Stephen Fry’s Troy is the third of his Classics-themed books, following from his earlier Mythos and Heroes. I had read both of those earlier works and purchased a copy of Troy both because I had so much enjoyed the earlier books and because I was interested to see what Stephen Fry could do with a topic which was the subject of the foundational poem of western literature: Homer’s Iliad.
Stephen Fry’s Troy and the Iliad
Well, in the first place this is not only a re-telling of the story of the Iliad. Homer’s epic poem is the story of the anger of the greatest of the Greek heroes, Achilles. This leads him to withdraw from the fighting between the Greeks and Trojans. The theme is announced in the first words of the poem:
Sing, goddess, the accursed anger of Peleus’ son, Achilles,
which brought countless sufferings upon the Greeks
Homer, Iliad 1.1-2
The Iliad is not the complete story of Troy, nor indeed of the whole of the Greek war against Troy; it is the story of a single episode and its resolution with Achilles’ return to the war. The poem, composed and received orally, was originally part of the wider epic cycle; a part of this cycle concerned the Trojan war, from its inception to the return of the surviving Greek heroes to their homes around the Hellenic world. Homer’s Odyssey was also a part of this wider Trojan cycle. It concerned the return of the cleverest of the Greek heroes, Odysseus, to his home on Ithaka.
Fry’s account of Troy is much wider in scope than the specific focus of the Iliad . Homer’s poem looks at a short period within the ten-year siege of the city of Troy. Fry, however, begins with the original foundation of Troy and covers its entire history. He takes us from its first destruction by Herakles, its rise to prominence and prosperity, through to its final destruction. This occurred at the hands of the combined Greek armada, which came to seek recompense for the theft of Helen of Sparta, more famously known as Helen of Troy.
Myth and story-telling in Troy
This account of Troy is not only comprehensive in its retelling of the story of Troy; it is also written with considerable sensitivity to the pathos, humour and lessons of the story. Moreover, it is written with a careful attention to detail and concern for accuracy. The latter is the more impressive for being directed at material which is, if not completely mythical, at least semi-mythological.
Though written with minimal interruptions to the narrative, Fry includes notes throughout to explain or expand points in the text; many of these refer to variants in the tradition and the sources for the different accounts. Indeed, the book includes two appendices. The first is ‘Myth and Reality 1’, about issues surrounding the historicity of the material. The other is ‘Myth and Reality 2’, which discusses Homer, his Iliad and the transmission of the story. The book concludes with a list of characters. This is tremendously helpful for orienting the reader. The a story has not only a huge cast of characters, but also characters who have similar or identical names!
On the topic of supplements to the narrative, the book also has a map of the Greek world and a timeline of key events. There is a family tree for the gods. Fry supplies an index, and 31 colour figures. These illustrate characters and events from the story with artistic productions from antiquity to the modern day.
Why read Troy: Classics
Firstly, it is worth saying that this is not a book for younger readers. It is definitely for adults and older teenagers. The story is one of violence, killing, rape, death and suffering. And these themes are prominent within Fry’s telling.
As indicated above, one reason to read this book would be for a comprehensive and accurate account of Troy. For anyone interested in Classics, knowledge of Troy and the Trojan war is essential. But one need not be inherently interested in Classics to want to know about Troy. The story has a pervasive, enduring, and significant importance in European culture.
Why read Troy: humour and poignancy
In addition, the story is recounted with Fry’s signature eye for the humour in a situation. It’s difficult to imagine anyone else recounting the conception of Helen in such a way that one cannot help but laugh, let alone Thetis’ conversation with her father about the fate of her first six children .
Fry blends the humour he manages to find in the story with a profound sense of its pathos and poignancy. A frequent theme is that of destiny and inescapable human suffering; this arises as a result of the actions of the fickle and selfish gods, or the earlier actions of ancestors. These forces are beyond the control of the human actors themselves. Thus the resultant suffering is often not any fault of the individual who experiences it. Indeed, as Fry writes:
If this story, the story of Troy, has a meaning or a moral, it is the old, simple lesson that actions have consequences.
Stephen Fry, Troy, page 10.
This message permeates the story and it subtly comes to the fore throughout Fry’s narrative. In so doing it reveals the pathos of the story.
Why read Troy: humanity
Further poignancy and resonance arise from Fry’s willingness to explore the savagery of human action. There is no shirking the atrocities committed as part of the story of Troy. A sense of sorrow for the inherent ability of humans to act inhumanely emerges. I wouldn’t, of course, want to ruin the ending of this superb book. However, its final theme is the gods’ sadness at the atrocities committed by the Greeks and how this reflects on humanity as a whole.
Why read Troy: enjoyment
The deft interweaving of humour and pathos make the book engrossing, enjoyable and thought-provoking. The story is presented with a wealth of detail and description; this makes it appear vividly before the eyes of the reader. Again, without wanting to spoil the ending, I conclude by noting that the book ends with a sense that the story continues. I very much hope Fry intends to continue his recounting of it in a subsequent volume.
At Vox Clara Tutoring, we believe that modern reception of Classics is a great way into the ancient world. Troy, or Stephen Fry’s other recent works, are fantastic examples. If you’re looking for a book for younger readers, take a look at our review of The Time Travel Diaries.