The War at Troy

Troy #1

by Lindsay Clarke

Vigorous new life is breathed into the myth's of Homer's Iliad in Lindsay Clarke's new dramatic retelling of the wars fought for the Bronze Age City of Troy. Paris and Helen, Agamemnon and Clytaemnestra, Achilles, Odysseus and Hector are skilfully rejuvenated in this startlingly contemporary drama of the passions. "The people who lived in those days were closer to gods than we are, and great deeds and marvels were commoner then, which is why the stories we have from them are nobler and richer than our own. So that those stories should not pass from the earth, I have decided to set down everything I know of the stories of the war at Troy -- of the way it began, of the way it was fought, and of the way in which it was ended." With these words, Phemius the bard of Ithaca and friend to Odysseus, opens Lindsay Clarke's compelling new retelling of the myths and legends that grew up around the war that was fought for the Bronze Age city of Troy and have magnetized the imagination of the world ever since. Here are the tales of two powerful generations of men and women, living out their destinies in the timeless zone where myth and history intersect and where the conflicts of the human heart are mirrored by quarrels among immortal gods. Peleus and Thetis, Paris and Helen, Agamemnon and Clytaemnestra, Achilles, Odysseus and Hector -- all are given vigorous new life in a version of their stories which remains faithful to the mythic form in which they first appeared yet engages the reader in a startlingly contemporary drama of the passions. THE WAR AT TROY speaks to a world still racked by violent conflict in ways which address important aspects of our own experience while at the same time providing imaginative access to the rich store of mythology which is our heritage from the ancient world.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Mythology, Historical, Fantasy, Greek Mythology, Greece

Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Lindsay Clarke is a British novelist. He was educated at Heath Grammar School in Halifax and at King's College Cambridge. He worked in education for many years, in Africa, America and the UK, before becoming a full-time writer. He currently lives in Somerset with his wife, Phoebe Clare, who is a ceramic artist. Clarke lectures in creative writing at Cardiff University, and teaches writing workshops in London and Bath. Four radio plays were broadcast by BBC Radio 4, and a number of his articles and reviews have been published in 'Resurgence' and 'The London Magazine.' Lindsay has one daughter from his first marriage.

His novel The Chymical Wedding, partly inspired by the life of Mary Anne Atwood, won the Whitbread Prize in 1989. Clarke's most recent novel is THE WATER THEATRE (published in September 2010 by Alma Booka), of which a review by Antonia Senior in THE TIMES of 28 August said "There is nothing small about this book. It is huge in scope, in energy, in heart...It is difficult to remember a recent book that is at once so beautiful and yet so thought provoking."

Reviews

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have ever read Homer's Iliad, this book will seem really familiar to you. If you haven't, you'll never know that this is basically a retelling of Homer's great epic. The difference between Homer and Clarke, though, is that you'll find Clarke much easier to read if you found Homer impossible.

I've read Homer's version and loved it. I'm a fan of the Greek myths and tragedies. I can say with all honesty that Clarke's version of the story of Troy is wonderfully written, but some might take issue with it if they are more particular about details. This is a fiction book, not a historical account. For anyone familiar with archaeology and history, please keep that in mind as you read this tale. It makes it much more enjoyable.

As for how faithful it is to the Iliad, Clarke used several reliable sources and account for his version of the retelling. Armed with these sources, Clarke writes a compelling novel in modern day English that everyone should find enjoyable and easy to read.

As a side note: I've yet to even look for confirmation of this, but several people have told me that the war of Troy didn't happen because Troy doesn't exist. Whether you are a proponent for this or not, you'll still find this book an enjoyable work of fiction.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

The War at Troy and its sequel, The Return from Troy, (which I read out of order), managed to satisfy the balance between accuracy and good story telling that I've been craving in a modern version of the epic. The changes are subtle and stay true to Homer's version; some scenes are close mirrors of their Iliadic counterparts, and this may seem to some to be a lack of originality, but Clarke brings a depth of description and characterization that displays true talent.

Read my full review: https://www.blog.melodyemcintyre.com/...

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I often think about this book, years after reading it. It's very good. Thank you Kenci for giving it to me!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ceturtā zvaigzne no mazās Lindas, kas zināja, ka viņā ir iemiesojusies Atēna; ka viņa var veikt Hērakla varoņdarbus; kas dumpojās pret romiešiem, kas brutāli nozaga grieķu dievus; kas apvainojās uz tūrisma gidi, kas iedeva tikai 40minūtes, lai izstaigātu Atēnu akropoli; kas jau pieaugušā un it kā sakarīgā vecumā pavadot nedēļu pie Olimpa kalna, katru rītu un vakaru lūkojās tajā virzienā, mēģinot ieraudzīt Viņus.

Sākumā nevarēju ielasīties, bet tad kaut kādā mirklī pamanīju, ka karājos sviedru lāsē Paridam, kas nespēj turēties pretī Afrodītes spēkam, ka esmu ietinusies Helēnas lakatos, ka klausos Mēnelāja mīlestības pilnās sirds pukstos. Grāmata nav dižākā literatūra, bet tā, manuprāt, diezgan cieņpilni pastāsta vienu no mūsu civilizācijas dižākajiem stāstiem. Tagad gan roka sniedzas pēc Kūna mītiem, lai saprastu, kur Klarks pašļūca pa kreisi. Mazā Linda manā galvā čukst, ka pat vairākās vietās.

[Zane B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grūti objektīvi vērtēt, jo kā pamatu grieķu mitoloģijai es uzskatu Nikolaja Kūna grāmatu Sengrieķu mīti un varoņu teikas, līdz ar to visas grāmatas, ko esmu lasījusi pēc Kūna grāmatas, man neizraisa tādu sajūsmu.

Par šo grāmatu, jā bija, interesanti, bet nekas aizraujošs vai jauns. Tas pats stāsts uz cita papīra. Būtu vieglāk lasīt, ja autors tā nelēkāt starp pagātni un tagadni.

[Erikhart Hart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whew. How long was I slogging through that one...

This is a better book than the time I could devote to it. Lacking a full classical appreciation for "The Iliad", the web of relationships between kings and gods left me searching Wikipedia to find out who was who...

..but when the action or the drama was ripe, it was a good read indeed. Unfortunately, much of those episodes were few and far between.

If you are already well read on the battle of Troy, and are interested in a novel approach (hey, check that pun out!) to it's telling, pick this one up. Just be sure to push through the dry parts.

[Marcelis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this to be a clever retelling of Homer's epic. Essentially, it takes the supernatural components out of the story, grounding the characters in a more modern understanding of reality. The language is also much easier to read, though in no way 'better'.

For people who don't have the patience to read The Iliad, this book will tell you the story for half the brain-price. Unfortunately, you also get what you pay for. There is beauty in the way The Iliad reads, that this, or any other adaptation, will never equal. Why have Brad Pitt when you can have Achilles?

Actually, it's best not to answer that question...

[Amarissa Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed reading this book, as I do any that revolve around the Trojan War. Trouble is, having read over a dozen translations of Homer's Iliad, it left me a little disappointed .. only in the retelling. The writing is very fluid. It is well written, but for any Homer lover, it may fall slightly below expectations.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

Gostei do livro, mas sou parcial uma vez que gosto de mitologia clássica e cada vez tenho mais interesse nesta história em particular. Acho que o autor faz um muito bom exercício ao tentar juntar os diversos mitos e personagens, dando-me mesmo a conhecer algumas de que nunca tinha ouvido falar, como Palamedes, contudo a exploração destas fica um pouco pela rama, talvez com a exceção de Odisseu, o que até faz algum sentido sendo que esta versão é contada por um bardo de Ítaca.

[Julia Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I think this should be on the National Curriculum - the inevitable scenes of violence make that unlikely tho'😏 Through all the grimness I felt in the safest hands - "Thank You" Lindsay Clarke for taking me through the horrors of Greek Myth with my sanity intact.

