Troy

by Adèle Geras

Book Overview

The classic struggle between Greece and Troy brought to life by a panoramic chorus of voices both humble and high, human and divine. The siege of Troy has lasted almost ten years. Inside the walled... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0152164928
• ISBN13: 9780152164928
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.43 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.2"
• Age Range: 14 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 9 and higher

Customer Reviews

Soooo good

I couldn't put the book down

The Best of Greek Mythology

Adele Geras has beautifully combined the mortal and immortal world in this historic and mythological novel. I have read many Greek mythology novels but nothing compares to this wonderfully written book. There wasn't any part of the novel that didn't appeal to me. Adele has done a fabulous job binding life, love, war, and death. It is one of the best books written of ALL TIMES. I recommend it to anyone interested in MYTHOLOGY. You just won't be able to put the book down. I agree that although TROY was a battle (Trojan War) the book did not include much of it, until the very end. But from a reader's point of view, I have to say the novel is very well balanced. Please, read "TROY". I liked it so much that I rented the "TROY" movie - the movie and the book are quiet different. WHO knew.....that a war could happen because of a beautiful girl?

Best book ever!!!!

This book was amazing! It totally shed new light onto the Trojan War. It was awesome because it's like reading a soap opera, and yet it's historical fiction, so there is some truth to everything. This book is a better way to learn history; more kids would want to learn if every historical event was put into historical fiction like this book was. Troy made the Trojan War real, and made it interesting, instead of reading the entire lIlliad. Even though it is for more mature people due to some explicit parts, Troy is a "two-thumbs up" kind of book!

Troy: a novel

Xanthe, an adolescent living in the city of Troy, is struggling to find herself as the war rages on and on outside the walls. Join her and those around her as they live their lives in the final days of Troy. The book, Troy: a novel, written by Adele Geras is a romantic war story about the life inside Troy before the great city crumbled. Opposite the Iliad, it shows the war of Troy from the perspective of the Trojans. It shows "the other side of the story". It will take you in and will not let you go until you have read every last word. I give it a perfect ten and if you're going to read any book, make it Troy: a novel. Perfect for reading over and over again. An epic story, an instant classic, and a best seller for young adults.DM

An Instant Classic

This story overviews the last few months of the Trojan War from a new perspective, that of the infamous city Troy. It focuses on two sisters, Xanthe and Marpessa, orphans who were found in the mountains, and now work in the palaces of Troy. Xanthe, the older of the sisters, takes care of Astyanax, the son of Hector and Andromache. She also works in the "Blood Room", where wounded Trojan soldiers are taken and cared for. Marpessa, the younger sister, is more mature than Xanthe, perhaps because she can see the gods when they walk among mortals. She works in the palace of Helen and Paris. The Trojan War has been going on for more than ten years, and the girls and their friends can hardly remember a time when the Greek tents weren't camped outside Troy's legendary walls. The book starts at the beginning of the end, in a sense, and we watch the infamous Achilles and Hector battle, hear Helen have second thoughts about leaving Sparta and her family, and watch Andromache slowly break under the strain of being strong for her son.At the same time the fictional characters have their own stories. The crossed loves of Xanthe, Marpessa, their friends Polyxena and Iason, and a young soldier Alastor make the story more real, not just about the royalty.Since the girls live and work with the famous figures in history, (Helen of Troy, Hector, Priam, etc.) we learn all about the people that they work and interact with. The great thing about this book is that unlike other works about the Trojan War, it doesn't try to show the characters that you've heard of in a certain way. For instance, it doesn't make Helen an evil person, it doesn't make Paris lazy and selfish. The two sisters get a lot of emotions vented on them, and through this we can see what the heroes and famous figures of old are thinking and feeling. The sisters' experiences and interactions show us how the famous acted, but the sisters themselves don't pass judgement, since they have lived with these people for their whole lives. The under-running theme of this book is something that is never said or stressed in any way, a great thing with Ms. Geras' writing. It shows you that the people of Troy are the same as we are today. They have the same thoughts, feelings, hopes, dreams. It makes the mythology and people and events a lot more believable with the emotions coursing through. This book is a classic that anyone should read, whether you like ancient times or not, because it is the first taste of a real ancient time, one that you can envision actually existing.By Amy H., Miller Place High School

A Dymanic Retelling! It throbs, pulsaltes + demands a read!

Geras does a stellar job in bringing down the gods in to walk around the mortals' world and stir up trouble. Who is it to say that Aphrodites' meddling did not really happen? The gods' power and their curious interest to toy with mortals is intrinsically believable. Have your doubts? Today we call this "fate"...but, maybe other forces are at work? Didn't your mother ever tell you that when you heard thunder it was really the gods bowling?The exquisite weave of history, myth, fantasy and raw human emotions (sex + lust, by Zeus!) propel not only the plot, but the reader's desire to know more. How did this happen? And what does it all mean? For surely, this must mean something: this story of the Trojan Wars has been told for centuries upon centuries. Is history important? The reader need not choose: desires and wishes, hopes and dreams are unraveled, examined and the reality of the tale is enchantingly alive, yes even pulsating, with contemporary themes. TROY immerses the reader in that time + that place. Realize that perhaps some of the same factors are at work presently. Chilling... TROY is the story of humanity. How wonderful to have this retelling. Read it + soar!