The Song of Troy

This is the kind of historical fiction that I love to read. I've always had a passing interest in mythology, but sometimes it can be so dry! "So & So, son of Such & Such, did A, B, C, & D, had son Whatchamacallit with Whatshername who was the daughter of Whosthatguyagain?..." That's one of the reasons I've put off reading the Bible. Too many begats.

But McCullough manages to work all of the necessary begats in, while at the same time still moving the story along, and further making you CARE. She brings these characters to life in a way that mere Mortals could only dream of. History and myth gives them names, but McCullough gives them LIFE. Personality, aspirations, hopes and dreams, conniving brilliance, worshipful adoration, undying show more loyalty, etc. These are the things that McC gives us and inspires our adoration of her.

First, let me say that I wish I'd have taken notes when reading this book. Each chapter is narrated by a different character, and it's not always easy to keep track of who is who in the beginning, or which side they are on. (I said I have a passing interest in Mythology - I'm not a scholar with Heroes' names, important dates and country of births memorized!) This is the one thing that dropped this down to 4 stars for me. Granted, once I got to the midway point, I was just along for the ride and following everything without a problem, but getting there would have been easier if perhaps the chapter headings had say "Priam of Troy" instead of just "Priam" for the narrator.

That being said, even once I was up on the who's who and which side is which, McC made it VERY difficult to pick a side to root for! She portrayed everything so realistically that there is no "right" side to an impartial judge; rather "right" is dependent on which King you serve and which version of the story you get from them. Much like wars today *cough*, the Greeks' war against Troy was less for the proclaimed scapegoat reason and more for profit and political gain (read: land and money). Come to think of it, we're quickly coming up on 10 years too... But I digress.

I was surprised by the humor and modernity in this book. Odysseus especially was fairly snarky and at times I felt like he would just step out of the pages and start pulling strings everywhere. I got a few chuckles out of him. I liked that while the feel of the book was true to the traditional story, it did feel updated and accessible to everyone- not just mythology buffs.

I also appreciated that the magic and the miracles were left open to interpretation. There is always a plausible scientific, or at least non-magical, explanation for miraculous events. That's a fine line to walk, actually, to say "Here's a possibility" but not try to sell it or convince us. I appreciate McC for being able to do that well, and for doing it at all. Too often authors want to spread their opinions like little seeds, hoping that they will take root in someone else. It's a rare thing for an author to write a book without a stance.

I also enjoyed the fact that there was homosexuality and bisexuality in the book, but that it wasn't done in such a way as to be a slur or a joke. It was simply presented as an everyday occurrence and accepted. Too bad that's relegated to history, we could use a little of that mindset now.

Speaking of which, my four favorite characters in the book were portrayed as bisexual and gay: Diomedes, Odysseus, and Achilles (bi) and Patrokles (gay). I loved how these men were able to be Men (RAWR!) on the battlefield but then off the field share a part of themselves with another man that men of today wouldn't dream of. Get your mind out of the gutters! I mean their feelings, not their tools. Really though, knowing that these men were gay did not make me feel any differently about them as warriors - and I love warriors. If anything, it made me respect them more for their duality. They were able to truly love and be loved by men, yet go out and kill hordes of them daily. Crazy.

I notice that my favorite characters are all Greek, which is interesting because I am still very undecided as to which ideological side I wanted to win the war. I mean, obviously I knew which side would win, but there is a part of me that just loves the underdog and will always root for the losing side. But neither side was faultless, and both sides were harmed by the other prior to war, so who is right? Conundrum.

Anyway... I really enjoyed the book... It certainly is fuel for thought and shows that mythology is just as relevant today as it was 4,000 years ago. Give or take a century. show less

In this retelling of a classic Greek epic, the narrative is delivered through the perspective of more than a dozen major players of the Trojan War, from the foolish and pathetic to the heroic and doomed. Was Helen's flight with Paris from Greece the root cause of the war, or was it merely a convenient catalyst toward a political conflict that was inevitable? More than anything, The Song of Troy emphasizes that while The Iliad has been heralded as an epic for millennia, it is also unquestionably a tragedy for everyone involved.

With chronicles of the Trojan War coming from multiple historical sources, and not all of them agreeing on the details, we'll never know for certain exactly how (or even if) it all went down. It's fun to read what show more sort of spin more contemporary authors are putting on the events, as well as compare them to what the ancients have to say. In some, the gods of Olympus take sides and actively participate in the conflict, while in others they are mentioned merely as passive observers. In McCullough's book mortals speculate in desperation about the gods' favor or disfavor, and about which characters may have divine ancestry, but McCullough gives the reader no real reason to believe that the gods actually exist in her world at all, which is an intriguing take in comparison to The Iliad. Another modern interpretation I highly recommend is The Song of Achilles. Between the two, despite having not yet read The Iliad, the legendary story now feels familiar to me. show less

An excellent retelling of the Trojan War and one of my favorite books. It's a shame this one is out of print here in the States. I wound up having to order my copy from Canada.

Ms. McCullough brilliantly weaves together the various legends and mythic events surrounding the Trojan War, but does it all in a believable way.

Starting with Hercules visiting Troy and being taken advantage of by the Trojan king, The Song of Troy establishes the enmity between Troy and Greece and what reasons there may have been to go to war. Helen is still taken to Troy by Paris. But very good and logical reasons are provided for Greece to send so many warriors to Troy. Ultimately Helen is more of a symbolic excuse for two bitter enemies to finally duke it show more out.

The entire Trojan War is presented in this way. The super-heroic details we're all familiar with (the Trojan horse, Achilles' heel, etc.) are preserved here, yet presented in a realistic and very human way. What is a coincidence to you and I can be taken as a proof of a god's intercession if a believer looks hard enough for a sign.

The writing here is top-notch with each chapter being narrated by one of the major or minor participants. Priam, Agamemnon, Hector, Paris, Odysseus, Achilles, Ajax, Helen and others all get to tell their sides of the story. It would be so easy with such mythic subject matter to present cardboard versions of these people. Fortunately, Ms. McCullough is a much better writer than that. Each character has a distinct personality with very human fears and desires and is given a unique voice. You'll soon have certain narrators you're looking forward to hearing from again.

In some ways this is a tough book for me to review. I liked it so much that it's hard for me to give my opinions without heaping fanboy-like praise on it.

If you are interested in reading about the Trojan war, but either aren't interested in The Iliad and The Odyssey or just want to read further, I would heartily recommend The Song of Troy. If you enjoy it you can then move on to her equally excellent Masters of Rome books. show less

SUMMARY: New retelling of the Trojan War notable in that in tells the story from the vantage point of all major characters.

WHY YOU'LL LIKE IT: McCollough has a gift for prose; the words flow seemlessly together and practically leap off the page and visual images form in your head. McCollough picks up on a lot of themes alluded to in the Iliad, i.e. Achilles and Patroclus as lovers, and makes them explicit. Powerful descriptions, tender love scenes, and enthralling action sequences all paced well make this a winner. She proffers the war was fought not over Helen but for control of the Hellespont and the Black Sea, as well as Asia Minor; definitely plausible.

WHY YOU WON'T: As a trained classicist, I just couldn't get behind some of the show more characterizations in this novel, particularly that of Helen. In the primary sources, this important character actually is given almost no voice. The voice McCollough gives her is one of a precocious nymphomaniac transformed later into a vain, egotistical, superficial slut who willingly abandons her children because they are not as beautiful as she. Just couldn't buy it, which is why I awarded 3 stars rather than 4.

BOTTOM LINE: If you love mythology and war/action sagas with a romantic undercurrent, you'll enjoy this book immensely. show less

I don't like McCulloch as a person, but you can't say she doesn't do her homework. She weaves together tonnes of different mythical strands to come up with a narrative of pre and post the Trojan war. Really impressive stuff.

Very readable account of the Trojan Wars. Somehow manages to retain a level of historical gravitas and tell a rip-roaring war story at the same time.

bello