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How to rate the Iliad? It was not at all what I expected. There were meandering tangents, and incredible similes, bickering gods and so many brave men. I was struck by the violence,
"May their brains flow - thus - upon the ground,
like this wine,
and the brains of their children, and may their
wives be forced by other men",
and by the beautiful use of language,
"As when on a mountain heigh the South Wind
Spills dark mist -
no friend to the shepherd, but to the theif better
than night -
and a man sees before him only so far as he
throws a stone:
so the tick dust rose beneath the feet
of the advancing men;"
I started reading the Iliad, unsure, and expecting a hard toil, and happily found myself swept away in an epic adventure. I enjoyed the many expressive animal similes, and the dark violence, and discovered a new word (chine) which is always a pleasure.
I am very pleased to have this under my belt - Much thanks to Conor for daring me to read it!
"May their brains flow - thus - upon the ground,
like this wine,
and the brains of their children, and may their
wives be forced by other men",
and by the beautiful use of language,
"As when on a mountain heigh the South Wind
Spills dark mist -
no friend to the shepherd, but to the theif better
than night -
and a man sees before him only so far as he
throws a stone:
so the tick dust rose beneath the feet
of the advancing men;"
I started reading the Iliad, unsure, and expecting a hard toil, and happily found myself swept away in an epic adventure. I enjoyed the many expressive animal similes, and the dark violence, and discovered a new word (chine) which is always a pleasure.
I am very pleased to have this under my belt - Much thanks to Conor for daring me to read it!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
informative
tense
medium-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
I understand this is an important piece of history, but 700 pages is too much. Can’t say I would have read the whole thing without it being assigned to me
fast-paced
Beautifully written/translated, surprisingly funny, and incredibly moving. There were many sections that were difficult to get through with detailed descriptions of battalions and individual soldiers' ancestry that really didn't seem to add much to the story - looking at you, book 2 - but all in all it was a very worthwhile read.
Had to read this in stages because it's just that big an endeavor. But I'm glad I did, even when the speeches and endless battle scenes got wearying.
The finale, Priam begging Achilles for Hector's body, is legitimately a work of ancient and mysterious beauty. The lamentations of Achilles, Priam, and the people of Troy are haunting. They all know their wyrd hovers close, unknowable but certain. And then Achilles and Priam gaze at each other and I...I dunno. This whole thing clicked in that instant.
I'm sure this will rattle around in my brain off an on for months, but the biggest takeaway for me in the moment is the sadness and folly of war, especially war for honor's sake. It weighs upon me heavily upon finishing this.
The finale, Priam begging Achilles for Hector's body, is legitimately a work of ancient and mysterious beauty. The lamentations of Achilles, Priam, and the people of Troy are haunting. They all know their wyrd hovers close, unknowable but certain. And then Achilles and Priam gaze at each other and I...I dunno. This whole thing clicked in that instant.
I'm sure this will rattle around in my brain off an on for months, but the biggest takeaway for me in the moment is the sadness and folly of war, especially war for honor's sake. It weighs upon me heavily upon finishing this.
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
A fantastic story of a war that spiraled out of control and what grief can do. Even a thousand years after it was written, The Iliad still manages withstand the test of time with its incredible writing, action, and cast of characters.
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
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:
Complicated