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This was a lot more gruesome than I expected. The descriptions of the deaths are as graphic as they are detached; the narration is not particularly sentimental. I was familiar with the plot and the majority of the characters, but remembering who everyone is, and on whose side, is a struggle. There are around 30 major human characters, plus the Olympians, and everybody's parentage is discussed at length, so even keeping a flow chart is difficult.
I listened to the audiobook of the "plain English" translation by W. H. D. Rouse, which helped tremendously, but I'm looking forward to picking up Emily Wilson's translation of [b:The Odyssey|34068470|The Odyssey|Homer|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1487351579l/34068470._SY75_.jpg|3356006], which everybody says is fantastic.
I listened to the audiobook of the "plain English" translation by W. H. D. Rouse, which helped tremendously, but I'm looking forward to picking up Emily Wilson's translation of [b:The Odyssey|34068470|The Odyssey|Homer|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1487351579l/34068470._SY75_.jpg|3356006], which everybody says is fantastic.
adventurous
challenging
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
tense
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:
Yes
Achilles reminds me of an angry toddler in the absolute best way possible, and I will stand by his every action, no matter how rash.
‘Sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus’ son Achilles and its devastation,
which put pains thousandfold upon the Achaeans,
hurled in their multitudes to the house of Hades strong souls of heroes...’
I’m nearly taken aback by the beauty that has flourished from this story of war and gods, comrades and brothers. The Iliad was utterly astonishing in it’s portrayal of human tragedies.
Here is a short summary of this epic poem as the back of my copy tells it:
‘A cornerstone of Western literature, Homers Iliad is the epic tale of the siege of Troy.
After nine years, the Greeks are still fighting to reclaim the beautiful Helen and it is hardly the time for their supreme warrior, Achilles, to drop out of the war. But he does, in revenge against the overlord Agamamnon for seizing his concubine, Briseis.
Only the death of his best friend, Patroclus, persuades Achilles to return to battle and confront the Trojan leader Hector in single combat.’
It's a troubling thing, to express just how much of an impact this story has had on me. Because it is not just a story of war, it goes far beyond that. Between Achilles, Patroclus, Hector, Agamemnon and the entirety of Achaens and Trojans, waves of emotion beyond explanation are felt by readers.
“Any moment might be our last. Everything is more beautiful because we're doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are now. We will never be here again.”
It was truly surprising how much the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus affected me. I found myself on the verge of tears nearly every line that one would grieve for the other. The bond that they share was so easy to latch on to, making it a lovely thing every time they were together.
One of the greatest thing about Homer is that he favours no mortal or god above that of another in The Iliad. His writing is perfection in the sense that each character has a vivid personality, yet does not come off as more favourable than the rest.
If you asked me a month ago, I’d tell you I knew nearly nothing about the Trojan war. I actually taught myself a bit about it before I went into this book. That being said, it was enjoyable to the very last page, definitely something everyone has got to read. A masterpiece doesn’t even begin to entail the pictures and words that unravel beautifully through this collection of pages.
‘Sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus’ son Achilles and its devastation,
which put pains thousandfold upon the Achaeans,
hurled in their multitudes to the house of Hades strong souls of heroes...’
I’m nearly taken aback by the beauty that has flourished from this story of war and gods, comrades and brothers. The Iliad was utterly astonishing in it’s portrayal of human tragedies.
Here is a short summary of this epic poem as the back of my copy tells it:
‘A cornerstone of Western literature, Homers Iliad is the epic tale of the siege of Troy.
After nine years, the Greeks are still fighting to reclaim the beautiful Helen and it is hardly the time for their supreme warrior, Achilles, to drop out of the war. But he does, in revenge against the overlord Agamamnon for seizing his concubine, Briseis.
Only the death of his best friend, Patroclus, persuades Achilles to return to battle and confront the Trojan leader Hector in single combat.’
It's a troubling thing, to express just how much of an impact this story has had on me. Because it is not just a story of war, it goes far beyond that. Between Achilles, Patroclus, Hector, Agamemnon and the entirety of Achaens and Trojans, waves of emotion beyond explanation are felt by readers.
“Any moment might be our last. Everything is more beautiful because we're doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are now. We will never be here again.”
It was truly surprising how much the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus affected me. I found myself on the verge of tears nearly every line that one would grieve for the other. The bond that they share was so easy to latch on to, making it a lovely thing every time they were together.
One of the greatest thing about Homer is that he favours no mortal or god above that of another in The Iliad. His writing is perfection in the sense that each character has a vivid personality, yet does not come off as more favourable than the rest.
If you asked me a month ago, I’d tell you I knew nearly nothing about the Trojan war. I actually taught myself a bit about it before I went into this book. That being said, it was enjoyable to the very last page, definitely something everyone has got to read. A masterpiece doesn’t even begin to entail the pictures and words that unravel beautifully through this collection of pages.
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
I had a harder time getting through this book compared to The Odyssey. I found the battle scenes to be repetitive and droning, although I'm sure the original audience was thrilled to hear it. I supplemented my reading with some occasional chapter-by-chapter commentary podcast episodes, which greatly enhanced my appreciation for the book.
If I was a Greek living in 800BC and I heard this epic, I imagine I'd have thoughts like this:
- How do I respond to suffering/the fickle nature of the gods?
- What is the legacy I've inherited, and what is the legacy I want to leave behind?
- Does wisdom always prevail over power? Should it?
It's difficult to read this without bringing in truths that seem so elementary and obvious from a modern perspective. Still, it's fascinating to see these glimpses of universal ideas, and that those raw thoughts have been refined over time and are still relevant today.
If I was a Greek living in 800BC and I heard this epic, I imagine I'd have thoughts like this:
- How do I respond to suffering/the fickle nature of the gods?
- What is the legacy I've inherited, and what is the legacy I want to leave behind?
- Does wisdom always prevail over power? Should it?
It's difficult to read this without bringing in truths that seem so elementary and obvious from a modern perspective. Still, it's fascinating to see these glimpses of universal ideas, and that those raw thoughts have been refined over time and are still relevant today.
Going to watch a Tarantino film to recover from the violence of this book
I'm getting filtered so bad by this book. This is a tough read, y'all. I haven't picked it up in two weeks.
This is the third Iliad translation that I've read and my absolute favorite. The tone is completely perfect. I would recommend this to anyone, whether you've read the Iliad before or not.