Customer Reviews

The Trojan War

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is an excellent introduction to Homer and the Trojan War stories. It includes all of the key tales from the Trojan War epic cycle, including the judgment of Paris, the death of Achilles, the stories of Ajax (Aias) and Philoctetes, the death of Paris, the fall of Troy, the death of Agamemnon, and the homecoming of Odysseus.

Perhaps the most heart-wrenching tale in the collection is the fate of the Trojan women. This story poignantly outlines the horror and anguish that afflict the innocent and unwilling participants of any war.

If you are planning to read The Iliad or The Odyssey, then I highly recommend you read this book first. It provides the proper context for Homer, and it familiarize you with all of the major characters.

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, Euripides, 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. I also recommend "A Tale of Troy" by Roger Greene, and "The Siege and Fall of Troy" by Robert Graves (out of print).

I had to read this book for my English class. As one of the earlier reviews said you can't tell where everything is taking place, you actually can. If you pay close attention to what's happening you can clearly see where everything is taking place. This book does a good job of using the Iliad and the Odyssey and mixing them together into one story. I highly recomend you to read this book.

I just finished reading this book to my son, who is eight. We both enjoyed it immensely and it turned out to be a good introduction to the ancient Greek world for him. It weaves a suprising amount of material into an exciting narrative that retains focus well enough so that we never lost track of where we were. The different personalities came through well, and there was a sufficient amount of action and gore to get his mind off Pokemon temporarily...

Although the story of The Trojan War is masterfully captured in the Iliad and Odyssey, Olivia Coolidge's retelling of the saga could put anyone to sleep. The Trojan War begins at a wedding party. Discord throws the golden apple towards the guests at the party. Inscribed in the apple are the words "For the fairest." The goddesses at the party begin competing for the title of the fairest. Eventually Aphrodite claims the name. She promises Paris of Troy the finest wife. Paris then captures Helen and brings her to Troy. The Greek armies storm after Paris beginning the ten year long war.

This book is a classic waste of time because the characters are undeveloped, the prose and discourse are dull, and several scenes leave the reader hanging. The characteristics of many of Olivia Coolidge's characters are not explained thoroughly. There are so many characters, Coolidge does not have time, nor space to develop each of them comprehensively. In fact, the character list at the end of the book attests to this fact. It covers seven entire pages! The author writes in a very primitive form of English. The story lacks the excitement and subtlety of Homer's sagas. The Trojan War could be compared to a tedious textbook. The scenes in the story are written such that they are too complex for young readers and too dreary for adult readers. The lack of detail causes a feeling of anxiety, making the reader think, "What did I miss??"

Although I advise many readers to pass by this book, some avid mythology readers may find this book appealing. I would recommend books such as the Odyssey and the Iliad instead of The Trojan War to all interested readers. Olivia Coolidge's retelling of the Trojan War is the rotten apple in a library of golden ones.

In Olivia Coolidge's The Trojan War the epic tale of the Greek war against Troy unfolds in its new version for younger audiences. But does the Trojan War convert well for young adults?
Though the idea of making the Trojan War a book for younger audiences was sound before it was used Olivia Coolidge's The Trojan War falls flat on many topics. It has the story correctly but the fluid transition between chapters and `parts' of the book can be considered as either as a play where the lights dim to change scenes or a book of short stories about the same topic. A large fault is that there are simply too many characters (seven pages of the listed characters) while they do not develop new sights or emotions [...] The book also seems, `dubbed' and characters sometimes speak as if the words have been placed in English over an old foreign film which is partially reminding of the George Lucas' Jedi master Yoda. Battle scenes are vague and very short with little explanation leaving the reader blind to what is happening.
Overall the book simply falls short on all requirements of a bestseller. The book is too complicated for many of the younger readers but is not detailed enough for the older more experienced readers. Though The Trojan War may be enjoyable for a very small audience for the most part readers will simply pass this book by and chose a more engaging title.

This is a very good book because of its intense atmosphere and it is very exciting. Some of the main characters are Achilles, Hector, Helen and Paris. Helen loved Paris and ran away with him from her original husband. She was the most beautiful woman in the world which is why the Greeks and Trojans fought over her. The outcome is that the Greeks won. They won by killing all the Trojan leaders, one at a time. It also helped by invading the city from inside. The Trojans were told to take a giant horse which was made of wood inside their city. It was full of Greek soldiers hiding inside it! It was an ambush! I recommend this book for boys and girls.

My 6 year old asks to go on and on. I have to simplify a word here and there, and sometimes we stop and go over who is who, but I know he is listening by the questions he asks.
I have other versions for kids, but this is the one he "took to".

Once again, I am using Coolidge's THE TROJAN WAR to teach a literature class for my college-bound, English as a Second Language (ESL) students. My students are mostly college-age students who have already received an education and English training in their home countries, but have come to America to continue their studies.

My international students, most of whom come from Asia, the Mideast, and other non-Western cultures, always enjoy Coolidge's THE TROJAN WAR. The stories are new to them, and one of the great pleasures that I have as an ESL teacher is introducing my ESL students to the Judgment of Paris, the Wrath of Achilles, the Fall of Troy, the Wanderings of Odysseus, and the other great stories of the Trojan cycle.

The age-level listed for this book is 9-12, and I would say that is about right. THE TROJAN WAR is high-interest, and tells a great story: It is not unusual for my students to read ahead because they are so enthralled with the book. One advantage of this book is that it covers the entire cycle of the Trojan myth. Each chapter is about eight to ten pages long and tells one story from the Trojan cycle; that makes it very easy to teach from. Sadly, many of Odysseus' adventures from THE ODYSSEY are omitted or briefly summarized.

If you have read Homer, this book will offer you little, but if you are a precocious middle-schooler or an interntational student from China or Saudi Arabia, this book can be a real page-turner. As one of my students from Ghana wrote when he reviewed my class at the end of the session, "These are the stories that make you love literature."

Enough said.

This was a wonderful book. I guess other people don't like Greek Mythology. This book was great! It was full of action and excitement. It was a very good book. This was truly one of the best books I ever read!

This is a wonderful translation of the The Trojan war. The language is beautiful and the stories provide excellent discussion material about the follies of human nature. To any who are teaching classically, this is a must. For those who just want to read a simple but beautiful translation of the Trojan War, this is the book.