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Troia Surların Ardında
Binlerce yıl öncenin Ege dünyasında karşılaşan iki genç kadın... Biri, ülkesi Sparta'yı, evini, hatta çocuğunu terk ederek, aşığı Paris'le birlikte Troia'ya kaçan ve dünyanın en güzel kadını olduğu söylenen, Helena. Diğeri, Batı Anadolu'nun en zengin kenti Troia'nın, olacakları önceden bilen, ama sözlerine inanılmayan yalnız prensesi, Kassandra. Ve onların gözünden, Yunanlar'la Troialılar arasında on yıl süren kanlı bir savaşın öyküsü. Yitirilen binlerce yiğidin, yok olan bir krallığın ve yazgılarına başkaldıran kadınların romanı.
264 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
18 people are currently reading
947 people want to read
About the author
Clemence McLaren
6 books20 followersClemence McLaren was born in New Jersey on November 3, 1938 to Edward Dobson, an engineer, and Grayce Berg Dobson. She attended Rutgers University from which she received a degree in 1960. In the same year she married Robert McLaren. Together, the couple had two children, Kevin and Heather.
For a number of years she and her husband taught overseas. During this time they built a cottage on a small Greek island "only four miles from Achilles' home island of Aegina," she says. She studied the Greek language and walked the trails which dated back to antiquity. Always fascinated by the ancient myths, her own elaborations of them became stories which she first told to her students and her own family.
The McLarens later moved to Hawaii, where Clemence McLaren taught in Honolulu secondary schools for four years and obtained an doctorate degree in religion.
Supplemental Information:
Career
Pan American Airlines, flight attendant, 1960-61; teacher in Dover, NJ, Guam, Saudi Arabia, and Maui, Hawaii, 1962-84; affiliated with Johns Hopkins University as a summer program dean, 1987—; occasional stints as a professor and researcher with University of Hawaii, 1987-95; teacher of senior English, Kamehameha Secondary Schools, Honolulu, HI, 1993—.
Member
Phi Beta Kappa.
Awards, Honors
Books for the Teen Age, New York Public Library, 1997, and Best Books for Young Adults, American Library Association, 1997, both for Inside the Walls of Troy.
Writings
Inside the Walls of Troy: A Novel of the Women Who Lived the Trojan War, Atheneum (New York, NY), 1996.
Dance for the Land, Atheneum (New York, NY), 1999, expanded edition published as Dance for the Aina, Bess Press (Honolulu, HI), 2003.
Waiting for Odysseus, Atheneum (New York, NY), 2000.
Aphrodite's Blessings: Love Stories from the Greek Myths, Atheneum (New York, NY), 2002.
Contributor to popular magazines and professional journals. Contributor to Cat Heaven, Island Heritage Press, 1998.
For a number of years she and her husband taught overseas. During this time they built a cottage on a small Greek island "only four miles from Achilles' home island of Aegina," she says. She studied the Greek language and walked the trails which dated back to antiquity. Always fascinated by the ancient myths, her own elaborations of them became stories which she first told to her students and her own family.
The McLarens later moved to Hawaii, where Clemence McLaren taught in Honolulu secondary schools for four years and obtained an doctorate degree in religion.
Supplemental Information:
Career
Pan American Airlines, flight attendant, 1960-61; teacher in Dover, NJ, Guam, Saudi Arabia, and Maui, Hawaii, 1962-84; affiliated with Johns Hopkins University as a summer program dean, 1987—; occasional stints as a professor and researcher with University of Hawaii, 1987-95; teacher of senior English, Kamehameha Secondary Schools, Honolulu, HI, 1993—.
Member
Phi Beta Kappa.
Awards, Honors
Books for the Teen Age, New York Public Library, 1997, and Best Books for Young Adults, American Library Association, 1997, both for Inside the Walls of Troy.
Writings
Inside the Walls of Troy: A Novel of the Women Who Lived the Trojan War, Atheneum (New York, NY), 1996.
Dance for the Land, Atheneum (New York, NY), 1999, expanded edition published as Dance for the Aina, Bess Press (Honolulu, HI), 2003.
Waiting for Odysseus, Atheneum (New York, NY), 2000.
Aphrodite's Blessings: Love Stories from the Greek Myths, Atheneum (New York, NY), 2002.
Contributor to popular magazines and professional journals. Contributor to Cat Heaven, Island Heritage Press, 1998.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
September 9, 2019
Definitely one of the books that shaped my 10 year old self. Cassandra and I just vibed man.
Looking at the GR reviews, this book is pretty controversial: love it or hate it. But I’m sorry to everyone who hates this book, because (to quote Eugene Lee Yang):
Looking at the GR reviews, this book is pretty controversial: love it or hate it. But I’m sorry to everyone who hates this book, because (to quote Eugene Lee Yang):
May 27, 2025
*2025 Edit*
Re-reading this in Athens was an immeasurable treat. It's still a great book.
*Original Review*
This was a favourite as a kid, and it really holds up in adulthood. The characters are many-faceted, unknowable in the way real people can never truly be known.
That's true not only of the two protagonists, Helen and Cassandra, but also of side characters. Cassandra's sister Polyxena - gentle and girlish, yet ruthless in her bitter seduction humiliation of Achilles. Cassandra's brother Helenus - noblest of brothers and princes, yet weary to the point of weakness and cowardice in the end. Just spectucular writing to pull that off.
The writing is also so atmospheric, so evocative, so detailed in its portrayal of ancient Greek life. Whether accurate or not, it certainly paints a picture.
"The Acropolis shimmered in the mist as if suspended in space, more magnificent than anything I could have imagined. It was magic the way the huge flat rock rose from the sloping plain. The women's quarters alone were larger than our entire palace back in Sparta. Silken curtains drifted in the breeze; marble floors mirrored the shimmer of fine robes . . . I had never seen such a large tub. Hot water actually flowed through pipes into the palace. Spigots in the shape of lions' heads projected a fine spray down upon the bather. The soft-handed slaves massaged peach-pit oil into my skin and then scraped it off with an ivory scraper. Rose petals floated in the sun-shot water; I cupped them in my hands and buried my face in their fragrance. It felt heavenly to be wet and clean."
The writing is also flawlessly evocative and atmospheric:
"The rocky coast lay empty of rescuers, empty of life. I stretched out on my purple blanket and looked up at the twilight sky. After the heat of the day, the evening was soft as a caress. I felt in my body the motion of the ship, taking me on the sea's broad back away from home. The sky faded from blue at the top of the vault through all the shades of violet to deep rose at the horizon. Sea and sky met in perfect calm, yet my heart continued to race as I pondered the possibilities for rescue."
At daybreak I watched the coasts of my homeland recededd in a blue haze for the second time in my life, knowing that this time I was truly embarked on uncharted seas. I placed myself in the hands of the goddess Aphrodite. It was a relief to give up all pretense of control. May the gods forgive me. My memories faded. I forgot my daughter, my husband, my kingdom. As the painted ship skimmed over smooth seas, dolphins played in our wake, and we had leisure to discover each other's thoughts, each other's bodies. Each day was a gift as precious as life itself. Most people only know one or two such days in a whole lifetime. Golden afternoons faded into blue nights. I sat on silk cushions, playing my flute. Paris entertained me with songs and stories of Troy's wide avenues, its bronze statues, its high, slanted walls, impossible to scale. I listened, smiling and nodding, drinking in his features. In truth, I had little interest in our destination. I wanted to float forever on endless gentle swells. I wanted to stop at each one of the islands, swim in the pale blue shallows, walk hand in hand in the lemon groves. Across the rippled water the moon was paving a highway of spun silver."
Definitely a recommend. A book you'll think about over and over again.
Re-reading this in Athens was an immeasurable treat. It's still a great book.
*Original Review*
This was a favourite as a kid, and it really holds up in adulthood. The characters are many-faceted, unknowable in the way real people can never truly be known.
That's true not only of the two protagonists, Helen and Cassandra, but also of side characters. Cassandra's sister Polyxena - gentle and girlish, yet ruthless in her bitter seduction humiliation of Achilles. Cassandra's brother Helenus - noblest of brothers and princes, yet weary to the point of weakness and cowardice in the end. Just spectucular writing to pull that off.
The writing is also so atmospheric, so evocative, so detailed in its portrayal of ancient Greek life. Whether accurate or not, it certainly paints a picture.
"The Acropolis shimmered in the mist as if suspended in space, more magnificent than anything I could have imagined. It was magic the way the huge flat rock rose from the sloping plain. The women's quarters alone were larger than our entire palace back in Sparta. Silken curtains drifted in the breeze; marble floors mirrored the shimmer of fine robes . . . I had never seen such a large tub. Hot water actually flowed through pipes into the palace. Spigots in the shape of lions' heads projected a fine spray down upon the bather. The soft-handed slaves massaged peach-pit oil into my skin and then scraped it off with an ivory scraper. Rose petals floated in the sun-shot water; I cupped them in my hands and buried my face in their fragrance. It felt heavenly to be wet and clean."
The writing is also flawlessly evocative and atmospheric:
"The rocky coast lay empty of rescuers, empty of life. I stretched out on my purple blanket and looked up at the twilight sky. After the heat of the day, the evening was soft as a caress. I felt in my body the motion of the ship, taking me on the sea's broad back away from home. The sky faded from blue at the top of the vault through all the shades of violet to deep rose at the horizon. Sea and sky met in perfect calm, yet my heart continued to race as I pondered the possibilities for rescue."
At daybreak I watched the coasts of my homeland recededd in a blue haze for the second time in my life, knowing that this time I was truly embarked on uncharted seas. I placed myself in the hands of the goddess Aphrodite. It was a relief to give up all pretense of control. May the gods forgive me. My memories faded. I forgot my daughter, my husband, my kingdom. As the painted ship skimmed over smooth seas, dolphins played in our wake, and we had leisure to discover each other's thoughts, each other's bodies. Each day was a gift as precious as life itself. Most people only know one or two such days in a whole lifetime. Golden afternoons faded into blue nights. I sat on silk cushions, playing my flute. Paris entertained me with songs and stories of Troy's wide avenues, its bronze statues, its high, slanted walls, impossible to scale. I listened, smiling and nodding, drinking in his features. In truth, I had little interest in our destination. I wanted to float forever on endless gentle swells. I wanted to stop at each one of the islands, swim in the pale blue shallows, walk hand in hand in the lemon groves. Across the rippled water the moon was paving a highway of spun silver."
Definitely a recommend. A book you'll think about over and over again.
July 19, 2011
Vomit. Unfortunately I have to teach this book to 7th graders this upcoming school year and I'm NOT a fan! I don't know if it's because I really don't appreciate Greek mythology and all that or if it really is the book but it was told from Helen and Cassandra's point of views (which I suppose is a nice change of pace from the usual Trojan war battle book) and the plot encompassed a decade or two which forced it to speed along so quickly (in just 190 pages) that it left no room for character development or any of the things that make most books worth reading. It really read as more of a summary, and not a very good one at that. Additionally, I'm now frightened of teaching this book to my male students because there was entirely too much 'lovey dovey' stuff (short tunics, muscular thighs, golden haired god-like men) and no 'boy stuff' until the last ten pages when someone finally gets dragged behind a chariot and by that point you're so bored by the book you practically cheer.
Why am I giving it two stars? In the hopes that in teaching it it will grow on me but somehow I doubt it.
