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medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Giving a starred rating to The Iliad feels weird because, well… it’s The Iliad. Whether I enjoyed it or not, it’s still going to be one of the world’s fundamental works. That said, I did very much enjoy it. I can’t read Ancient Greek, so I can’t really comment on the translation, but it felt readily comprehensible without sounding overly modernized. I know one frequent critique of this translation is that it’s sometimes uncharitable towards its female characters; however, I thought that Helen in particular came across as a believable and even relatable — if you haven’t lamented your birth in the harsh light of the consequences of your impulsive romantic decisions, you haven’t lived enough yet.
This is also a truly action-packed story. A significant portion of the book is descriptions of battle. A character will be introduced, you’ll hear a bit about his backstory, and then he’ll be graphically cut down. Soldiers have their eyeballs popped out of their head, their skulls split open, and their guts spilled everywhere. Honestly, at times, the rhythm of reading the text felt more than a little similar to the experience of watching 300. If you’re intimidated by “the classics” because you fear a slow, introspective read, this would be a fantastic option.
I also found the interactions between the gods and the mortals to be some of the most interesting parts of the book. The gods make numerous interventions in the war, both through psychological and direct physical manipulation. Feeling as though your fate is in the hands of entities far more powerful than you are, who make decisions based largely around interpersonal squabbles, is terrifying, and yet, it’s an apt metaphor for many of the challenges of living in a human society.
A violent, moving, and timeless work.
This is also a truly action-packed story. A significant portion of the book is descriptions of battle. A character will be introduced, you’ll hear a bit about his backstory, and then he’ll be graphically cut down. Soldiers have their eyeballs popped out of their head, their skulls split open, and their guts spilled everywhere. Honestly, at times, the rhythm of reading the text felt more than a little similar to the experience of watching 300. If you’re intimidated by “the classics” because you fear a slow, introspective read, this would be a fantastic option.
I also found the interactions between the gods and the mortals to be some of the most interesting parts of the book. The gods make numerous interventions in the war, both through psychological and direct physical manipulation. Feeling as though your fate is in the hands of entities far more powerful than you are, who make decisions based largely around interpersonal squabbles, is terrifying, and yet, it’s an apt metaphor for many of the challenges of living in a human society.
A violent, moving, and timeless work.
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reading this book is like actually being in the war. slow, never ending, and not even *that* worth it in the end
The Iliad: The Most Epic Soap Opera Ever Written
Ah, *The Iliad*—the original "why-can't-we-all-just-get-along" story. Homer really outdid himself here, didn't he? I mean, who wouldn't want to read a 700+ page poem about a ten-year temper tantrum between some of the most petty, overpowered characters ever imagined?
First off, we've got Achilles, the ultimate "I'm too cool for this war" guy who spends half the book sulking in his tent because his feelings got hurt. Then there’s Agamemnon, whose main talent seems to be making terrible decisions and annoying everyone in sight. Let’s not forget Paris, the man who single-handedly proves that you should never let a pretty face choose your spouse—or start a war.
The gods, of course, are the best part. Nothing says divine wisdom like meddling in human affairs just to see who wins a bet. Zeus and Hera’s marriage counseling sessions could probably fill a whole other epic, and who wouldn't want to hear more about Athena’s side hustle as a war strategist?
The plot? Simple: A whole lot of fighting, some crying, a few heartfelt speeches, more fighting, a bit more crying, and then finally, a giant wooden horse because, sure, that’s a logical conclusion. Spoiler alert: the horse wins.
But seriously, if you’re into endless lists of who killed whom in the bloodiest way possible, with a sprinkle of heroic speeches that make you wonder if they ever had a chance to catch their breath, this one’s for you. Just don’t expect to find out what happens after Troy falls—you’ll have to pick up another book for that. Classic Homer, always leaving us hanging.
So grab your sandals, pour a glass of ambrosia, and prepare for the most epic soap opera in history. Just be prepared for some serious déjà vu when you realize half the characters have names you can’t pronounce and the other half die before you even get to know them.
Ah, *The Iliad*—the original "why-can't-we-all-just-get-along" story. Homer really outdid himself here, didn't he? I mean, who wouldn't want to read a 700+ page poem about a ten-year temper tantrum between some of the most petty, overpowered characters ever imagined?
First off, we've got Achilles, the ultimate "I'm too cool for this war" guy who spends half the book sulking in his tent because his feelings got hurt. Then there’s Agamemnon, whose main talent seems to be making terrible decisions and annoying everyone in sight. Let’s not forget Paris, the man who single-handedly proves that you should never let a pretty face choose your spouse—or start a war.
The gods, of course, are the best part. Nothing says divine wisdom like meddling in human affairs just to see who wins a bet. Zeus and Hera’s marriage counseling sessions could probably fill a whole other epic, and who wouldn't want to hear more about Athena’s side hustle as a war strategist?
The plot? Simple: A whole lot of fighting, some crying, a few heartfelt speeches, more fighting, a bit more crying, and then finally, a giant wooden horse because, sure, that’s a logical conclusion. Spoiler alert: the horse wins.
But seriously, if you’re into endless lists of who killed whom in the bloodiest way possible, with a sprinkle of heroic speeches that make you wonder if they ever had a chance to catch their breath, this one’s for you. Just don’t expect to find out what happens after Troy falls—you’ll have to pick up another book for that. Classic Homer, always leaving us hanging.
So grab your sandals, pour a glass of ambrosia, and prepare for the most epic soap opera in history. Just be prepared for some serious déjà vu when you realize half the characters have names you can’t pronounce and the other half die before you even get to know them.
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
I’m giving 5 stars for Emily Wilson’s translation. I found it engaging and very readable.
She’s just not the Odyssey, nor is she the Aeneid. I feel like this epic is filled with repetition and far too many characters to the extent where I really didn’t care about most of them and most of them fell flat for me, even Odysseus, who barely features to be honest. I do like the themes and the questions it poses, but I do genuinely feel like the Aeneid answers and covers them far better, which makes sense since it was written over 800 years later. But still. I loved the themes of mortality vs immortality and the deaths of the young and the conversations had by Achilles and Hector where they both show an awareness of the fact that the Trojan war will kill them, and the different ways they cope with that. The best part of this book was definitely the differences between the behaviour of Achilles and Hector, how neither of them want to fight because they know they will die, but Hector fights to protect his family and city, and Achilles fights for his honour and to be cemented as the best of the Greeks.
It did have some strong points though, especially the final book and the dialogue between Priam and Achilles (especially “I have endured to do what no other mortal man on earth has done - I have brought to my lips the hands of the man who killed my child.”) and how it stands very discordant from how Achilles treats Hector. I just don’t think that I enjoyed the monotonous nature of the majority of the epic.
It did have some strong points though, especially the final book and the dialogue between Priam and Achilles (especially “I have endured to do what no other mortal man on earth has done - I have brought to my lips the hands of the man who killed my child.”) and how it stands very discordant from how Achilles treats Hector. I just don’t think that I enjoyed the monotonous nature of the majority of the epic.
adventurous
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
Ts took me 5 months to read. God stuff was interesting and the mortal stuff only got good once Patroclus got there and a little bit when Achilles was there. The middle was a slog through :(
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced