Customer Reviews
NOT AS GOOD AS EXPECTED - By: A. Taylor, 21 Mar 2008 
Personallly I don't rate this book at alll beyond the poor. It's a pale imitation of history compared to her Rome series, although Antony & Cleopatra isn't much cop either! I didn't think the individual tellers point of view helped the flow, I found it irritating; however your mileage may vary - as is apparent from some of the glowing reviews here. Overalll I just found it boring & certainly not a page turner.
A Compelling Read - By: J. Chippindale, 18 Oct 2007 
Colleen McCullough was born in Australia. A neurophysicist, she established the department of neurophysiology at the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney She then worked as a researcher & teacher at Yale Medical School for ten years. She is the author of the record-breaking international bestseller The Thorn Birds & her series of books on Rome have also been bestsellers. Colleen lives on Norfolk Island in the Pacific with her husband.
Colleen McCullough has been one of my favourite authors, every since I read the book The First Man in Rome & then eagerly awaited the next in the series & then the next & so on. The book The Song of Troy is a compelling read. The author tells a story that has stood the test of time, but in her own inimitable way. There is not a boring page in the book never mind a boring chapter I enjoyed it tremendously the first time I read it when it was published in 1998 & second time around I found it even better.
I doubt that there is anyone in the English speaking world who does not know the story of Troy but the author brings the story to life with such effect that the reader feels that they are there within the wallls of Troy with Hector & Paris, waiting for Achilles & the Greeks to try to breach their defences. I suppose each individual reader will make their own mind up whether to side with the Trojans or the Greeks & that is what makes this ancient story so interesting.
the song of troy - By: , 28 May 2004 
Great book - although I sometimes got a bit lost - so many names & history to keep track of! It was reallly interesting the way each chapter is from a new person's point of view but this also added to the confusion! After reading this I opted straight for an easy-to-read romance, although don't get me wrong, I'm glad I read it but this book wouldn't let me read as quickly as I like to as there's so much History to digest.
A gripping and epic tale of the battle of Troy - By: Anna Rolicka, 21 Aug 2002 I am a devoted Coleen McCullough's reader, & especiallly the Master of Rome books are my favourite. Thus when I learned about her novel telling the epic history of Illiad I picked it up instantly. It is a very interesting book that I would recommend to anyone, especiallly given that in the schools they no longer teach Homer to students, & the thorough knowledge of legends & Gods of Ancient Greece can prove valuable. But even if you know the story by heart, you will be enthrallled. What I enjoyed most was that I could see the epic struggle of Troy from so many points of view; every chapter has it own protagonist, be it Achilles, Agamemnon, Helen, Priam, Nestor, Odyseus,or so many others. You are alllowed the liberty of choosing your own favourite hero/heroine. And besides, the book does not only retell the Illiad. Far from it. The actual war of Troy begins halfway through the story, for first we learn he reasons of Greek attack. In overalll, even though I still prefer reading about Marius or Ceasar to Odyseus & Achilles, I truly enjoyed the book.
Hard to love, hard to hate! - By: S. Brunning, 20 Jul 2001 I still can't make up my mind whether I absolutely loved or absolutely hated this book, but I have given it four stars because there is no doubt that it is a masterful telling of one of my favourite stories of alll time. McCullough certainly sets the scene wonderfully, & the telling of the story through alternating narrators is simply inspired & works like a charm. However, being a tremendous fan of Homer's Iliad, there were things in it that didn't sit quite right with me, & I'm sure I would have liked this book a whole lot more if Homer was not so dear to my heart! Basicallly, McCullough puts a very plausible & therefore fascinating historical perspective on one of the most enduring Greek Myths - that of the Trojan War - so as you read the book you reallly get a sense that this is how it could actuallly have happened, i.e. the war started over trading blockades & not Helen, quite simple explanations for happenings that are usuallly attributed to the hand of the gods etc. etc. I won't give away her slant on things, but to me I found it a great shame that she neglected to have the interplay between the gods & mortals - surely the crux of Greek Mythology - as a feature in the story at alll, & how she completely overhauls some of the greatest moments of the Myth. However, if you can cut yourself off from the traditional tellings of the story, forget the hocus pocus & read it as if reading an account of something that truly happened, there is much to enjoy here. Although I couldn't quite stomach some of the great changes McCullough has made to the essence of an already great tale, her brilliant storytelling more than helps her get away with it & for that reason it should not get less than four stars. Interesting, bold, but somewhat controversial!