Why am I giving it two stars? In the hopes that in teaching it it will grow on me but somehow I doubt it.
January 30, 2018
100% one of the most influential books of my early childhood. I had an illustrated children's book of the Iliad as a wee child, but as might be expected, it glossed lightly over Helen and barely touched on Cassandra, much like my later Greek mythology book which did get a little into what happened Cassandra post-war. But this book gave me a Helen who was thoroughly understandable, a girl whose beauty turned her into an object instead of a person in the eyes of many, and it gave me a Cassandra who was angry but sympathetic and a friendship between them that is deeply important to me even now. It also gave me a way to hope for Cassandra's happy ending, and was definitely the book that kick-started my Cassandra-obsession.
July 29, 2022
I enjoyed reading this, I like history and the story was pretty interesting. I was a little bit disappointed in how one dimensional some of the characters were. I just kind of wanted more from Helen and Cassandra’s characters. Also, how did Ella read this in elementary school?? It was kind of intense lol
July 1, 2017
This was one book that I came across by accident and I was intrigued by the fact that it offered to give what could have been a female point-of-view for a time of history where women didn't have point-of-views. And when I read it I did fall in love with the story of the book more than the accuracy or the timeframe that it is represents.
The characters were given more personality than we actually meet in the actual Greek mythoi but although Helen started off to being someone that you wanted to know more about it was in the second part of the book, Cassandra's point-of-view, where Helen actually ended up as she did in the tales of the mythoi - almost with no personality, bland and hard to really get a hold of. Instead I am pleased with the way that Cassandra turned out for she was always the one that seemed to have need of her story being told but in the original tales she was the one that just like any other outcast of society gets shoved to the side even as she struggles to make her presence known.
The author also did a good job to go into some of the particulars and customs of the timeframe but since it isn't a historical book I wouldn't use it as a basis of research for the study. Furthermore she gave a general idea of the beliefs while I loved how she wove the stories of what the Ancients thought about their deities into the story without the actual deities entering and taking over the story thus leaving the story human.
All in all this is a beautiful book to read about what may have been for the lesser known gender in an event of time where the world didn't think twice about them and the powerful force that love can lead to. It is also a story of how women have had to gather as friends and allies so that they may survive in a world where a choice wasn't given them but a demand that they conform.
The characters were given more personality than we actually meet in the actual Greek mythoi but although Helen started off to being someone that you wanted to know more about it was in the second part of the book, Cassandra's point-of-view, where Helen actually ended up as she did in the tales of the mythoi - almost with no personality, bland and hard to really get a hold of. Instead I am pleased with the way that Cassandra turned out for she was always the one that seemed to have need of her story being told but in the original tales she was the one that just like any other outcast of society gets shoved to the side even as she struggles to make her presence known.
The author also did a good job to go into some of the particulars and customs of the timeframe but since it isn't a historical book I wouldn't use it as a basis of research for the study. Furthermore she gave a general idea of the beliefs while I loved how she wove the stories of what the Ancients thought about their deities into the story without the actual deities entering and taking over the story thus leaving the story human.
All in all this is a beautiful book to read about what may have been for the lesser known gender in an event of time where the world didn't think twice about them and the powerful force that love can lead to. It is also a story of how women have had to gather as friends and allies so that they may survive in a world where a choice wasn't given them but a demand that they conform.
Read
January 8, 2015This book was like my favorite book when I was younger. I'm almost scared to go back and read it because I don't want to tarnish what enjoyment I have of it. Obviously there are some pitfalls, like cramming 10 years into ~200 pages. However, I really think this book is fascinating because it focuses on two characters who, despite the fact that one of them is sort of the primary cause of the war, rarely get to exercise their own voice within the canon. I think there are more similarities between Cassandra and Helen than perhaps first apparent. I did love this book as a kid so I'm interested in seeing what I would think of it upon a re-read.
