Helen of Troy

By: Margaret George

Narrated by: Justine Eyre

The New York Times bestseller from Margaret George, author of Mary, Called Magdalene and Elizabeth I

With her amazing ability to summon the voices of historical characters, Margaret George tells the story of the woman whose face "launched a thousand ships" in Helen of Troy. Laden with doom, yet surprising in its moments of innocence and beauty, this is a beautifully told story of a legendary woman and her times. An exquisite page-turner with a cast of irresistible characters--Odysseus, Hector, Achilles, Priam, Clytemnestra, Agamemnon, as well as Helen and Paris themselves--and a wealth of material that reproduces the Age of Bronze in all its glory, Helen of Troy brings to life a war that we have all learned about but never before experienced.©2006 Margaret George; (P)2006 Penguin Audio, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., and Books on Tape

Critic reviews

“Delicious.”—People

“The face that launched a thousand ships has sparked a scintillating historical novel.”—Chicago Tribune

MORE PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS OF MARGARET GEORGE

“An evocative portrait.”—The New York Times

“If only history lessons had been like this.”—Cosmopolitan

“Engaging and intelligent fiction.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Readers looking to be transported to another place and time will find their magic carpet here.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Extensively researched with the highest integrity, and deeply engaging, it sets a new benchmark for the genre.”—New York Times bestselling author Alison Weir

“An impressive feat of research and imagination.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Diana Gabaldon

Not my cup of tea.

I found long stretches dull. The performance was excruciating; consistently, the inflection on the wrong words made it almost unbearable, making it seem as if the novel was poorly written. The narration choices constantly pulled the listener’s focus toward less important words/information rather than the words and passages relevant to the context and point in the story.

Not as good as her other work

I have read two other Margret George books and loved every word. This was not as good although the information is correct on much of history. The people were very self absorbed and annoying. I gave it 3 stars because Margret George does get the information right.

Beautiful rendition of the story

The only thing I would say is the narrator’s cadence could sometimes be very robotic sounding and it got annoying at times. Other than that, it was a beautiful telling of this timeless tale.

A fair and ambitious effort.

A fair and ambitious effort. The story could have used another round of edits, it wore on by the end.

A Very Different Take Than Homer

Any additional comments?

Just once I'd like to read a version of Helen where she's actually portrayed as a Spartan queen, and all that implies. While this take is more traditional in portraying her as the lovestruck tool of the gods, Helen proves she's made of sterner stuff than most versions would portray her. I was a bit put-off at first by how slowly the book starts, but the build-up is worth it as a fully three-dimensional character study of some of Homer's most enduring characters. As a romance novel, this is a solid read, but it's so much more. While it's not quite what Homer had in mind, perhaps, there is history, mythology, and warfare to be had in abundance once the story gets going. Margaret George describes the city of Troy in amazing detail, and her citizens comes to life. The mythology involved does add a different feel to Ms. George's story, so it doesn't quite feel like some of her other works. Don't let that put you off. If you like the subject and the author, there's no reason you shouldn't enjoy this book.