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The Song of Troy Paperback – Import, 1999

by
Colleen McCullough (Author)
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Colleen McCullough (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars 57 customer reviews
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 512 pages
  • Publisher: Orion Books; New Ed edition (1999)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0752817639
  • ISBN-13: 978-0752817637
  • Product Dimensions: 4.3 x 1.3 x 7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,681,957 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsImbued with humanity
By Shantell Powell on July 7, 2000
Format: Hardcover
Colleen McCullough creates a masterful and compelling retelling of the Trojan War. She takes an ancient story of heroic betrayal, vengeance, and hate, and imbues it with humanity. Never have the ramifications of Paris' and Helen's love affair been so fascinating or comprehensible. This epic story is told through the perspectives of the various people involved: Helen, Odysseus, Priam, Achilles, Agamemmon, Brise, and more. Although they do not cease their heroic natures, they lose their demigod standings. As a result, we become empathetic of each character's motivations.
Perhaps one of the reasons we gain empathy for the characters is because they operate independently of the gods. That is, although members of the Olympic pantheon are invoked on numerous occasions, never is an event seen which may only be defined by supernatural means. Nevertheless, only Odysseus has agnostic thoughts.
However, the main reasons we gain empathy for these characters is McCullough's wonderful imaginative talent and the formiddable strength of her writing. Her turns of phrase are poetically inspired. Only with reluctance could I put this book down. I did not want this book to end.
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5.0 out of 5 starsBewitching Tale About Mythic Heroes.
By Maximiliano F Yofre on September 2, 2005
Format: Paperback
Ms McCullough is a well known author since the publication of her very first novel: "The Thorn Birds" (1977). This kind of success is difficult to maintain in successive publications. Not for her!

Her second huge success was her "Roman Saga" started in 1990 with "The First Man in Rome" and followed by many interesting and documented volumes.

"The Song of Troy" (1998) is a forceful retelling of the Trojan War Epic.

The author writes each chapter as told from a different main character: from Priam to Hector; from Achilles to Agamemnon and from Helen to Hecuba. Every side in conflict has his saying, allowing the reader to make up his own mind about justice, common sense, madness, love, hatred and stubbornness displayed by each subject.

For each Hero or Heroine Ms McCullough has constructed a very verisimilar persona based on classic texts material, personal intuition and literary sagacity.

This book reveals Ms McCullough has done a profound research in Classic texts such as Greek Tragedies "Iphigenia in Aulis", "Helen" and "Ajax" from Euripides and Sophocles; Epic Poems as "Iliad", "Little Iliad", "Odyssey" and "Aeneid" from Homer and Virgil.

She blends everything in a seamless coherent text with a modern and engaging prose giving the reader the possibility to get acquainted with the Trojan Drama from its start till the final scenes in only one volume.

There are two points of the novel that astounded and delighted me: the first is how the author avoids the direct appearance of Olympic Gods without eluding the influence of supernatural on human actions and the second is the very rational explanation she devices to clear the shocking conflict between Agamemnon and Achilles.

I strongly recommend this book to every reader interested in Trojan War, ancient Greece and historical novel.

Reviewed by Max Yofre.
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5.0 out of 5 starsThe Trojan war retold in a humane & modern way.
By Uri Raz on November 17, 2000
Format: Paperback
Ms McCullough tells the story of the trojan war in a most interesting way - a political context is presented, the characters' psyche, set of mind, and motivations are presented, and the plot is broken into chapters, each told by a character around which that part of the plot turns, e.g. By Helen, Achiles, and Priamus.
The storytelling is great - I was touched by the scene in which Priamus leaves Troy and comes to Achilles and asks him to give him Hector's body so he could give him proper burial, which is minimalist yet touches the heart.
This way the plot comes to life, rather than being retold as a myth or dry history, and makes for a great reading.
The book is written as prose and doesnt go into great detail when it comes to describing material which isnt a part of the plot (e.g. the ornaments on shields), which makes it more readable than a faithful translation of Homer's Illiad (it's noteworthy that Ms McCullough used material not only from Homer but from other sources as well, such as Virgil and Hesiod).
This book makes for a long reading - it took me several hours of reading over a two weeks period - but I enjoyed it a lot, and recommend it with all my heart.
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4.0 out of 5 starsHomer is Alive
By JM Pierre on April 22, 2000
Format: Hardcover
An excellent interpretation of a classic Greek tale. Ms. McCullough has brought literature that is often seen unaccessible into the reach of modern readers and in the voices of those who stood at the walls of Troy. Readers are brought into the political climate that set the stage for war, the romance that was used as an excuse, and into the events that may have created the myths of divine intervention. This tale is a must for lovers of Greek literature and an excellent companion to the original poem.
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5.0 out of 5 starsOne of the best versions of the Trojan War I have read...
By JY on August 24, 2004
Format: Paperback
I first bought this book while randomly browsing through a bookstore when I was in 9th grade. I was attracted to the book by my love of Greek mythology and knowledge of Colleen McCullough's skill as a writer after reading _The Thorn Birds_. I have recently reread the book and believe it is a must-read for lovers of Greek mythology and those interested in the story of Troy.

Each chapter of the story is told from the perspective of a different character, and though we hear the voices of Hector, Helen, Odysseus, Briseis, Agamemnon, Nestor, Ajax, and others, the story is by no means fragmented. (I am using the more common spellings of their names and not the spellings McCullough chooses.) Instead, it is enriched by this multiplicity of narrators.

The gods are mentioned in a way that keeps us wondering about the true existence and nature of divinity. Odysseus is shown, more so than ever, to be cunning and wise beyond his time. The relationship of Achilles and Hector is beautifully written, as always and the relationship of Achilles and Briseis, which is usually given less attention, is haunting as well. Helen is well characterized as a hedonistic, prideful, self-centered, and cruelly sharp woman whom we enjoy hearing from despite her deficiencies. Agamemnon is proud, and yet he is not so in the flat and utterly despicable way many tales present him to be; McCullough's weaving of her own creations and known mythology present him as being more human and pitiable, perhaps even misunderstood and treated unjustly by history. The characters all seem to spring to life and yet, they retain the quality of immortality and timelessness that has fallen upon all figures of Greek mythology.Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsMcCullough hits it out of the ancient park as usual!

McCullough at all times is a superb writer. "Troy" is fascinating because it gives real life to the many fabled characters from the epics. Read more

Published 21 days ago by lane
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Plausible

Published 1 month ago by Flyboy
2.0 out of 5 starsUnworthy

Of Colleen M. Her Rome novels are much more gripping. I found it lacking in passion . Only one Character stood out: Odysseus.

Published 2 months ago by Rajat Poddar
4.0 out of 5 starsFour Stars

Excellent book but not her best.

Published 3 months ago by Sherry Wainwright
3.0 out of 5 starsThree Stars

Enjoyed the history of Achilles

Published 8 months ago by Joy Garard
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

master piece

Published 8 months ago by Liz
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

great

Published 10 months ago by Kathleen S.
5.0 out of 5 starsA different version of a classic story.

I very much liked the way the writer bridged the gap between gods, Hero's and the rest by changing each chapter who was telling the story.

Published 12 months ago by Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Interesting telling of the story of Troy.

Published 13 months ago by Barbara Walsh
5.0 out of 5 starsAs usual the literary style of Colleen Mccullough is superb ...

As usual the literary style of Colleen Mccullough is superb. Gripps you from first to last. I have read all her books and each one is a masterpiece.

Published 17 months ago by Harish

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