Edit: so upon reread I'm basically of the estimation that you can read better novelizations of the Trojan war but as far as YA retellings go this one is pretty decent. It's pretty simplistic though but it doesn't do anything too strange and for the most part the characterization is consistent (even if I personally don't agree with it).
Edit: so upon reread I'm basically of the estimation that you can read better novelizations of the Trojan war but as far as YA retellings go this one is pretty decent. It's pretty simplistic though but it doesn't do anything too strange and for the most part the characterization is consistent (even if I personally don't agree with it).
Want to read
January 28, 2020I loved this book as a kid. Looking back on it now I think it gave me some serious sapphic vibes before I even recognized that as a thing??? I’d love to reread it as an adult and see what I feel.
March 3, 2020
This book brings the reader face to face with the harsh reality of life in the exciting, heroic, mythical time of the ancient Greeks: women were excluded. They did not make their own decisions or decide their own fate. In this book, the choices that men do not make for Helen or Cassandra, the heroes, are decreed by the gods. This is the best example I've seen of an author trying to breathe life into the silent women of antiquity and imagining what they would have attempted to do to control their own lives, within the extremely narrow limits set by their society. Helen and Cassandra are very different from each other, but you end up respecting them both for doing their best to find happiness and protect their families.
This book would make an excellent counterpoint to a study of the Greek myths or epics, or to a history unit to remind students that yes, women DID exist in ancient times, we just don't hear about them.
This book would make an excellent counterpoint to a study of the Greek myths or epics, or to a history unit to remind students that yes, women DID exist in ancient times, we just don't hear about them.
January 7, 2024
Çocukluğumda okumamın ardından üzerimde büyük etki bırakan kitaplardan bir tanesiydi, yazıları unutsam bile nasıl hissettirdiğini hâlâ hatırlayabiliyorum.
Helen ve Kassandra'nın hikayelerini onların gözünden canlandırmak, savaşın iki kadından götürdüklerine ve onlara çektirdiği acıya doğrudan tanıklık edebilmek, o dönemde Truva'yı sadece belirli karakterler ya da olaylar üzerinden tanıyabilen bana büyük bir fark yaratmıştı. Daha önce adını duymadığım kahramanları tanımış, duyduklarıma da ayrı bir gözle bakmaya başlamıştım.
Bugün dâhi süren Truva'ya olan ilgimin başlangıcı bu kitapla gerçekleşmiştir.
Helen ve Kassandra'nın hikayelerini onların gözünden canlandırmak, savaşın iki kadından götürdüklerine ve onlara çektirdiği acıya doğrudan tanıklık edebilmek, o dönemde Truva'yı sadece belirli karakterler ya da olaylar üzerinden tanıyabilen bana büyük bir fark yaratmıştı. Daha önce adını duymadığım kahramanları tanımış, duyduklarıma da ayrı bir gözle bakmaya başlamıştım.
Bugün dâhi süren Truva'ya olan ilgimin başlangıcı bu kitapla gerçekleşmiştir.
Want to read
November 12, 2019It’s good. 😎
January 17, 2019
Ickkkkk. When I put this on my TBR some five years ago, I thought it was YA. I didn't realize it was elementary/middle grade until it showed up in the mail a few weeks ago. I have no problem reading well-written middle grade fic, but this is...not. And the worst part is, it would've been SO MUCH BETTER if it was aimed at a slightly higher age range.
It's just the story of the Trojan War. That's it. I was hoping the unique POV would add a more entertaining perspective, but it didn't. In fact, having the characters removed from the action and simply report back on the literally age-old plot developments made it boring as hell. Plus, none of the characters were developed enough for interesting things to happen to them.
And I could live with that just fine. It's not even 200 pages. I've stuck with boring books longer than that. It was a good idea, poorly executed. Except... that wasn't the awkward part. Oh no.
The awkward part was the constant PG13 sex talk.
