What do you think?
Rate this book
Troy
The Siege of Troy has lasted almost ten years. Inside the walled city food is (Malacca). and death is common. From the heights of Mount Olympus The Gods keep watch. But Aphrodite. Goddess of Love. is bored with the endless. dreary war. Aided by Eros's bow. the goddess sends two sisters down a bloody path to an awful truth: In the fury of war. love strikes the deadliest blows. Heralded by fans and critics alike. Adle Geras eathes personality. hearteak. and humor into this classic story. Told from the point of view of the women of Troy. portrays the last weeks of the Trojan War. when women are sick of tending the wounded. men are tired of fighting. and bored gods and goddesses find ways to stir things up.
358 pages, Paperback
First published March 17, 2000
114 people are currently reading
3,418 people want to read
About the author
Adèle Geras
183books133followersAdèle Geras FRSL (born 15 March 1944) is an English writer for young children, teens and adults. Her husband was the Marxist academic Norman Geras and their daughter Sophie Hannah is also a novelist and poet.
Geras was born in Jerusalem, British Mandatory Palestine. Her father was in the Colonial Service and she had a varied childhood, living in countries such as Nigeria, Cyprus, Tanzania, Gambia and British North Borneo in a short span of time. She attended Roedean School in Brighton and then graduated from St Hilda's College, Oxford with a degree in Modern Languages. She was known for her stage and vocal talents, but decided instead to become a full-time writer.
Geras's first book was Tea at Mrs Manderby's, which was published in 1976. Her first full-length novel was The Girls in the Velvet Frame. She has written more than 95 books for children, young adults, and adults. Her best-known books are Troy (shortlisted for the Whitbread Prize and Highly Commended for the Carnegie Medal) Ithaka, Happy Ever After (previously published as the Egerton Hall Trilogy), Silent Snow, Secret Snow, and A Thousand Yards of Sea.
Her novels for adults include: Facing the Light, Hester's Story, Made in Heaven, and A Hidden Life.
Geras won two prizes in the United States, one the Sydney Taylor Book Award for the My Grandmother's Stories and the National Jewish Book Award for Golden Windows. She has also won prizes for her poetry and was a joint winner of the Smith Doorstop Poetry Pamphlet Award, offered by the publisher of that name.
(from Wikipedia)
Geras was born in Jerusalem, British Mandatory Palestine. Her father was in the Colonial Service and she had a varied childhood, living in countries such as Nigeria, Cyprus, Tanzania, Gambia and British North Borneo in a short span of time. She attended Roedean School in Brighton and then graduated from St Hilda's College, Oxford with a degree in Modern Languages. She was known for her stage and vocal talents, but decided instead to become a full-time writer.
Geras's first book was Tea at Mrs Manderby's, which was published in 1976. Her first full-length novel was The Girls in the Velvet Frame. She has written more than 95 books for children, young adults, and adults. Her best-known books are Troy (shortlisted for the Whitbread Prize and Highly Commended for the Carnegie Medal) Ithaka, Happy Ever After (previously published as the Egerton Hall Trilogy), Silent Snow, Secret Snow, and A Thousand Yards of Sea.
Her novels for adults include: Facing the Light, Hester's Story, Made in Heaven, and A Hidden Life.
Geras won two prizes in the United States, one the Sydney Taylor Book Award for the My Grandmother's Stories and the National Jewish Book Award for Golden Windows. She has also won prizes for her poetry and was a joint winner of the Smith Doorstop Poetry Pamphlet Award, offered by the publisher of that name.
(from Wikipedia)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 346 reviews
October 12, 2021
Adele Geras takes the story of the Iliad, and while recreating it in way that mingles high adventure, tragedy, humour and fatalism, focuses specifically on the fates of five young people and is essentially a romance set in the framework of the Trojan War.
While the war rages, and Hector leads the Trojan armies in protection of the cities walls against the Greek hordes of Agamemnon, the goddess of desire Aphrodite plays a cruel trick, as is the habit of the Greek gods to toy with the lives of mortals, on two young Trojan sisters, the strong-willed yet gentle Xanthe, and the quiet and spiritual Marpessa by making them fall in love with the same young man, the warrior Alastor.. Meanwhile the stable hand Iason is in love with Xanthe, and Xanthe's friend Polyxena passionately loves Iason . But we also get to see the great events of the Iliad, such as the slaying of Hector by Achilles, and his desecration of Hector's body by dragging it around the gates of Troy, in his chariot, and the delivery of the wooden Horse to Troy leading to the horrific genocide of Troy that we read about at the end-after all this story is about war as much as about romance.
We read about the characters of Helen, Paris, Hector, Adrymache, Priam and the myriad of gods and goddesses and the author's own unique interpretation of them. What follows is an absorbing and sensitive read, if not quite an epic.
While the war rages, and Hector leads the Trojan armies in protection of the cities walls against the Greek hordes of Agamemnon, the goddess of desire Aphrodite plays a cruel trick, as is the habit of the Greek gods to toy with the lives of mortals, on two young Trojan sisters, the strong-willed yet gentle Xanthe, and the quiet and spiritual Marpessa by making them fall in love with the same young man, the warrior Alastor.. Meanwhile the stable hand Iason is in love with Xanthe, and Xanthe's friend Polyxena passionately loves Iason . But we also get to see the great events of the Iliad, such as the slaying of Hector by Achilles, and his desecration of Hector's body by dragging it around the gates of Troy, in his chariot, and the delivery of the wooden Horse to Troy leading to the horrific genocide of Troy that we read about at the end-after all this story is about war as much as about romance.
We read about the characters of Helen, Paris, Hector, Adrymache, Priam and the myriad of gods and goddesses and the author's own unique interpretation of them. What follows is an absorbing and sensitive read, if not quite an epic.
June 1, 2008
I swear, if one more god turns up and tells one of the characters exactly what is going to happen only for them to forget everything about the entire encounter 30 seconds later, I will scream. It happens every other chapter! They're the Greek Gods of the Parthenon, the epitome of vain! They wouldn't want to be forgotten! I call shenanigans!
Excellent writing, depressing and poorly handled (and someone else's) plot, "eh" original characters. I'm not quite sure why this won so many awards.
Excellent writing, depressing and poorly handled (and someone else's) plot, "eh" original characters. I'm not quite sure why this won so many awards.
September 7, 2011
The worst re-telling of all time. Nothing original, except for a ridiculously juvenile love story of minor characters that was more filler than story. Exceptionally bad dialogue.
I assumed this was a debut novel because it was so bad. I was astonished, upon completion, to find that Geras has written many books. I would say 'Don't quit your day job' but apparently this is her day job.
I assumed this was a debut novel because it was so bad. I was astonished, upon completion, to find that Geras has written many books. I would say 'Don't quit your day job' but apparently this is her day job.
December 30, 2008
This book was pretty boring. It wasn't on my list of books, nor was it recommended by anyone, so I took a chance. The only reason I got it was because I just finished Les Miserable and wanted a short one to off set that monster.
The story is basically just what goes on in the life of a few girls who live in Troy during their war with the Greeks. It had no plot or if it did it was so bland and transparent that I didn't catch on.
Random gods would appear to different character for no reason whatsoever. They didn't add to the story in the least and the characters would forget anything they would told by them anyway. The only reason I could see that they were in the story was to show that the gods where involved in the fate of Troy and its inhabitants.
So, in short very boring; skip this one.
The story is basically just what goes on in the life of a few girls who live in Troy during their war with the Greeks. It had no plot or if it did it was so bland and transparent that I didn't catch on.
Random gods would appear to different character for no reason whatsoever. They didn't add to the story in the least and the characters would forget anything they would told by them anyway. The only reason I could see that they were in the story was to show that the gods where involved in the fate of Troy and its inhabitants.
So, in short very boring; skip this one.
October 27, 2011
It's a sad time in the city of Troy. The war has been going on for 10 years and it has spread it's roots into each and every household, spreading misery and death and sorrow. Soldiers go out to war every morning, leaving behind widows and orphans; women spend the day in terror, wondering whether their husbands, sons and brothers will come back or not. Food is scarce, thanks to the siege and money is spent endlessly on the war, on the weapons and food for the horses. Anything that is moving is cooked and served on the table. Even the palace can not afford much luxury.
And in the middle of all this sadness are two sisters, Xanthe and Marpessa. The two are orphans, found on the mountain and brought to the palace, where they grew up working for the princesses. The elder, Xanthe, works in the blood room, the place where all wounded soldiers are brought and given treatment. She works there looking after the wounded, caring for them, healing them. She also works for Andromache, wife of Hector. She looks after their son, Astyanax, a baby just learning to speak. The younger one, Marpessa, works for Helen who loves her as though she were her own daughter. Marpessa is gifted, she sees the Gods and speaks to them, and more importantly, is the only one who actually remembers seeing them. These two sisters work hard, supporting each other in these troubled times and caring for one another. Till something comes between them.
A young warrior named Alastor. He first wins over Xanthe's heart, and then promptly loses his own to Marpessa. Now the two sisters are set up against each other and by none other than the goddess Aphrodite herself.
The story is set in the background of the war, there are many narratives and threads and the author shifts easily between them. The writing is fluid and intoxicating, the descriptions are easy to follow. What makes it even more exciting is the inevitable doom we all know is coming. I really like the way the author blends in the gods into all of this, the way she shows the multiple love triangles from every characters point of view, not slighting any character and giving each one a chance to justify their actions. Alastor, I think, is a bit underdeveloped as a character. He does nothing but chase Marpessa for most of the book lusting after her before suddenly falling in love with her abruptly in the end. Xanthe too, is a bit pig headed throughout the book, refusing to see that the one she loves does not return her affections. But all in all it is a beautiful story.
And in the middle of all this sadness are two sisters, Xanthe and Marpessa. The two are orphans, found on the mountain and brought to the palace, where they grew up working for the princesses. The elder, Xanthe, works in the blood room, the place where all wounded soldiers are brought and given treatment. She works there looking after the wounded, caring for them, healing them. She also works for Andromache, wife of Hector. She looks after their son, Astyanax, a baby just learning to speak. The younger one, Marpessa, works for Helen who loves her as though she were her own daughter. Marpessa is gifted, she sees the Gods and speaks to them, and more importantly, is the only one who actually remembers seeing them. These two sisters work hard, supporting each other in these troubled times and caring for one another. Till something comes between them.
A young warrior named Alastor. He first wins over Xanthe's heart, and then promptly loses his own to Marpessa. Now the two sisters are set up against each other and by none other than the goddess Aphrodite herself.
The story is set in the background of the war, there are many narratives and threads and the author shifts easily between them. The writing is fluid and intoxicating, the descriptions are easy to follow. What makes it even more exciting is the inevitable doom we all know is coming. I really like the way the author blends in the gods into all of this, the way she shows the multiple love triangles from every characters point of view, not slighting any character and giving each one a chance to justify their actions. Alastor, I think, is a bit underdeveloped as a character. He does nothing but chase Marpessa for most of the book lusting after her before suddenly falling in love with her abruptly in the end. Xanthe too, is a bit pig headed throughout the book, refusing to see that the one she loves does not return her affections. But all in all it is a beautiful story.
August 3, 2022
A wonderful re-telling of the story of the Trojan War, from the perspective of the Trojans instead of the Greeks. Make the characters very human and is highly readable and interesting. Full review you can find on my blog:
April 11, 2019
I'm studying for my Greek Mythology final (yay for fun electives!) and I couldn't help but think of where my fascination for Greek myths started. Before you say the obvious, nope, it wasn't Percy Jackson. Don't get me wrong, the Percy Jackson series helped me firmly establish my love for greek myth but it wasn't what got me started in the first place. It was this seemingly random choice that I made at a bookstore that I don't even remember that started it all. Troy by Adele Geras isn't a great book. I'm not going to wax poetic about it and give it 5 stars. But what I will say is that this book is very close to my heart. So close that probably 10 years after I read this, I still remember the names of the characters - Xanthe, Marpessa, Polyxena, etc. I love how my first book on the Trojan war didn't actually focus on the war itself nor the Gods but revolved around a few Trojan citizens. The backdrop of the war that one doesn't often get to explore. Was pretty cool, that.
Also, cuz I'm reminiscent, this book gave me my first encounter with a penis euphemism. Something, something boiled squid, if I remember right. Hmm.
Also, cuz I'm reminiscent, this book gave me my first encounter with a penis euphemism. Something, something boiled squid, if I remember right. Hmm.
July 30, 2019
This was a great retelling of the Trojan war, but from the perspective of normal people. None of our main characters were big heroes in the war. Ten years in, the war is still going strong. Sisters Marpessa and Xanthe play different roles inside the city, but remain close. Xanthe is a healer of wounded soliders. Marpessa is a weaver who can see the gods. When Eros strikes Xanthe with an arrow from his bow, the sisters become entangled in a love story as complicated as the gods.
