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The Private Life of Helen of Troy: About the Book
The Private Life of Helen of Troy was published in 1925 by Bobbs Merrill and spent time as a bestseller the following year.

The book was adapted from the Greek legend of Helen of Troy and follows the infamous woman's life after the burning of Troy.

In the beginning, Menelaus -- Helen's husband -- leaves Troy in search of her and plans to kill her for all the trouble her beauty has caused. Instead, the two set out on a week-long voyage back to Sparta. Menelaus questions why his wife ran away from Sparta to begin with, saying that he didn't believe her involvement with Paris was enough. Once at home, Helen talks with Charita and tells her that in the begining, she thought she loved Paris and that is why she ran away with him, but she realized she only loved something he made her think of, and in the end she only felt sorry for him. She goes on to say that she felt sorry for Paris because she could see he was "lost int he madness" just as she was. She tells her that marriage starts with love, but the people in the marriage get lost along the way and calls marraiges fatal errors.

The book follows Helen's family and how she navigates friendships, her marriage, and parenting her children after what many in her life call, 'the scandal.'

Themes
Helen is a progressive woman by American standards in the 1930s, and would certainly be considered radical in ancient Greece. She defends her decision to run away with Paris and even encourages other women in the book to embrace their sexuality. Because of this, many have read the book as a satircal nod to gender politics. There is also a common feminist reading of the book because of Helen's attitude toward marriage and sexuality.

Because the book was published only five years after the 19th Amendment was ratified, it can be argued that a cultural focus on feminism and women's suffrage had an impact on why this book was so well received. Helen, in the book, represented a new kind of woman, who did what she wanted rather than what she was told, and defied male authority, which can be argued perpetuated the book's success.

The Movie
The Private Life of Helen of Troy was adapted into a silent movie in 1927 by Gerald C. Duffy (writer) and directed by Alexander Korda. The film, and Duffy, were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Title Writing in 1929 (the first year the awards were held). However, due to Duffy's death in 1928, he is the first person to have been nominated posthumously.

About the Author
John Erskine was born on October 5, 1879 in New York City. He started his career as a professor at Amherst College in 1903 and then moved on to Columbia University in 1909. Erskine founded the Great Books movement while teaching a General Honors course at Columbia. He published more than 100 books -- including novels, literary criticism, and essays.

Erskine was married three times. Twice Pauline Ives and once to Helen Worden Erskine. He died in 1951 at the age of 71.

There is a street in The Bronx named Erskine Place after the author.

Legend of Helen of Troy
Helen of Troy is an ancient Greek goddess. She was the daughter of Zeus and was married to Menelaus and the two lived in Sparta together. When Menelaus was away, Helen ran off to Troy with Paris, who was the son of Priam, the Trojan king. Legend has it, that when Paris was killed, she married his brother Deiphobus, who she betrayed to her husband Menelaus when he invaded Troy. Following the Trojan War, she and Menelaus returned to Sparta and remained married.