I've never read anything like this in my life. It was simultaneously overt bedroom talk and veiled innuendos. I have no idea what the author was going for here. It was already uncomfortable enough marrying off a twelve-year-old to a man in his 30's (I know, I know, historical accuracy, but the beginning of my reading challenge is curiously riddled with pedophilia), why do you have to throw in all this "how to please your husband in bed" nonsense? It's got to raise questions with the 10-12 year olds this was aimed for, and it makes it painful for any adults who happen upon it.
Again, if this was YA, where the sexual and violent overtones could be properly explored, and the characters were old enough to actually HAVE sex, this would be a much better book. As it currently stands, it's embarrassing, messy, and unbelievably boring.
It's just the story of the Trojan War. That's it. I was hoping the unique POV would add a more entertaining perspective, but it didn't. In fact, having the characters removed from the action and simply report back on the literally age-old plot developments made it boring as hell. Plus, none of the characters were developed enough for interesting things to happen to them.
And I could live with that just fine. It's not even 200 pages. I've stuck with boring books longer than that. It was a good idea, poorly executed. Except... that wasn't the awkward part. Oh no.
The awkward part was the constant PG13 sex talk.
I've never read anything like this in my life. It was simultaneously overt bedroom talk and veiled innuendos. I have no idea what the author was going for here. It was already uncomfortable enough marrying off a twelve-year-old to a man in his 30's (I know, I know, historical accuracy, but the beginning of my reading challenge is curiously riddled with pedophilia), why do you have to throw in all this "how to please your husband in bed" nonsense? It's got to raise questions with the 10-12 year olds this was aimed for, and it makes it painful for any adults who happen upon it.
Again, if this was YA, where the sexual and violent overtones could be properly explored, and the characters were old enough to actually HAVE sex, this would be a much better book. As it currently stands, it's embarrassing, messy, and unbelievably boring.
November 26, 2014
No, I just can't. Ugh. I got this book from my local bookstore (Thank god, it only cost 50 cents.)I gave this book a review of 2/5 stars. The only thing that kept this book from receiving a 1, was because at some points of the story drew me in. The reasons why i didn't like this book was because things were left UNANSWERED. The author would talk about how someone ended up dead but not told by whom. Believe me, i reread parts trying to figure out who killed who. It only happened about 1 time towards the end of the book but still it drove me crazy. Also, the book wasn't very descriptive. I wanted to know what everything looks like and the landscape. But no! Next, i am a grammar Nazi and if you are like me, THIS BOOK ISN'T FOR YOU! OMG! I had such a hard time contrasting who was being compared because there were NO COMMAS. Lastly, the thing that drove me the most insane. I couldn't tell who was talking or when the girl would snap out of her visions. I thought she was still in her dream when she called Helen a whore, but when i reread it a few times, she said it right in front of Helen. That was a first impression.
Me: Hey you! Yeah you right there! You're a whore!
Them: ...
Me: Lets be friends!
Them: OK! Lets forget that you called me a whore the first time you saw me!
Thats basically what the books about. Just say yourself the time and effort. Don't get this book but if you really want to get the book, go to a used bookstore because its not worth all the money it would cost you.
Me: Hey you! Yeah you right there! You're a whore!
Them: ...
Me: Lets be friends!
Them: OK! Lets forget that you called me a whore the first time you saw me!
Thats basically what the books about. Just say yourself the time and effort. Don't get this book but if you really want to get the book, go to a used bookstore because its not worth all the money it would cost you.
November 3, 2011
I am a fan of mythology and I had a huge crush on Achilles back in high school when he was first introduced to us. Brad Pitt killed that fantasy for me...
I didn't like this book much. It was good to read and was well-written... but I guess I was just looking for more mud slinging from the women... but then again... that must have been the man in me. I should know that women would rather keep their silence than make a fist and end a fight.
I didn't like this book much. It was good to read and was well-written... but I guess I was just looking for more mud slinging from the women... but then again... that must have been the man in me. I should know that women would rather keep their silence than make a fist and end a fight.
July 10, 2011
I bought this book when I was probably 9 years old and I fell in love with it. I think I've read it more than 10 times and it's also one of the books with the most worn out cover in my book shelf. It's a great take on the Trojan war and it has a lot of romance. I really recommend it to the people who love Greek mythology as much as I do!
January 24, 2020
I'd give it a 3.5 if I could. It was neat to read while teaching the Iliad and Odyssey. However, I think the scope was a bit much for a book that was less than 200 pages. I liked digging into Helen and Cassandra's characters a bit more, but it was rather rushed.
August 20, 2020
- omophobic! Patroclus is not Achilles’ cousin smh
- Also why is Polyxena going to the Greek camp
- BRUH ACHILLES’ HEEL THING IS POST HOMERIC AND THIS IS SET IN THE ILIAD? NAH
- this ain’t it
- Also why is Polyxena going to the Greek camp
- BRUH ACHILLES’ HEEL THING IS POST HOMERIC AND THIS IS SET IN THE ILIAD? NAH
- this ain’t it
October 23, 2024
Updated Review: October 23, 2024 - 4 Stars
Original Review: Fall 1998 - 5 Stars
Updated Review:
I remember buying this book at the Scholastic Book Fair in 3rd grade to give to my brother for a Christmas gift.
He did not read it.
At least, that I know of. So I took it off his bookshelf and read it myself a year or so later. And I loved it. It introduced me to Greek mythology and the Trojan War, which started a passion that has so far lasted a lifetime. I still love everything to do with the Trojan War (specifically it's women, since more than enough has been written about Achilles and Odysseus and Hector.)
Re-reading this as an adult, however, one can tell that it's definitely written for it's age group (early teens). I'm docking one star because it is short, even for a teenager, and because McLaren speeds too fast through the years Helen and Menelaus are married, not to mention the first 6 years of the war only merit a sentence or two.
But otherwise, this book holds some special fondness for me and I will always love it.
4 Stars
Original Review: Fall 1998 - 5 Stars
Updated Review:
I remember buying this book at the Scholastic Book Fair in 3rd grade to give to my brother for a Christmas gift.
He did not read it.
At least, that I know of. So I took it off his bookshelf and read it myself a year or so later. And I loved it. It introduced me to Greek mythology and the Trojan War, which started a passion that has so far lasted a lifetime. I still love everything to do with the Trojan War (specifically it's women, since more than enough has been written about Achilles and Odysseus and Hector.)
Re-reading this as an adult, however, one can tell that it's definitely written for it's age group (early teens). I'm docking one star because it is short, even for a teenager, and because McLaren speeds too fast through the years Helen and Menelaus are married, not to mention the first 6 years of the war only merit a sentence or two.
But otherwise, this book holds some special fondness for me and I will always love it.
4 Stars
October 19, 2018
I picked this up at the library as a young teen. I've always been interested in mythology and Ancient Greece in particular. Though it was quite a long time ago now, I remember being completely pulled in by the stories. To see such an epic event from the perspective of young women, not much older than myself at the time, was enthralling. I knew the summary of this story and knew of Helen and Cassandra. But this book gave me another side of it. My impression of Helen and Cassandra shifted as a result. This was an interesting experience for me as a young person because it allowed me to see how viewing a story through another's eyes changed my understanding. That's a good lesson to learn!
I'm sure if I read it now, with all that I've learned since, I would have a different experience. That's life! But Inside the Walls of Troy did make an impression on me and fanned the flame of my interest in all things Ancient Greece.
I'm sure if I read it now, with all that I've learned since, I would have a different experience. That's life! But Inside the Walls of Troy did make an impression on me and fanned the flame of my interest in all things Ancient Greece.
