Books by Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry is a British actor, author and fabulous audiobook narrator. He features twice on our list of great actors read great books. We caught up with Stephen recently to find out about some of the books that were most useful for Troy, his retelling of the Trojan War.
Mythos: A Retelling of the Myths of Ancient Greece
by Stephen Fry
Mythos by Stephen Fry is a humorous retelling of the Greek myths—if that seems possible given all the atrocities constantly being committed by the the gods, goddesses, and titans. It's a really great book for getting on top of not only the Greek myths, but also the way the names of the gods/goddesses etc. and Ancient Greek words are intertwined into the modern English language. We highly recommend the audiobook in particular, narrated by Stephen Fry himself, who is a talented and funny actor.
Troy
by Stephen Fry
If you loved Mythos and Heroes, the first two instalments of Stephen Fry's mythical trilogy, you'll love Troy. Fry is a talented actor and the audiobook—which he narrates himself—is particularly delightful, appealing to adults and kids alike. What was the story based on? Here, Stephen Fry explains which books were his main sources for Troy, many of them beautiful poetry with wonderful English translations.
The Ode Less Travelled: Unlocking the Poet Within
by Stephen Fry
The Ode Less Travelled by Stephen Fry, reissued in January 2021, is a wonderful introduction to poetry for those of us who love it, but find it quite scary and don't understand how it works. It's a nuts-and-bolts introduction to metre and other poetical devices and hopefully is enough to encourage even the most diffident lovers of poetry amongst us to have a go at writing their own.
Interviews with Stephen Fry
The Best Trojan War Books, recommended by Stephen Fry
The tale of the Trojan War—its causes, its heroes, the wooden horse, the gods and goddesses who dramatically change the course of events—has fascinated us down the ages and is embedded in our collective imagination. But where do the stories come from? British author and actor Stephen Fry lists some of the books that were most useful for Troy, his retelling of the Trojan War.
Interviews where books by Stephen Fry were recommended
The best books on Greek Myths and Mythology, recommended by Lucy Coats
Lucy Coats, author of one of the best Greek myth books for children, recommends her own favourites. There’s one for children, one for teenagers, one for scholars, one to read out loud and one that’s very definitely adult in content…
