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maytecatal5's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
parallax_kimchi's review against another edition
4.0
The Iliad ★★★★
It was at times very repetitive and tiresome, and some chapters are daunting in their length, so it was a slog at times to get through. But also it was so emotional and effective in its lamentations that it teared me up and really nailed the sorrow and tradegy of war.
The Odyssey ★★★
I expected to enjoy this more than the Iliad, due to it having more of contemporary idea of a story, but it still ended up being repetitive in aspects (there must be about 3 dozen feasts in it. You can only hear about how bones are wrapped in fat and offered to Zeus so many times), and pretty simple in its main story. It's most exciting and epic portions are in the middle and the ending feels more like a small squabble than a concluding battle.
Unlike the Iliad, which is sorrowful at every fallen hero, it revels in murder and the bad things its hero does. I still definitely enjoyed reading it, but it is somehow more dated than the story it follows.
So yes, I enjoyed them both, and am happy that I read them, but they are definitely, and understandably, dated. They were written over 2 millenia ago, when ethics and morals were certainly different to what they are now. The almost negative representation of war in the Iliad does feel suprisingly contemporary, and so I look back on that more positively than the pseudo-sequel.
It was at times very repetitive and tiresome, and some chapters are daunting in their length, so it was a slog at times to get through. But also it was so emotional and effective in its lamentations that it teared me up and really nailed the sorrow and tradegy of war.
The Odyssey ★★★
I expected to enjoy this more than the Iliad, due to it having more of contemporary idea of a story, but it still ended up being repetitive in aspects (there must be about 3 dozen feasts in it. You can only hear about how bones are wrapped in fat and offered to Zeus so many times), and pretty simple in its main story. It's most exciting and epic portions are in the middle and the ending feels more like a small squabble than a concluding battle.
Unlike the Iliad, which is sorrowful at every fallen hero, it revels in murder and the bad things its hero does. I still definitely enjoyed reading it, but it is somehow more dated than the story it follows.
So yes, I enjoyed them both, and am happy that I read them, but they are definitely, and understandably, dated. They were written over 2 millenia ago, when ethics and morals were certainly different to what they are now. The almost negative representation of war in the Iliad does feel suprisingly contemporary, and so I look back on that more positively than the pseudo-sequel.
kelli7990's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
The Iliad, set 9 years into the Trojan War, tells the story of the wrath of Achilles. The Odyssey tells the story of Odysseus as he wearily travels home from the war. The two epics provide the basis of Greek education and culture in the classical age. They have long remained among the most significant poems of European tradition.
I just finished listening to this audiobook. I enjoyed listening to these plays. I think these Greek myths are very interesting. The translation used in these plays was easy to understand. I never felt confused about what was going on in the story. If I had to choose which play I liked better, I would say that The Odyssey was my favorite because it had more adventure and less war so it was more fun. The Iliad is more about war.
I just finished listening to this audiobook. I enjoyed listening to these plays. I think these Greek myths are very interesting. The translation used in these plays was easy to understand. I never felt confused about what was going on in the story. If I had to choose which play I liked better, I would say that The Odyssey was my favorite because it had more adventure and less war so it was more fun. The Iliad is more about war.
kellylynnthomas's review against another edition
4.0
I haven't read this in its entirety, but I've read much of it. Odysseus is an asshole, and that is all.
bg86's review against another edition
3.0
Impressive work if you place this in the age it was written. The Iliad however is too dense with names and heritage for it to be an entertaining story. The odyssey on the other hand is superb.
sergiosc's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
fendeviper's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
pastasavva's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
Idk how to rate this lol