I loved seeing the Trojan war from a different perspective. It was compelling in a different way than other retellings are. While we still hear and see of the key characters of the war like Achilles, Hector and Odysseus. They are side characters here. I really enjoyed seeing this different facet of life in Troy. I also liked seeing more about Paris and Helen. Often times, we only see that they were one cause of the war, but in Troy we become entangled in their life.
The story of the sisters and their entangled lives was captivating in a slow moving and loving way. I enjoyed seeing the conflicts between them rise and fall. Seeing the ending of the Trojan war from their perspective was awful and despair-inducing. That's about where my interest stopped too. I couldn't seem to stay focused on it after that point. I don't know if I was tired of war or if it was the book itself.
Overall, would recommend for a different kind of Trojan war experience.
I loved seeing the Trojan war from a different perspective. It was compelling in a different way than other retellings are. While we still hear and see of the key characters of the war like Achilles, Hector and Odysseus. They are side characters here. I really enjoyed seeing this different facet of life in Troy. I also liked seeing more about Paris and Helen. Often times, we only see that they were one cause of the war, but in Troy we become entangled in their life.
The story of the sisters and their entangled lives was captivating in a slow moving and loving way. I enjoyed seeing the conflicts between them rise and fall. Seeing the ending of the Trojan war from their perspective was awful and despair-inducing. That's about where my interest stopped too. I couldn't seem to stay focused on it after that point. I don't know if I was tired of war or if it was the book itself.
Overall, would recommend for a different kind of Trojan war experience.
June 23, 2016
I expected more only because of how many awards it has won. I was hoping I could recommend it to my teenage students but there is too much sex and adult content for Taiwanese teens. How did it win children's book awards?
Not a bad story, just not very creative and far too ridiculously juvenile love story. Random gods and goddesses would appear to a character for no reason whatsoever. They didn't add to the story in the least and the characters would forget anything they would told by them anyway. The only reason I could see that they were in the story was to show that the gods where involved in the fate of Troy and its inhabitants.
I think adults can skip this one.
Not a bad story, just not very creative and far too ridiculously juvenile love story. Random gods and goddesses would appear to a character for no reason whatsoever. They didn't add to the story in the least and the characters would forget anything they would told by them anyway. The only reason I could see that they were in the story was to show that the gods where involved in the fate of Troy and its inhabitants.
I think adults can skip this one.
January 30, 2014
انها الحرب قد تُثقل القلب
و لكن خلفك عار العرب !!
,,, تذكرت هذه المقوله عندما رفض اليونانين الرحيل عند طردواه قبل ان يأخذو بالثار ممن قتل ملكهم
الفيلم ملحمه ,
اكتر شئ عجبنى فكره القتال بالسيف و الدرع , اد ايه شئ عظيم ان المقاتل يقاتل خصمه وجها لوجهه فى ايده سيف و ايده التانيه درع
القتال بيكون متعه خصوصا ممن يتحلى بأخلاق الفرسان
اللى اخترع المسدس و القنايل ده شخص جبان اللى يخليك تقتل خصمك من مسافات بعيده
القتال فى حد ذاته شجاعه و احنا فى زمن الجبناء !
و لكن خلفك عار العرب !!
,,, تذكرت هذه المقوله عندما رفض اليونانين الرحيل عند طردواه قبل ان يأخذو بالثار ممن قتل ملكهم
الفيلم ملحمه ,
اكتر شئ عجبنى فكره القتال بالسيف و الدرع , اد ايه شئ عظيم ان المقاتل يقاتل خصمه وجها لوجهه فى ايده سيف و ايده التانيه درع
القتال بيكون متعه خصوصا ممن يتحلى بأخلاق الفرسان
اللى اخترع المسدس و القنايل ده شخص جبان اللى يخليك تقتل خصمك من مسافات بعيده
القتال فى حد ذاته شجاعه و احنا فى زمن الجبناء !
January 30, 2016
I tried, but I couldn't move beyond page 133.
While I can appreciate that Geras is introducing the myths of the Trojan War to young readers, I fault her for not making it her own. I have read the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Fall of Troy, and the Aeneid, and this story just felt like a less-interesting retelling. I couldn't get invested in either the story of the three servant girls or the re-told events of the Trojan War. There just wasn't enough of a focus.