[Caterina · Rating 5 out of 5]

L'Iliade ed il suo mito raccontati meravigliosamente.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's impossible to read the English classics - or even to have learnt to read at the time I did - without having some sort of familiarity with the people and some of the major events of the Trojan War. I've never read The Iliad, but Robert Graves's The Greek Myths, credited as a source for this, has sat on my shelves these thirty years and been read at least once in that time. However I don't remember it containing the overview, big picture, whole story that this re-telling gave. There is also a good feel for the main characters and their motivations, so that the main protagonists, even Helen, seemed more real than they do from paintings and the familiar episodes. The main problem I had, as someone who glosses odd names, was keeping track of the huge cast of supporting characters. Still, when I get round to reading Homer's version, I can always make use of t'internet to remind me who's who.

[İbrahim · Rating 5 out of 5]

bu kitabı 2005 veya 2006 senesinde-tam tarihi hatırlayamıyorum- ekran başında yüzlerce defa seyrettiğim(burada abartı yapılmıyor) truva filminin büyüsüne kapılarak anneme yalvar yakar aldırdım. en fazla 10-11 yaşlarında olmalıyım ve kitapçının okumamamı söylemesine rağmen edindim. öncelikle hikaye geç bronz çağının acımasız çıplaklığı ve şiddetine kafa üstü dalıyor. cinsellik ve savaş sahneleri akıldan silinmeyecek kadar yalın ve çarpıcı. çocukluğumda tarih merakımı ilk kez uyandıran truva destanlarından bir tarih öğrencisi olarak hala büyüleniyorum. bu kitabın ana fikrini düşündüğümde aklımda kalan aşil'in cesaretinin, akhaların şanının truvanın bereketinin ve helen, paris aşkının sebepsizce kimsenin gözünün yaşına bakmadan yok olmasıydı. aşil bir tapınağın ortasında bir ödlek tarafından topuğundan mıhlandı... paris aşkın kaçınılmaz sonu geldiğinde ölüm döşeğinde can çekişirken helen onun yüzüne bakmadı... deiphobos kendi yatağıında boğazlandı... ve muzaffer agamennonun sonu bu kitapta gelmese de truvanın hazinelerin keyfini süremedi bile... truva bir hiç uğruna göz göre göre yok oldu!

[Les · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somehow, my East End comprehensive education stopped short of furnishing me with an encyclopedic knowledge of the ancient classics and I've always felt the lack, especially when watching University Challenge. I thought this book would be accessible way of helping me to separate the gods from the mortals in my mind. And, actually, jokes aside, it did just that. I'm not going to delve too deeply into how much the author may have changed the storylines, but he seems to have drawn carefully from Robert Graves ' works on the myths. The number of different characters was a challenge, but this edition helpfully provided a glossary. A worthwhile read and at least some of my curiosity about Helen, Paris, Achilles, etc, satisfied.

[Diggle30 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read in my opinion! I've never read The Illiad (perhaps some day I'll get round to it!) but knew the basics of the story. This explanded on that basic knowledge and I found it thoroughly captivating. It was very well written and moved at a compelling pace so that I made my way through it far too quickly! I imagine that I'll read this one again and again.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely retelling of the story of the Trojan War.

Gives delightful mythological/magical story as per the original, then often gives a more likely scenario.

A delicious retelling of an age old tale. Homer would have been proud.

[La Strega · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un romanzo veramente molto interessante, di stile narrativo molto fluido. Clarke ha un notevole rispetto nei confronti della mitologia da cui parte e di cui è evidentemente un gran conoscitore.
Pregevole l'epilogo.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting that there's no Kindle edition listed, though that's what I read, and that this is listed as "Troy #1," when it's the second of the quartet. Maybe they were published out of order...

I've also posted a review of A Prince of Troy, which is book one. Anyway...

The War at Troy is just that. Paris has absconded with Helen, and because of oaths taken to defend Menelaus' "ownership" of Helen, the kings of Greece gather to get her back. Lindsay Clarke has taken to giving depth in the way of backstory, plausibility of myth, historical background, and character development to Homer's epic, and delivered a read that never gets bogged down as it cracks the story open. The classics, and here I'm thinking of Homer, and the Hebrew Scriptures move with "the speed of summer lightening," and are notoriously short on psychology and character - Homer less so than Moses. That being said, what these "authors" accomplish is absolutely amazing in that they lay the groundwork for Western literature - but that's a different review.

