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mariaili's review against another edition
Why did I decide to read this? Great translation but gives me flashbacks to 8th grade english where we were forced to read it
mrsbrewerislit's review against another edition
5.0
I actually read the Iliad translated by W.H.D Rouse . . . from Signet Classic. It’s my first time reading it for fun—the first was for a literature course. I liked it even more this time, and it was a five beforehand. It’s a classic and written by Homer, who we truly know little of. Most stories of him are a myth. But, we do know he wrote this and the Odyssey. I was please that this version kept the original ending, instead of including the battle and the infamous Trojan horse that people remember from this story. Most people do not realize that was not written by Homer, but it was added by other writers, as well as any other ending that was not Hector’s funeral.
I prefer this over epic poem the Odyssey, honestly. The Iliad is the best war story in history.
P.S. Don’t read this without an understanding of Greek gods, or you’ll be lost before book II.
I prefer this over epic poem the Odyssey, honestly. The Iliad is the best war story in history.
P.S. Don’t read this without an understanding of Greek gods, or you’ll be lost before book II.
jmcook's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
devonforest's review against another edition
3.0
Whenever there are battle scenes in books I tend to skim over them so this was a bit of a challenge for me seeing as the whole book was basically a battle scene. I was grateful that the version I had had a brief summary before each chapter (or "book") which was definitely helpful for me. I feel like it's a good book if you like stories about wars, which just isn't quite my thing.
v4mpirem0ney's review against another edition
4.0
Normally I think that platonic male friendship is very important to normalize without necessarily making it queer, thus allowing men a safe space to show emotion and vulnerability.
That said, Achilles and Patroclus were gay and in love.
That said, Achilles and Patroclus were gay and in love.
frannyglasslover's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It is The Story, how can it not be five stars.
I must have read the Iliad five or so times by now in a few different translations, and every time there is something new and breath-taking to discover in the text.
Whether you are reading casually or for historical evidence like i was in this read-through, I think the most staggering thing about the Iliad is how human it feels. We are separated from these characters by 3000 years and thousands of retellings and yet there are so many moments of pure, basic humanity to connect to. Andromache's grief, Achilles' rage, Paris' fear, Priam's desperation, do not mistake this for a story about war and death, this is a story of life
I must have read the Iliad five or so times by now in a few different translations, and every time there is something new and breath-taking to discover in the text.
Whether you are reading casually or for historical evidence like i was in this read-through, I think the most staggering thing about the Iliad is how human it feels. We are separated from these characters by 3000 years and thousands of retellings and yet there are so many moments of pure, basic humanity to connect to. Andromache's grief, Achilles' rage, Paris' fear, Priam's desperation, do not mistake this for a story about war and death, this is a story of life
shashwat's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
ellamareading06's review against another edition
4.0
3.75
This peice of work was beautiful. The writing was stunning and the themes of war and grief addressed through this historical lens kept me so engaged. Even though I found it a bit difficult to follow the characters at times, the translation itself was very easy to keep up with.
I will definitely be re-reading this at some point, because I feel like I didn’t know enough about mythology and the story before going into it. I also read this on Kindle so next time round I will definitely be buying a physical copy and annotating the heck out of it.
P.S I wanna hug Achilles
This peice of work was beautiful. The writing was stunning and the themes of war and grief addressed through this historical lens kept me so engaged. Even though I found it a bit difficult to follow the characters at times, the translation itself was very easy to keep up with.
I will definitely be re-reading this at some point, because I feel like I didn’t know enough about mythology and the story before going into it. I also read this on Kindle so next time round I will definitely be buying a physical copy and annotating the heck out of it.
P.S I wanna hug Achilles
clemslibrary's review against another edition
4.0
emily wilson’s translation was a much more enjoyable read and i found myself much more engaged than the other translation i read