The chapters are jolting--very short, skipping from one vantage point to another and moving from one setting to another. There's no time to be invested in anybody, and I was left just not caring, which was why I abandoned this book before getting halfway through. There were times when I was interested in the picture of Paris as a slimy man or Helen as a bit of a bimbo or Hector as a man struggling with his love for his wife Andromache and his attraction to Helen, but again, the chapters were far too jumpy to maintain a train of narrative. Perhaps that's the nature of trying to tackle an epic with a huge catalog of characters.
And the gods--well, they, too, were uninteresting. They were just the same old gods, without much originality of interpretation. Geras takes them too literally, showing Venus whenever someone is falling in love or about to make love. Or even worse, she has Cupid strike one of her characters with an arrow. Talk about hackneyed. Maybe I've read too much about them and have lost interest, but bringing us into contact with Hephaestus or Mars just isn't enough. You've got to do more with them.
While I can appreciate that Geras is introducing the myths of the Trojan War to young readers, I fault her for not making it her own. I have read the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Fall of Troy, and the Aeneid, and this story just felt like a less-interesting retelling. I couldn't get invested in either the story of the three servant girls or the re-told events of the Trojan War. There just wasn't enough of a focus.
The chapters are jolting--very short, skipping from one vantage point to another and moving from one setting to another. There's no time to be invested in anybody, and I was left just not caring, which was why I abandoned this book before getting halfway through. There were times when I was interested in the picture of Paris as a slimy man or Helen as a bit of a bimbo or Hector as a man struggling with his love for his wife Andromache and his attraction to Helen, but again, the chapters were far too jumpy to maintain a train of narrative. Perhaps that's the nature of trying to tackle an epic with a huge catalog of characters.
And the gods--well, they, too, were uninteresting. They were just the same old gods, without much originality of interpretation. Geras takes them too literally, showing Venus whenever someone is falling in love or about to make love. Or even worse, she has Cupid strike one of her characters with an arrow. Talk about hackneyed. Maybe I've read too much about them and have lost interest, but bringing us into contact with Hephaestus or Mars just isn't enough. You've got to do more with them.
April 9, 2010
Troy is a good retelling of the Trojan War from essentially the beginning of Homer's Iliad to just after the fall of Troy. Geras's heroines are Xanthe, nurse to the son of Hector and Andromache, and Marpessa, handmaiden to Helen; she weaves her own characters skillfully into the tapestry of the characters familiar from Greek mythology. We all know how the story ends, but by providing her own characters and making them sympathetic, so that the reader wants to find out what happens to them, Geras instills new interest in the inevitable fall of Troy.
I also liked how Geras handled the gods; Marpessa has God-sight and can always see and speak to them when they're present, but generally, the gods appear in visions to the characters, reveal what they've come to reveal, and disappear again, upon which the character they've spoken to forgets the encounter, though often retaining a feeling of foreboding. I'm picky about my Greek mythology retellings, and I thought Troy worked very well.
I also liked how Geras handled the gods; Marpessa has God-sight and can always see and speak to them when they're present, but generally, the gods appear in visions to the characters, reveal what they've come to reveal, and disappear again, upon which the character they've spoken to forgets the encounter, though often retaining a feeling of foreboding. I'm picky about my Greek mythology retellings, and I thought Troy worked very well.
February 14, 2020
Drugacije ispricana prica o ratu u Troju kroz oci zena koje su zivjele tamo. Knjiga mi je bila sasvim ok. LIkovi su dobro napisani, lako se mozete vezati za njih. Ljubavni elementi su mi bili uredu, nisam imao onaj osjecaj patetika kao inace kad citam ovakve knjige. Uglavnom meni se svaka knjiga koja ima veze sa tim antickim ratovanjem vazda svidja.
June 16, 2021
I really enjoyed reading this book, as it gave another perspective of the Trojan War compared to the Song of Achilles.
Read
May 13, 2022I am currently reading and so I've had the Trojan War on the brain, and the other day I suddenly remembered this YA fiction novel that I read many, many years ago. I used to have a paperback copy but I must have gotten rid of it at some point. I vaguely recall liking it. But I don't remember enough about it to give it a rating. I'm just adding it to my 'read' shelf.
January 31, 2024
page 346. PAGE 346.
