Take a photo of a barcode or cover
Note: this review is specific to the edition of the book I listened to. It introduces itself as a public domain audiobook. I'm not sure how that works.
The translation is very flat and dead. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it destroys the movement that the book actually has.
There's also an inconsistent mix of Latin and Greek names. Also not necessarily bad, but it distracts from the story. The version I read this summer was alive and easy to focus on (I think it was the Barnes and Noble signature classics). This one is not.
To exacerbate the problem, the narrator has a stilted, awkward reading style. His inflection is terrible and every sentence he reads seems to be a struggle.
I'm quitting this audiobook to look for a better audio version of The Iliad.
The translation is very flat and dead. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it destroys the movement that the book actually has.
There's also an inconsistent mix of Latin and Greek names. Also not necessarily bad, but it distracts from the story. The version I read this summer was alive and easy to focus on (I think it was the Barnes and Noble signature classics). This one is not.
To exacerbate the problem, the narrator has a stilted, awkward reading style. His inflection is terrible and every sentence he reads seems to be a struggle.
I'm quitting this audiobook to look for a better audio version of The Iliad.
took me quite a while to finish but it's so worth it!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
informative
reflective
sad
medium-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
A must if you like greek or roman mythology - it is not necessarily very gripping as it contains only a small part of the trojan war, not even including the Trojan horse or the Curse of Achilleus but nonetheless it is an interesting read.
I liked the message that came through, which basically wasthat war is pretty bad. Both sides seem to win at some points before changing the tide to the complete opposite multiple times. Both Achilleus and Priam loose some of the most important peoples of their ranks: Hektor and Patroklus. But even through the fog of war humanity perseveres: the Iliad does not end with the fall of Ilios, but with the Argives and Trojans making a temporary ceasefire to mourn their fallen heroes.
Some passages have aged like fine whine while others are a slog to go through (looking at the Catalogue of Ships) but particularly the end does get somewhat thrilling. The historical part of it intrigued me as well and made me lookup the backstories of some of those things on wikipedia.
The prose was okay to read although the origin as a poem does shine through rather well (can't count how many times "master of the war-cry", "son of peleus" and others came up).
I liked the message that came through, which basically was
Some passages have aged like fine whine while others are a slog to go through (looking at the Catalogue of Ships) but particularly the end does get somewhat thrilling. The historical part of it intrigued me as well and made me lookup the backstories of some of those things on wikipedia.
The prose was okay to read although the origin as a poem does shine through rather well (can't count how many times "master of the war-cry", "son of peleus" and others came up).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, War
Moderate: Animal death, Gore, Misogyny
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
One of the most incredible works of narrative fiction ever made! I loved this translation and the introduction to the text was also incredibly informative.
A story of death and loss and force and what we owe the dead.
A story of death and loss and force and what we owe the dead.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Tried out this translation and decided I will absolutely be switching to it for my class in the fall. To be determined what the undergrads think, but I found it compulsively readable and clear. My favorite moving parts read even deeper, whether that was on account of Wilson's translation or my growing familiarity with the work.
adventurous
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No