One of the things that made Stephen Fry's retellings so engaging was the tone of his writing. He took the Greek myths and retold them in a casual and chatty way. Yet, there's still plenty of authority there. He knows what he's talking about and he knows how to make it digestible for modern readers. He has taken these epic tales and made them slightly less epic, at least in terms of length. There's a quick pace to these books but you don't feel like you're missing out on anything. Not only will this not feel quite so laborious as Odysseus' way home but you'll actually enjoy the journey. As with all of the books, I listened to the audiobook and it really made the experience better. His narration is perfect and he brings the stories to life.

There's a total lack of grandeur here. I don't mean that in a negative way. Instead, these stories are being told to be enjoyed by everyone. They're full of humour and bring the characters to life in an engaging way. He finds every attempt to squeeze comedy from his characters. Agamemnon is far from the King of Men and more like a Tory politician. It's amusing and listening to Fry bring him to life on the audiobook is a must. The focus on comedy doesn't mean that Fry ignores the emotional themes of the story. This is a story that is full of pain and longing. Odysseus misses his wife and son. We see people lose their family members and have to face up to the consequences of the fall of Troy. Thankfully, Fry gives these moments the gravity and sincerity that they deserve. His writing easily moves from being more light-hearted to being more serious. It's got all of the highs and lows that you need.

Are these books the most academic approach to these stories? No. They're rewritten for modern audiences and are littered with contemporary speech and references. Given that they aren't written to be academic, I think that works perfectly. Fry has written this series to introduce readers to these characters. He has been faithful enough to the source material and then transposed the writing to suit a modern reader. That's not to say there isn't substance here. In the footnotes, Fry delves deeper into the stories and provides some of his own theories. These books were obviously a labour of love for the writer and he puts his passion into every page. That's what has made the series such a pleasure to read. Odyssey, like Troy, benefits from a singular narrative focus and it doesn't meander as much as the first two books. It's a strong end to a wonderful series that I will happily return to in a few years.