September 27, 2018
YA book about Helen of Troy as a young girl (12) and the events of the next few years. It was ok. I'd like it to have had more details about the battles and the way they lived then. It was from Helen's perspective (and later, Cassandra) so they only watched battles from the tops of the walls. Women were not privy to much info in those days either so there was a lot of rumor and speculation going on in the women's quarters.
April 6, 2020
This book was summer reading for a sixth grade history class and I absolutely LOVED it. I reread it multiple times in middle school, and it helped develop my interest in Greek mythology. Looking back on it now, I appreciate its portrayal of women's perspectives during this story which is so frequently male-centered to an extreme degree.
When I read each in middle school, I liked this one a lot better than Waiting for Odysseus, the The Odyssey adaptation paired with this The Iliad adaptation, and I don't think I even finished Waiting for Odysseus even though it was effectively the sequel to a book I loved so much.
Highly recommend for middle schoolers! I would say that based on the reading difficulty it could also be good for slightly younger children, but if I remember there is some slight (very, very slight - a fifth/sixth grade level) mention of sex. But I recommend it for middle schoolers, and I think it would be extra interesting for children who like Greek mythology or adaptations of it geared towards children, like The Lightning Thief or the Disney Hercules movie.
When I read each in middle school, I liked this one a lot better than Waiting for Odysseus, the The Odyssey adaptation paired with this The Iliad adaptation, and I don't think I even finished Waiting for Odysseus even though it was effectively the sequel to a book I loved so much.
Highly recommend for middle schoolers! I would say that based on the reading difficulty it could also be good for slightly younger children, but if I remember there is some slight (very, very slight - a fifth/sixth grade level) mention of sex. But I recommend it for middle schoolers, and I think it would be extra interesting for children who like Greek mythology or adaptations of it geared towards children, like The Lightning Thief or the Disney Hercules movie.
March 31, 2020
okuduğum ilk mitoloji kitabıydı. Ve gerçekten güzeldi. Çok sürükleyici. Filmi de mükemmel hatta filmi daha güzel bence. Kitapta okuduğum karakterlerle film de izlediğim karakterler baya farklıydı mesela kitabı filme göre yargılarsam Paris kitapta çok güçlü çok yakışıklı anlatılmış ama film de öyle değildi. Film de daha düzgün kılıç bile tutamıyodu yani. Ama çok güzeldi yine de. İlk; kitabı okuyun sonra filmi izleyin.
June 4, 2018
What can mom and I say? It was good. Someone of the historical elements were interesting. Epsically since mom took Ancient Greece in High School. It was a nice blast from the past, but the story was not one that completely absorbed mom in. It just was not her complete cup of tea.
Give it a try if interested, but it is not a must.
Give it a try if interested, but it is not a must.
October 12, 2023
I've been a Trojan War enthusiast for the majority of my life but no book has ever made me cry over Hector's death... until now. The way McLaren chooses to focus on Andromache and (spoiler) have Hector killed off page was brilliant and made that moment land all the harder. The ending may have wrapped up a little too quickly for my taste but overall the unique take on these iconic characters was brilliantly done.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2025
10 year old me would be heartbroken that I didn’t like this book. This was my Roman Empire as a small tween, but it doesn’t really hold the same flame as an adult. Maybe it’s because there are much better retellings of Greek women now. Cassandra feels very much like a “I’m not like other girls” kind of lady in this retelling (yikes).
July 24, 2025
I don’t know why I liked this book when I was younger. I remember being utterly frustrated at Helen, so that hasn’t changed. But other than that, this is just a boring rehash of the same Troy that we know. Characters are one dimensional, and the plot was honestly boring. Meh.
December 18, 2017
Not a memorable book. Not at all! UGH!
February 25, 2018
An easy read and nice retelling of this story.
Read
February 25, 2020uuuuuummm book, it be ok.
November 27, 2022
A nice companion to Black Ships Before Troy, an account that includes the women's voices of the age, voices so seldom heard in classic mythology.
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