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justjeanettelee's review against another edition
5.0
(April-June for thesis one; September-October for thesis two)
How could I not give a book that put me on my dream career path 5 stars?
Hughes was one of the first influences o ever had in wanting to do archaeology and ancient history, through watching her documentary based off of this work, not long after watch the TV Mini Series "Helen of Troy" (2003) and the film "Troy" (2004). Now, after doing my own accumulative work on Helen, I've finally had a reason and purpose to reading through this work, rather than leaving it on my book shelf, acting like a shrine item.
Hughes puts Helen in her context. Her actual history. Not exclusively her mythology. She explores Helen as the mortal woman she would have been as a Mycenaen queen. She touches on Helen and the religion associations she has.
Very well written. I cannot fault her.
How could I not give a book that put me on my dream career path 5 stars?
Hughes was one of the first influences o ever had in wanting to do archaeology and ancient history, through watching her documentary based off of this work, not long after watch the TV Mini Series "Helen of Troy" (2003) and the film "Troy" (2004). Now, after doing my own accumulative work on Helen, I've finally had a reason and purpose to reading through this work, rather than leaving it on my book shelf, acting like a shrine item.
Hughes puts Helen in her context. Her actual history. Not exclusively her mythology. She explores Helen as the mortal woman she would have been as a Mycenaen queen. She touches on Helen and the religion associations she has.
Very well written. I cannot fault her.
dspencer991's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
anpu325's review against another edition
5.0
One of the best popular history books I've ever read. Perfectly balances extensive research, the way scholars must qualify their interpretations of the past, and creating an exciting and engaging narrative for the reader.
bluestjuice's review against another edition
4.0
This was a great, scholarly review of the character of Helen of Troy, covering such disparate aspects as actual Bronze Age civilizations, the Hellenic concept of Helen as written by Homer and reiterated in numerous other works, and more recent interpretations of her through the renaissance. Having only ever been much acquainted with the Homeric version, I found the various other angles fascinating, and I appreciated the author's personal involvement in the quest (she visited numerous sites herself, and hundreds of museums), as well as the reticent way this information was conveyed - no cloying personal anecdotes here, besides impressions of the scenery or ambiance of various locales.
andrealoverke's review against another edition
3.0
This book is very well researched but goes a bit all over the place. I love Bettany and her documentaries on tv. But this book is too vast. She should have narrowed it down like she did with her Venus book. She has learned a lot and all wanted to put it in 1 book it seems. Sometimes I was like... how did we get to this part and what is the link with Helen again? So I liked it but I like her Venus one better.
ellie_elizabeth's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
souljaleonn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
5.0