Not worth the time or money. The author brings to life the sights, sounds, and conflicts of the war and the pain and suffering of the men who fought in it. This torrid love affair of Paris and Helen, meant to be one of history and literature’s great cosmic connections feels like the most obligatory part of this saga. This was an amazing book. After Helen ran away with Paris, prince of Troy, the Greek armies fought a ten year long war against Troy to win her back. I loved the story. Compare Margaret George's portrayal with others you are familiar with, such as Euripides' Helen, the recent film Troy, and the portrait by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. This book is a beautiful example of historical FICTION. And the story is told through her eyes. Oh no. One of the most boring, badly written, snooze-inducing novels that I have ever waded through. Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2007. The famous narrative ‘Iliad’ has become the intrinsic part of human cultural heritage and in its turn has given birth to a number of artistic interpretations. "Helen of Troy" definitely revived my interest in the subject and in historical fiction in general. I liked how the characters were portrayed And she grew old just like the rest of us. Greek mythology, or mythology, in general, is and will always be one of my great loves. Until now. Wolfgang Peterson's film Troy, The Memoirs of Helen of Troy (another novel about Helen), the book by Bettany Hughes, and the PBS documentary Helen of Troy attest to the current appeal of these myths. The family traveled on a freighter named after Ulysses' son Telemachus that took thirty days to reach Taiwan, where they spent two years. The thought of reading over 600 pages initially put me off. Historical fiction author Margaret George’s 2006 novel Helen of Troy tells the story of the famously beautiful woman whose uncompromising love affair started the Trojan War of Homer’s Iliad. Helen of Troy is nothing like this. But I read it, because I trust her book choices with every fiber of my being. Gut-wrenching. Some things can be restored. A spirited appendix to one of literature’s greatest stories, in which the face that launched a thousand ships is supplied with a brain and a voice to match her legendary beauty. I love Greek mythology and think the fall of Troy is easily one of the most powerful myths around. Margaret George brings to life the heroic and not so heroic deeds of the Trojan war. ), “When he comes into a room, you give a little gasp, deep inside, far inside,' someone once said when trying to describe what it meant to love.”, “Some things can be recovered. It kind of upset my original idea of how they appeared physically. a review blog. So different than the Helen of Troy I knew. This book is one of my absolute favorites, and so underappreciated. 1. Such a good book. But some lost things, we seek forever.”. Our worldwide membership loves to meet up. To see what your friends thought of this book, The level of detail in this book is amazing. She likes adjectives and she likes to use them a lot. lovers of myth, historical fiction and fans of Margaret George. Margaret's first piece of published writing, at the age of thirteen, was a letter to TIME Magazine defending Elvis against his detractors. Daughter of a god, wife of a king, prize of antiquity's bloodiest war, Helen of Troy … "The story of Helen of Troy has its origins in ancient Greek epic and didactic poetry, more than 2500 years ago, but it remains one of the world's most galvanizing myths about the destructive power of beauty. Cassandra was portrayed as having the gift of seeing the future as a child. “Helen of Troy” by Bettany Hughes – A Review Hughes bills her book as “The Story Behind the Most Beautiful Woman in the World” – which is certainly ambitious. This is one of those books I’ve been meaning to read, but didn’t get to until now, published in 2006. Donating as clearing bookshelves for move. Search. This book is sheer perfection in so many ways a simple review cannot express. Written by Margaret George Review by India Edghill. © Historical Novel Society 1997 - 2021. Last year, a friend recommended the book Gone with the Wind. After that first glimpse she knows what true desire feels like. As an avid reader, it's not very often that you come across a book that immediately finds a spot on the top shelf of your bookcase. 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 w. Even though I read my classics back in my college days, they stuck in my mind for forty years. But I didn't feel that. (Margaret has since been to Graceland. Ba. Here’s a somewhat meandering review, more a collection of my reactions/thoughts than a formal review. Hearing rumors and whispers all her life about how she wasn't her father's daughter how in fact she was in fact the daughter of Zeus. Posts about Helen of Troy written by manderse11. In this fictional account of the childhood of Helen of Troy, Helen grows up wanting to learn swordplay with her two older brothers and fighting with her twin sister, Clytemnestra. Like Another Helen, penned by American intellectual and distinguished diplomat GEORGE HORTON, is a competent novel but not a great work of literature. The famous narrative ‘Iliad’ has become the intrinsic part of human cultural heritage and in its turn has given birth to a number of artistic interpretations. Category: Book Reviews ... An e-ARC of this book was provided by NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK Children’s in exchange for an honest review. Helen of Troy by Margaret George -- 4 stars, Sinopsis en Español // Synopsis in Spanish, Weird Science! 