Back to Mr. Clarke, and other interpreters of The Iliad - there are plenty of re-tellings of various success. Mr. Clarke takes the time and has the imagination to give what I consider the best - as a read. Others that are of great value are: Pat Barker's The Silence of the Girls; David Malouf's Ransom; the astounding War Music by Christopher Logue; and the chilling Memorial by Alice Oswald.

Worlds are created, we get to inhabit them, what a thrill.

[Mike Shoop · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent retelling of the saga of the Trojan War. Clarke does a great job with combining historical details along with the mythological aspects and not veering off into fantasy. All his characters were portrayed as real flesh-and-blood people, with mixed emotions, faults, and foibles, and how the course of the war changed them all. His narrative is smooth, moving the reader right along through the beginnings of both Helen and Paris, the Judgment of Paris, how old grudges came into creating a real struggle between the Greeks and Trojans for power, the marriage of Helen and Menelaus with its terrible oath between her suitors, and the use of that oath as the pretext to begin the most devastating war in Greek mythology. Clarke expertly interweaves the various versions of the saga as befits his telling, and includes all the well known characters: Hector, Andromache, Agamemnon, Clytemnestra, Aethra, Cassandra, Polyxena, Aeneas, King Priam, Achilles, Ajax, Odysseus, they are all here and each play out their role in the tragedy during the ten years long war. This fresh retelling of the story truly creates a vibrancy and immediacy to the events it depicts, with all the accompanying gore, violence, brutality, tremendous wealth, beauty, honor, loyalty, betrayal, and horror.
For this fan of Greek mythology, and of the Trojan War in particular, I found it an absorbing, engaging, hugely entertaining read.

[Aaron · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perfectly passable, though not as good as the first in the series.

The author made the frankly baffling choice to remove any supernatural or mythological elements from the story of the Trojan war. I generally don't care for this trend in media dealing with stories that initially had fantastical elements. You know the ones, oh here’s a story about centaurs but they’re just normal humans that are really good at horseback riding, here’s the kernel of truth that inspired something epic and magical. I tend to think it doesn’t add anything to the story and that usually the supernatural elements were there in the first place for a darn good reason. This decision is all the more confusing since the first book in this quartet DID have supernatural elements. Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite actually appeared in the Judgement of Paris, Achilles’ mother is literally a sea goddess, the gods exist and take a direct role in mortal affairs, just as they did in the mythology. The absence of textual supernatural elements in this second book honestly does a disservice to the source material.

[For the love of books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bello, sicuramente bello.
Attraverso la figura di Femio, l'autore racconta in forma romanzesca la famosa guerra di Troia partendo dall'infanzia degli eroi più famosi fino a giungere al racconto del conflitto.
Vi sono alcune parti interessanti, altre che secondo me hanno preso invece troppo distacco dall'opera originale e per questo hanno perso potenza e significato come per esempio la storia degli atreidi, il sacrificio di Ifigenia, la morte di Achille, l'uccisione di Astianatte (che l'autore, per qualche oscuro motivo, ha invecchiato di ben 6 anni rispetto alla narrazione omerica) e la presa della città.
Si avverte anche una certa stanchezza alla fine del libro, che porta ad una conclusione affrettata.

[Sugar Free · Rating 3 out of 5]

La guerra di Troia è un mito indelebile nella storia dell’Occidente e viene spesso riproposto in saggi o romanzi molto interessanti come quello di Lindsay Clarke.
Greci e troiani, uomini e donne di una straordinaria potenza, con destini scritti dagli dèi e destinati a rimanere per sempre impressi nel firmamento.
Il libro, scritto con un linguaggio moderno, non è ridondante e presenta il conflitto da entrambi i punti di vista cercando di chiarire sempre gli intenti dei personaggi.
L’unico difetto del libro è che rimane troppo fedele alla narrazione omerica, senza prendere in considerazione le altre interpretazioni del conflitto, e in questo modo la storia risulta prevedibile senza possibilità di ampio respiro.

