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adventurous
challenging
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There's not much to say about this that hasn’t already been said by someone smarter. I did enjoy seeing how this is the prototype for so many of our later stories in some form or another—war and battle, carrying the past, wrestling with fate and duty, being doomed by the narrative and fighting in spite of it. There is something uniquely enduring about these stories that has imprinted itself on our collective consciousness, in the way we instinctively recognize the heart of them even if we haven't read them before (which was a cool experience for me). I did love it. It wasn't an easy read, but I enjoyed reading it. I found Fagles' translation very readable and beautifully phrased.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, War
Moderate: Sexual violence, Slavery
slow-paced
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, War
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Mental illness, Sexism, Torture, War
adventurous
dark
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
this is one of the more readable translations of the illiad, which I’m grateful for. Still, I had to read it alongside a podcast to really grasp the plot. though the illiad is regarded as a classic (since it was orated & then written so long ago), it’s… not a well written poem lol & the characters are v hard to root for! all the acheans had sex slaves, dudes were in a war for 9+ years over someone else’s marital problems, the descriptors don’t quite make sense (ex: saying “swift runner achilles” when achilles isn’t even running), and the list goes on! I see the merit in continuing to teach it, but I think we do lots of damage to the rep of poetry when we teach this like it’s great poetry when it is moreso a marker of its time/one part of the rich history of what poetry has done over time. that’s just me, though! appreciate fagles for making this poem readable to a contemporary audience, but I really hope we question what is considered a “clasdic” over time. Also, boo to pro-war propaganda!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Violence, War
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Kidnapping, Grief
Minor: Animal death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Death of parent, Alcohol
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A lot of Greek name dropping and gory death scenes. It is basically a lot of killing of people you don’t care much about. I can appreciate its place in history and it certainly explains why Western culture views violence as entertainment, but it is personally not to my taste.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Misogyny, Slavery
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Slavery
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
this shit was wild my head is so fried rn, I like that Homer included a talking horse for about two lines and then immediately retconned it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Gore, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, War
Moderate: Child death, Death, Excrement, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Ableism, Sexual content, Abandonment
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Rape, Sexism, Violence, War
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There is just something about this book. As someone who usually hates books that drone on about the fighting side of a war, I really found myself gripped in this one. The repetition really bought me back into the poetry mindset, and I think the book was well-paced and even though I knew what was going to happen, I found myself stressed, excited and on the edge of my seat. I am really looking forward to the Odyssey.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail