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Reviews tagging 'Death'

L'ILIADE by Homer

96 reviews

emotional sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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adventurous dark slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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adventurous challenging sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous challenging medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

NYT Notable Books 2023: 29/100

I'm glad that this was on the notable books list, since otherwise I don't know if I ever would have found Wilson's translation. I loved the notes at the end that clarified what some things meant and why certain translation decisions were made. I will say that the poem was really long, to the point of being frustrating on occasion. The endless pages in book 2 devoted to who was coming to the war and the very detailed run-downs of what people were wearing (including exactly what Hephaesteus was putting on Achilles' shield) did get a bit tiring, but there were some other really solid parts. This book was also incredibly gory, which kind of surprised me, and I loved in the notes when Wilson pointed out that some of the especially gory portions were just not physically possible, which was pretty funny.

Definitely a cool read. I was surprised by certain things not actually being a part of the story (Achilles' death, the Trojan horse), but there was still so much in there that was solid. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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emotional slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous challenging slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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slow-paced

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adventurous reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Homer goes on a lot of tangents but some of these tangents are surprisingly entertaining.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I know it's slow, and I know it's a war epic, but it's great nonetheless. There's a reason why we read The Iliad despite it being thousands of years old, and it's because it's a good book. Homer is very talented when it comes to the words he chooses to use, the characters are memorable and interesting, and Achilles in particular shines throughout. If you liked The Song of Achilles, please follow it up with The Iliad. If you like Achillean romance or stories, please read this.

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