(less than satisfying read but OH MY GOD THE DEPICTION OF GRIEF DOES THINGS TO ME)
(less than satisfying read but OH MY GOD THE DEPICTION OF GRIEF DOES THINGS TO ME)
May 16, 2021
Um. I thought this would be something I could suggest to students to read if they like the Odyssey, Greek mythology, etc. I may suggest it for a mature student - though marketed as YA, if it were a movie, it would most definitely be PG13, could be R. I didn't need Paris making advances on one of the young female protagonists. I didn't need Boros and his sexual advances or crude, lewd dialogue. The gods and goddesses coming and going and then they're forgotten about as soon as they leave the mortals. And biggest pet peeve has got to be Hera coming to comfort Andromache after Hector's death, telling Andromache that Paris will kill Achilles. Like Hera would give a shit. She was turned down by Paris for that golden apple. She would cause the Trojans much grief on their voyage to establish a new colony. Makes me wonder what version Geras was using as inspiration for her novel. The only thing I liked was the pace of the city destruction. That, Geras got right, or at least, met my expectations. Now, do I be that glutton for punishment and read the Ithaka novel I have somewhere around here? Or do I take a break before reading something potentially as bad?
April 22, 2009
This book is different than others i've read about the Iliad. It is told in the point of view of servants. This author does a wonderful job of creating twists in plot and weaving frustration into every chapter. The main characters are loveable and experience the trojan war with the known characters i.e. Helen, Paris, Andronmache, Hector, etc. as backgroud characters rather than the foreground.
I loved this book! it kept my attention through out, this author is very good at writing books with frustrating love triangles and this book reflects that.
I would suggest reading this if you are interested in the story of the trojan war, or just want a good love story.
This book has some violence and mild talk of sexuality. other than that i wouldn't worry about content.
If you like this book you should check out
Goddess of Yesterday by Caroline B. Cooney--another tale of Troy
Ithika by Adele Geras--about what Odysseus's wife is doing while he is away.
I loved this book! it kept my attention through out, this author is very good at writing books with frustrating love triangles and this book reflects that.
I would suggest reading this if you are interested in the story of the trojan war, or just want a good love story.
This book has some violence and mild talk of sexuality. other than that i wouldn't worry about content.
If you like this book you should check out
Goddess of Yesterday by Caroline B. Cooney--another tale of Troy
Ithika by Adele Geras--about what Odysseus's wife is doing while he is away.
June 17, 2022
I intend to reread this book soon, because I read it in (I believe) 8th grade, and remember loving it. It was one of the only school assigned books I enjoyed, and parts of the story have stuck with me until this day.
When I do reread it, I'll update this review/rating, but my 8th grader self demands 5 stars for this for now.
When I do reread it, I'll update this review/rating, but my 8th grader self demands 5 stars for this for now.
February 3, 2023
Troy was a very strange book to me. I picked the book out of our school library thinking “oh, it might be a cool book about the attack on Troy, action-packed and all that.� I wasn’t expecting all that came from the book, especially the love stories. There was much more “love-making� than I had anticipated (which I thought would have been none). However, it did have some good storytelling, which is why I gave it three out of five stars. On page 240, Marpessa and Alastor talk about an issue after having done “love-making�. The quote I used for my Foster project was “I’m to be wed,� he said, staring at the ground between his knees, and in such a low voice that Marpessa had to lean forward to catch his words. “My mother has arranged for it all to take place in a few days…�. This could be taken as an act of rebellion from Alastor against his mother. His mother was seen as unkind to many, and it is understandable why most would not like her. They also implement stories that were previously made up, like Odysseus traveling back to Ithaca, and the giant Trojan horse used to start the fall of Troy. The Mark of Greatness is also seen throughout the story as the two sisters, Marpessa and Xanthe, can be seen communicating with gods. They also have some dramatic irony, as most know that within the Trojan horse, many Greeks were packed tightly. The characters of the story, however, had no clue of what was in store for them later. I believe that this story is definitely made for the young teen type. I said before that I was expecting this story to be much more action-packed and more adventurous, like some similar books I have read. Perhaps I thought it would be similar to works of the old Greek writers, similar to the Odyssey and stories told way back then. However, I should have read the back summary of the book. I believe that this book was still worth the read, which is why I gave it a three out of five stars rating.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 11, 2020
This oddly feels like two completely different retellings of the Iliad smashed into one.
One one hand we have a quite excellent Lower Decks POV of the end of the Trojan War, following the servants and lesser nobles as they assist the main Trojan characters, and we see all the anxiety and pain, followed by tragedy and horror that the ordinary folk of Troy went through.
But on the other hand, we have this story of the gods themselves meddling in the the Iliad, all of them popping up here and there to throw in some magic, meddle with some actions, sport some prophecy, and then vanish, pulling a Men-In-Black memory wipe whenever they exit.
