Customer Reviews

The Tale of Troy: Retold from the Ancient Authors (Puffin Classics)

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
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This small book is an excellent introduction to the Trojan War stories and to Homer, in particular. It provides a complete survey of all of the Trojan War stories, from the judgement of Paris to the homecoming of Odysseus.

If you haven't read The Iliad yet but are planning on doing so, then I recommend you read this book first. It will provide you with all of the necessary context for the events at hand.

If you HAVE read The Iliad or The Odyssey and are craving more Trojan War stuff, then this book will fill in a lot of gaps and point you to other source materials (Quintus, Sophocles, Virgil, etc).

A Tale of Troy is oriented toward middle school students, but that in no way diminishes its power or charm for adult readers. I thoroughly enjoyed it. So much so that I am reading it to my daughters (ages 6 and 7), and they are eating it right up.

If you enjoy this title, I also recommend "The Trojan War" by Olivia Coolidge, and "The Siege and Fall of Troy" by Robert Graves (out of print).

In the TALE OF TROY, Roger Lancelyn Green provides a somewhat brief and yet thorough account of the Trojan War. His re-telling of this age-old myth is arrayed with mighty feats of valor, conquest, suspense, and heroism. The story unfolds like a snowball gaining momentum. (There are no boring places in this book.)

Roger Lancelyn Green writes as one who has spent a lifetime researching this story. And he did, in fact, do just that. The fact that he took his massive research and uncanny writing skills and penned a story for children does not in any way lessen the impact of his contribution to Greek myth. Anyone can read this book. It's on everyone's level and is presented in such a wonderful way that the educated and uneducated alike can enjoy it.

Needless to say, many of the names in the book are rather foreign sounding, and unless you're Greek mythology/history expert, it may be hard to keep track. One particularly confusing part for me was when the author spoke of Paris's brothers, one of whom was Deiphobus, who married Helen after Paris. Nine pages later (in the Puffin Classics edition), we read that in the course of the narrative, "Priam led the way with Queen Hecuba and their only surviving son Deiphobus." (118) This is said without any mention between these two passages of the demise of Deiphobus. In fact, several pages later we see him alive. So it can be very confusing, and seemingly contradictory. But this I think is a minor point, and it's still an enjoyable book well worth reading more than once.

A Tale of Troy is the easy way of reading Homer's Iliad. It's the same story, but under 300 pages and is more user friendly. A Tale of Troy describes the beginning and end of the Trojan War. It retells from the Iliad the stories of Achilles, Hector, Odysseus and his later adventures home, and many other fascinating stories. The only downside to this book is that since it is a simplified version of The Iliad, to fully understand some of the dialoue and references a reader mus know some backround of Greeks and Roman mythology(You can still enjoy the book without even heard of Zeus before, but the story goes better when you know about The Olympian War etc.)This book is great for any young teen between 13-15 who likes adventure and action.

Its a very good book full of adventures heroes and gods. It tells you about the fall of Troy and it continues on from tales of greek heroes which completes everything. If you like moderately simple history and myths you'll like this book. All in all it was a very good book.

Green's deft reweaving of Greek myths--from ancient authors and subsequent sources--proves highly readable and entertaining to modern readers: a true literary basis for Western civilization. "Know Thyself" and "Nothing in Excess" were the two prime directives of Hellenic culture, for this highly-devolved race realized their innate human foibles. Woe to any mortal who dared boast talents equal to the rules of Mt. Olympus.

In 200 well illustrated pages THE FALL OF TROY narrates the events
which precipitated the great gathering of heroes to avenge the abduction of Helen. We experience the gory details of the plans, launching of the fleet, maritime challenges, plus the siege and ultimate sack of Troy. Inspired by Homer's ILIAD and ODYESSY and Virgil's AENEAD this admirable tapestry of Greek justice and injustice coincidentally reveals the all-too human qualities of the immortals, who casually or angrily intervene in the affairs of mankind.

Green's style offers his readers clarity amidst the plethora of separate tales, since he understands the complex ramifications of psychology: the underlying motives of love, sacrifice, lust, revenge and blind ambition. Real drama occurs when two human antagonists are championed by two opposing gods with their own selfish agendas. There is no perfect justice, however, for in the end only Zeus can decide the victor in these mighty struggles and even he is often prejudiced. The storyline is augmented by authentic illustrations which reflect the style of Greek vase painting. One suspects that the author deeply misses the Golden Age of Hellas, when warriors were bold and ingenious for the sake of women of surpassing beauty.

In this fantastic, beautifully-crafted story, mythology expert Roger Lancelyn Green weaves the tale of the last big "Hoorah" of the Heroic age. Green's colorfully-written portrayal of the fantastic battles fought by Greece against the wicked Troy is a must-have for any avid reader! He describes in vivid detail the bravest heroes of the age, from clever and cunning Odysseus to brave and strong Achilles, who fight zealously to win back the tender Helen, told to be the most beautiful woman in the world, but stolen by the evil city of Troy. Sit back and marvel as you witness the ongoing struggle between cities, each fight sequence written to put you right in the action in this absolutely fabulous book that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

This is precisely the kind of classical adaptation that turns kids off. It's not as bad as some, but as a Classicist myself, I fail to see why Odysseus and Achilles have to sound like Victorian twits. Then again, it is one of a very few versions of Homer's stories that are accessible to younger readers.