722 reviews. I was given this book as a gift and it was some time before I started to read it. Helen of Troy. But as George continues to write about famous "historical" figures the last two she has chosen live more in myth rather than actual history (Mary Magdalene and now Helen of Troy). Helen of Troy (Andrew Lang) Book Reviews Free International Money Transfer Enjoy high maximum transfers into more than 20 currencies while saving up to 90% over local banks! Many travel thousands of miles to do so. And yet our Helen in this book was never vain about her beauty; in fact, she saw it as a curse (usually). However memories of it faded over last few years. I always wondered how the Trojans treated Helen, who they knew was the source of all their troubles. She devotes 312 pages to the main text followed by 130 pages of appendices. My blogger friend Ashley gave it a phenomenal review, and it turns out that Helen of Troy had been sitting in my bookcase all this time. Perhaps this is my own pet peeve, but I found Helen's attempts to externalize the blame and repercussions of her own actions on the gods to be really tiresome- especially after 600 pages. 2. 917 reviews. If you would like to contribute an article for the magazine and/or site, please contact us. The story of Helen of Troy from Helen's viewpoint. Another by Margaret George that I really enjoyed. Not this time. I balked at the idea, at the mere size of it. But Helen’s character is more complex than it seems. Thanks for this story. by Margaret George. This is one of those books I’ve been meaning to read, but didn’t get to until now, published in 2006. So I approached her gigantic Helen of Troy (606pp) with interest—the period I most care about by someone who cared to do it right. When Paris came along, naturally there was no contest. Well, Helen of Troy has earned that right, without a doubt. August 27, 2018. I have not yet read Circe, but I have read S. The level of detail in this book is amazing. Here, Margaret George takes on the Iliad and reduces it into cheap trash. Margaret George is a rolling stone who has lived in many places, beginning her traveling at the age of four when her father joined the U.S. diplomatic service and was posted to a consulate in Taiwan. Be smart, stick with the original, preferably Robert Fagle's recent translations. Helen of Troy by Bettany Hughes Jonathan Cape £20, pp496. I liked that book, but I think this one is better. Oh, brilliant! Browse our magazines. Even though I read my classics back in my college days, they stuck in my mind for forty years. Instead of simply rehashing the same story, George approaches the mythical epic from Helen’s own perspective. Search for: Search. I had bought it at a used bookstore about two years ago. 00:00 / 00:00. You won't want to rent it, you'll want to own it and read it every year. The book is long. In Greek mythology, Helen was the most beautiful woman from the age of the heroes. Verified Purchase. I boldly capitalize the word ‘fiction’ because the original story of Troy and its long siege per se is a fictitious yarn, loosely based on events whose historicity has yet to be fully proven. I had bought it at a used bookstore about two years ago. The narrative never gets tired. There is both an art... A lush, seductive novel of the legendary beauty whose face launched a thousand ships. Gosh. It appears to have been an attempt by Horton to write a popular novel for a general audience, but one which would also educate readers on the brutal and dramatic events which occurred on the island of Crete during the 1898-1908 Greek rebellion against … Happily, Margaret George gives us a sympathetic and thoroughly believable account from Helen’s point of view. There are numerous tales of the greatest warriors that fought the war and endless stories of the watching gods. From her childhood when she strained against her restraints and resented the fact that. Review by India Edghill. Written by Margaret George Most of the spin-offs (novels, paintings, poems, movies, plays) mainly tell the story of warriors and men. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. It examines how Greek authors represent Helen of Troy over time and across a range of genres, like epic, lyric poetry, tragedy, history, oratory, and philosophy. There has been a critical error on this website. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Margaret George writes historical fiction set in a number of periods from Cleopatra to Elizabeth I. I worried from a distance that someone who jumped around like that might be skimpy on the research and historical accuracy. Never had I read a single book that was as epic, as sweeping, as Gone with the Wind. (I say this at the risk of sounding completely demented) The story of Helen and the fall of Troy was never my most favourite myth but recently, I started to gravitate towards it and am very fascinated with many of the secondary characters involved. This book is a beautiful example of historical FICTION. Margaret George is an established historical novelist, penning such successful books as THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF HENRY VIII, MARY QUEEN OF SCOTLAND AND THE ISLES, THE MEMOIRS OF CLEOPATRA and MARY, CALLED MAGDALENE. Margaret George writes historical fiction set in a number of periods from Cleopatra to Elizabeth I. I worried from a distance that someone who jumped around like that might be skimpy on the research and historical accuracy. It's long, but every page is filled with detail and meaning. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. I'm not a big historical fiction person. Ruby Blondell. Helen of Troy: From Homer to Hollywood is a comprehensive literary biography of Helen of Troy, which explores the ways in which her story has been told and retold in almost every century from the ancient world to the modern day. The family traveled on a freighter named after Ulysses' son Telemachus that took thirty days to reach Taiwan, where they spent two years. Is this on par with Madeline Miller's retelling of the myths (Song of Achilles and Circe), or will I be disappointed if that's the caliber of writing and detail that I'm expecting? It was very much a star-crossed whirlwind romance that would upset the masses. Speaking of Troy...the fall of Troy in the book. Following that they lived in Tel Aviv (right after the 1948 war, when it was relatively quiet), Bonn and Berlin (during the spy-and-Cold-War days) before returning--at the height of Elvis-mania--to Washington DC, where Margaret went to high school. She marries Menelaus, brother of King Agamemnon of Mycenae. When Prince Paris of Troy visits Sparta, he and Helen fall in love, and she flees with him to Troy. There were times when it flowed so well that it was like a song. Once again we have a re-telling of the Trojan War from Helen’s point of view. This is an amazing book. The characters were drawn beautifully and stayed true to the historic descriptions. Happily, Margaret George gives us a sympathetic and thoroughly believable account from Helen’s point of view. Here’s a somewhat meandering review, more a collection of my reactions/thoughts than a formal review. And things go down hill from there. I’m an HNS member but I don’t know my username or password. It is the story of Helen and how she went from being Helen, Queen of Sparta to Helen of Troy. 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. Back to the book: Helen of Troy, which covers the entire life of infamous Helen - from her childhood to her death - has scenes of heart wrenching beauty. From her early days in the palace at Sparta, Helen is forbidden to look into a glass or uncover her veiled face … Breathless. Aphrodite promised Helen that she would bestow passion on her life, and Helen believing that she would finally have a passion filled marriage returns home and runs into Paris. Through the eyes of a young Mycenaean woman, Hughes examines the physical, historical and cultural traces that Helen has left on locations in Greece, North Africa and Asia Minor. Too often the story gets lost in the historical details, and before I know what's happening I'm stuck in a history lesson in high school, my ancient teacher leaning over me, hair growing profusely out of his ears. April 10, 2013. Heart-pounding in my ears. It's maybe the best book I've read this year, and I've read some VERY good books this year. 319 pages ; 21 cm. Refresh and try again. Then I heard her speak at the Tucson Festival of Books, and I realized she is both very smart and has a great deal of integrity about just that issue. It is the story of Helen and how she went from being Helen, Queen of Sparta to Helen of Troy. The book is so well written, with believable (though not always likable) characters and outstanding moods and settings. 5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating! I always wondered how the Trojans treated Helen, who they knew was the source of all their troubles. Most of the spin-offs (novels, paintings, poems, movies, plays) mainly tell the story of warr. I cried so many times. And the story is told through her eyes. Become a member to get exclusive early access to our latest reviews too! 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. Our online member directory allows visitors to view members’ profiles, their latest website/blog posts and links to their Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads accounts.
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