Its maddening to have these two different genres spliced together in a way that doesn't really gel together. Geras should have dumped all the god stuff and just stuck with a really good story about what it means to be an ordinary person trying to survive being a civilian in a war zone.
Read
July 3, 2022Excellenttt!
August 6, 2021
Troy follows a small group of young Trojans as the epic war comes to its conclusion. Major events of the Trojan War are depicted, chiefly from the perspective of these young people. The story is not as epic as I would have expected, with too much emphasis on immature relationships. Also, the dialogue was unnatural at times and did not flow well.
Overall, a decent read but it could have been executed better.
Overall, a decent read but it could have been executed better.
June 1, 2019
Entertaining book. It took a couple of chapters to adjust to the ways it’s written but after that it was very easy to read. I loved the characters of Xanthe and Marpessa and it was fun to see their relationship as sisters evolve. Would recommend to anyone interested in the Trojan War and looking for a light historical fiction read.
February 14, 2014
After reading The Song of Troy by Colleen McCullough, Troy by Adèle Geras just pales in comparison. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad book. It just means it isn’t the best book about Troy.
Troy follows the story of Marpessa and Xanthe, two sisters trying to live their lives during the last months of the Trojan War. They’re both three dimensional characters with interesting backgrounds and we get to see them through other characters� perspectives, but they’re not really all that memorable. There’s nothing that really sets them apart from other characters in fiction, so in my mind, they will always be good characters, but not great ones. For those of you hoping to see the traditional legendary heroes of the Trojan War, you’re going to be disappointed. Achilles, Hector and Odysseus receive practically no page time. However, if you want to read about the lives of those who were forgotten, the lives of the background characters, Troy is perfect for you.
The plot isn’t exactly fast-paced because Troy is more of a character-driven novel, but it isn’t boring either. Adèle Geras has certainly done her research about the Trojan War, but I wouldn’t say that there were any exceptional historical details. Just like in The Iliad, the gods come down from Olympus and interfere with the war, but what’s really annoying is the fact that their warnings are pointless since mortals forget meeting them anyway. What’s the point, besides to foreshadow what most people already know? As I said before, it is a good book, not a great one.
I give this book 3/5 stars.
Troy follows the story of Marpessa and Xanthe, two sisters trying to live their lives during the last months of the Trojan War. They’re both three dimensional characters with interesting backgrounds and we get to see them through other characters� perspectives, but they’re not really all that memorable. There’s nothing that really sets them apart from other characters in fiction, so in my mind, they will always be good characters, but not great ones. For those of you hoping to see the traditional legendary heroes of the Trojan War, you’re going to be disappointed. Achilles, Hector and Odysseus receive practically no page time. However, if you want to read about the lives of those who were forgotten, the lives of the background characters, Troy is perfect for you.
The plot isn’t exactly fast-paced because Troy is more of a character-driven novel, but it isn’t boring either. Adèle Geras has certainly done her research about the Trojan War, but I wouldn’t say that there were any exceptional historical details. Just like in The Iliad, the gods come down from Olympus and interfere with the war, but what’s really annoying is the fact that their warnings are pointless since mortals forget meeting them anyway. What’s the point, besides to foreshadow what most people already know? As I said before, it is a good book, not a great one.
I give this book 3/5 stars.
December 15, 2014
Adele Geras did an incredible job writing this book. Although it may not have been the most exciting at times, Geras did a very good job in creating characters all intertwined in a very unique romantic situation. She pulls family apart in this book all over a love that, at times, seems very unreliable and almost fails. As the book goes on, the romance between characters start to get quite complicated and the battle between the Greeks and Trojans intensifies greatly. Geras writes the latter half of the book even better than the beginning, adding both subtle and large surprises, while weaving the original story of Troy into her story very, very well. The fact that Geras was able to confine her great work to 340 pages, in the hardcover version, while maintaining not only the drama of the Trojan war, but also being able to captivate readers with both the uniqueness and plot of the main characters was extremely impressive. Not to mention doing all of this while staying very true to the story of this war is phenomenal. However, the book did lack action on the battlefield, and mainly, if not only, included perspectives of the spectators. This could have been easily fixed by Geras, but she chose to only go to the battlefield in very tense parts of the war, not to show the war's progression. Geras also could have shown the perspective of the Greeks more often, leaving you to guess on how the Trojans counterparts felt about their situation during the war and even after. However, the book was still very well written and I recommend it!
