Acclaimed author Margaret George tells the story of the legendary Greek woman whose face “launched a thousand ships” in this New York Times bestseller.The Trojan War, fought nearly twelve hundred years before the birth of Christ, and recounted in Homer’s Iliad, continues to haunt us because of its origins: one woman’s beauty, a visiting prince’s passion, and a love that ended in tragedy.Laden … that ended in tragedy.
Laden with doom, yet surprising in its moments of innocence and beauty, Helen of Troy is an exquisite page-turner with a cast of irresistible, legendary characters—Odysseus, Hector, Achilles, Menelaus, Priam, Clytemnestra, Agamemnon, as well as Helen and Paris themselves. With a wealth of material that reproduces the Age of Bronze in all its glory, it brings to life a war that we have all learned about but never before experienced.
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Margaret George has a great way of making mythology come to life. Every page is filled with rich detail and characters come to life.
Even though I read my classics back in my college days, they stuck in my mind for forty years. I always wondered how the Trojans treated Helen, who they knew was the source of all their troubles. Happily, Margaret George gives us a sympathetic and thoroughly believable account from Helen’s point of view. As daughter to Leda and Zeus (the swan), she had an otherworldly glow that immediately singled her out as someone special, which goes a long way toward explaining why she was so pivotal in the war. And yet our Helen in this book was never vain about her beauty; in fact, she saw it as a curse (usually). She really only wanted to be happy with her true lover Paris and saw her role in the Greek invasion as more of an excuse for the warlike Agamemnon to invade and plunder. Menelaus was more of a pitiful figure; although Helen chose him as her husband, she was soon disillusioned and repelled by him. When Paris came along, naturally there was no contest. Of course, the Trojans were not happy when he brought Helen home, but they were tolerant of her; after all, their course was already determined by the Gods. When the Greeks came, many of the Trojans were excited about fighting and for a short time Helen was exalted—that is, until the real killing started. From there on, the reader must suffer along with the women left behind in the city, for we know what is coming. This is a beautiful tale of love, guilt, and sadness, and I really think it does credit to the original stories.
George presents queen Helen as an independent and political woman and not a romantic bimbo just following Paris to Troy. Her narrative is much more realistic and casts a new light on the Trojan war. Wonderful read.
An impressive blend of history and mythology. Helen of Troy truly comes to life. For the longest time, it has never set well with me that we automatically blame Helen for the Trojan War. Here, you will not only get her wonderfully told perspective, but you will also understand the other forces at play that caused the war. While I loved Natalie Haynes’ “A Thousand Ships,” (which I read before this) I was disappointed she chose not to give Helen a voice. But, after reading this, I wonder if anyone can do Helen better justice than this. (That’s not to say I’m not welcome to other novels about her) This novel is long, the longest I’ve attempted in years, but it is never boring and I loved every minute of it. However, I will say there were a couple things I wanted resolved. I highly recommend for those interested in history, mythology and feminist stories with strong female protagonists. Read it to truly understand Helen and Paris.
A wonderful retelling of the mythology surrounding Helen of Troy and the Trojan War. One of my favorite books.
Great historical fiction
If you are a fan of the legends surrounding Troy and the face that launched 1000 ships, this is a must read. I fell in love with the personal first person view this novel gives to one of the world’s greatest love stories, but as you know, this story does not have a HEA.
I love historical fiction and 8 am. Big fan of Margaret George. Her writing brings the characters to life
I knew the story,but it was interesting to view it from Helen’s perspective.
Brought the Trojan war to life!
A different take on a very old story. Enjoyable read.
Good book. I read it because it was a classic and I had read other titles by this author.
Basically this is an “autobiography” of Helen, the queen of Sparta and wife of King Menelaus, whose liaison with Paris of Troy starts the Trojan war. This book is basically a retelling of Homer’s Ilead, narrated by Helen.
I never tire of the story of Troy and it’s tragic characters. This author made the time come alive and I didn’t want it to end.
Abit tiresome historical romance fiction.