease the unfamiliar reader through the complicated genealogies
An inimitable retelling of the siege of Troy . . . Fry's narrative, artfully humorous and rich in detail, breathes life and contemporary relevance into these ancient tales
Fry's lively writing certainly conveys his lifelong passion for Greek myths . . . It's a rollicking good read
Perfect for the 21st Century. Ebullient, funny, Fry retells the Greek myths with elegance
Lively, humorous and intimate, this retelling has real charm
A wondrous new immersion in ancient stories we only thought we knew. Brilliant, funny, erudite, inventive, surprising and enthralling
Tragedy and passion abound as Fry retells the epic siege of Troy
Stephen Fry takes the reader into the heart of a story both mythical and grounded in history
Astonishing . . . an excellent read
Curl up on your sofa as Stephen brings to life the legendary . . . passionate and powerful story of Troy
Fry's knowledge of the world - ancient and modern - bursts through at the seams . . . The reader will find themselves on a fun romp through the world's greatest story
Full of heroism, desire and drama
Fry really brings the tale to life, adding his own wry humour to the mix . . . Well worth a read
A story thousands of years old, only Fry could rewrite this so captivating as ever
Stephen Fry's Troy delivers on all its promise, and then some. In audio book form it is, for a Bronze Age tale, an unalloyed delight.