February 3, 2014
I think that the authors theme is to always stay true to family. The author was showing that a lot of people might do something wrong but in the end it is important to stay true to family no matter what happens. This book takes place in ancient Troy during the Trojan War .There are three main characters in this book Xanthe, Marppesa, and Alastor although there are many more characters I thought that these were the most important. The story is told by all three of these people depending on the chapter. These characters only know what they are told and are not all knowing. This book takes place in the tenth year of the Trojan War. This book starts when Alastor gets injures and when Xanthe meets him she falls in love with him but once he sees her sister Marppesa he falls in love with her and soon she falls in love with him.
I thought that this book was ok. This is because for me it is too much of a love story. Although it was a love story it still has a lot of action. At the beginning of this book Alastor is fighting a Greek but gets injured. I thought that this was one of the parts with lots of action. I think that the author wrote this because you should not let someone get in the way with your family. Honestly I have not yet read another book like this so that I cannot relate to this. Also I honestly do not think that one of my friends should read this because it is too much of a love story.
I thought that this book was ok. This is because for me it is too much of a love story. Although it was a love story it still has a lot of action. At the beginning of this book Alastor is fighting a Greek but gets injured. I thought that this was one of the parts with lots of action. I think that the author wrote this because you should not let someone get in the way with your family. Honestly I have not yet read another book like this so that I cannot relate to this. Also I honestly do not think that one of my friends should read this because it is too much of a love story.
January 13, 2014
I was looking forward to reading this book about the Trojan War but it didn't really work for me - until perhaps the last couple of chapters which were moving and shocking. It takes place during the final stages of the ten year Trojan War and it is written from the perspectives of different everyday Trojans - mainly women - living behind the wall in Troy. There is a range of characters, ranging from the legendary players in this well-known myth to the lesser known characters, including Hector's stable-boy, Iason; Helen of Troy's maid, Marpessa; King Priam's singer's granddaughter; and three gossiping female servants who comment on the action throughout. Interwoven with these mortal characters is the presence of gods and goddesses who make their presence known and take an active role in both the love-lives and the brutal slaughter of many of the characters. The chapters are really short and each chapter is from a different perspective but I found it difficult to empathise with a number of the characters. Even though we all know how the Trojan War ended, the final two or three chapters of this book still manage to shock and move the reader and this is why I have given it 3* rather than 2*
August 1, 2009
This book tells the story of the Trojan War from perspectives that aren't given a lot of attention in The Iliad--mainly women and children, and I appreciated how it addressed the suffering of animals as well. It's somewhat awkward at times, since the big events of the war are often only on the periphery of what's happening in the novel. However, I think Adele Geras made the right decision in creating a new story to run parallel to Homer's; her writing is quite unexceptional, and there would be little point in reading a watered-down version of The Iliad.
What I disliked was its soap-operatic nature. It's all very sensational and sentimental, and was rather too centered on gossip and jealousy and silliness. In addition, the portrayal of the gods became very annoying. It was, in my opinion, not at all in the spirit of the Greek sagas.
Overall: an easy and somewhat addictive read. Less a thoughtful reinvention of The Iliad than a teenage drama set in the ancient world.
What I disliked was its soap-operatic nature. It's all very sensational and sentimental, and was rather too centered on gossip and jealousy and silliness. In addition, the portrayal of the gods became very annoying. It was, in my opinion, not at all in the spirit of the Greek sagas.
Overall: an easy and somewhat addictive read. Less a thoughtful reinvention of The Iliad than a teenage drama set in the ancient world.
July 25, 2015
I started out a little hesitant about this story. I wasn't sure what I thought about the oh-so-human gods popping into the story, but it gradually wore on me until I really began to love this feature of the book. The characters (Helen, Paris, Hector, Aphrodite, Eros) are mostly familiar to me, though I'm not sure if some of the young people (Marpessa? Xanthe? Alastor?) were present in the original story. It's all well done, I think. The almost-Shakespearean romantic mixups between Marpessa and Alastor and Iason and Xanthe and Polyxena are intriguing and sad and tragic (I don't remember that being part of the original story either, but I could be mistaken) and the ongoing story of the Trojan War is riving. I think I like best how characters suddenly fall in love or act erratically and it's all because of the gods' interferences...certainly would be a good explanation for me for some of the crazy behavior I see in our world. Troy is that dark tragedy that only the Greeks do well.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 346 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.