Review: Troy

Troy by Stephen Fry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Every time I read another book about Troy or the Illiad I'm always struck by how Diomedes got a raw deal. He features throughout the tale, is one of the most fierce warriors, is sent with Odysseus on two other trips, survives until the end with honor, and yet he's never remembered. 

It's probably because he doesn't have a schtick, like Odysseus's craftiness, Helen's looks, or Achilles's heel. 

Basically, his lack of an Achilles heel is his Achilles heel. 

Anyway, having gotten that off my chest, this book was truly excellent. And the Audiobook is read by Stephen Fry, so it's definitely worth the listen. It brings the story and characters alive, and shows how they are intertwined in ways you don't get from just reading the Illiad and Odyssey. 

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Review: The Bacchae and Other Plays

The Bacchae and Other Plays by Euripides
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

Some personal notes for each play, since Goodreads doesn't give me enough space under "Private notes". Definite Spoilers, if that matters for you here:

Ion

Nice play, with a happy ending. I liked it. 

The Women of Troy

Well this was the complete opposite. It describes the fate of the various women of Troy. None of them is a good one. 

Helen

So apparently the Helen in Troy was a hologram or a ghost or something. So they all killed each other over nothing. I guess this could be an allegory to the futility of war. Regardless, maybe my antipathy for Helen is too hardly engrained (or I'm on Team Troy) but I found myself not really rooting for her or Menelaus. 

Bacchae

Man, these Gods are mean

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