[Mariana books&more · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creo que el libro narra muy bien, con ciertas reformas lo que es la guerra de Troya. He disfrutado las historias y aunque por lo acorde de la época puede llegar a ser un poco pesado a la hora de leerlo igualmente está lleno de pasión, honor, respeto y miles de sentimientos más a medida que vas pasando las páginas. Apreciar en un libro las características de Grecia en esa época y en forma de novela le da bastante dinámica a la historia. No me gusto mucho la muerte de Aquiles por que la historia es muy fiel a los dioses así que debió serle fiel a la historia mítica de Aquiles, lo otro es que habla mucho de movimientos de guerra que a mi en lo personal me costo mucho leer.
Mi puntaje final es 3,5

[Peter Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

3A book of two halves, the first part is largely a reconstruction of the fragmentary but largely lost epic 'the Cypria'. Although a valiant attempt I found the first half of the book heavy in exposition, necessary I guess, but at the expense of pace. To be honest I came close to giving up by about page 150 but there was just enough to keep me piqued as to how it would develop.
I was glad that I did stick with it because the second half of the book rattles along at a fair old rate and visits the far more familiar ground of the 'Iliad' as we know it.
So, taken as a whole it was a thoroughly enjoyable version of the Troy story and should be part of every school pupils essential reading.

[Diego Paschiero · Rating 5 out of 5]

È Femio, il bardo di Itaca, a raccontare. La vicenda è romanzata e scorre via come un bastoncino trasportato da un fiume. Gli dèi partecipano a ogni evento, e mi chiedo a chi sarei stato devoto, se fossi vissuto allora. Erano più presenti, molto più di quello che è toccato a noi (come dice Benni, "io non so se Dio esiste, ma se non esiste ci fa una figura migliore").
È una storia formidabile. Hemingway, in Morte nel pomeriggio, dice di diffidare di chi ama l'epica: sono degli imbroglioni.
A me, l'epica diverte — e pure Hemingway mi piace parecchio.

[Isabella Hawkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personally this is one of my favourite books, it is such an in detail retelling of the whole legend of the trojan war - and when i say in detail… I MEAN EVERY SINGLE LITTLE DETAIL AND SUBPLOT NEEDED FOR THE STORY. And the book does this without ever getting boring or side venturing into irrelevant fiction. I would love to eventually adapt this book into a film trilogy because of my love for it and how deeply it spoke to me.

[Anderson Alfredo · Rating 4 out of 5]

pretty good... I mean, I like it till the moment I read the end, which for me was a little bit weird.

the way the main heroes of our story start dying simultaneously, it's like the writer didn't know how to define the end of the characters that with a great effort he could built.

Achilles, Paris, Ajax, even Hector... I believe the all deserve a better death. ☠️

doesn't mean the book is bad, only that it could be better

[Samuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The War at Troy is a delightful addition tale that acts as a "glue" of sorts for The Iliad, filling in missing details of the original epic. The author writes in a manner that would please the best bard of Ithaca, and was quite the pleasurable read. I'd recommend The War at Troy for anyone who enjoys reading about Ancient Greece, but that is also looking for something new.

[Marco Paganini · Rating 4 out of 5]

LA GUERRA DI TROIA - LINDSAY CLARKE

RECENSIONE: 7/8

Un romanzo accattivante, scorrevole, fedele alla storia con punti discostanti dal mito.
Di certo si nota l’eleganza di una penna femminile a tratteggiare così bene i personaggi, ma la stessa penna non manca nei momenti di guerra di regalare pathos e azione.
Direi una ottima lettura, profilata agli amanti del genere. Promosso.

[Balmung · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inizia in modo abastanza lento infatti la prima parte non mi è piaciuta. Inoltre era troppo raccontato. Per fortuna dall'inizio della guerra in poi è stato tutto un crescendo.

Punto a favore è il fatto di non aver storpiato nulla lasciando i fatti importanti intatti