Take a photo of a barcode or cover
Honestly, how do you rate a piece of legendary story circa 762 BC?
There's so much to love about this. Though a little difficult to digest at times, and a bit tedious to read (I kept having to look up the meanings/contexts of certain words), there's so many heroic moments and lines throughout this epic. The fight scenes and depictions of war were the stuff of literal legend. I was obsessed. The dark academia aesthetic that comes along with reading this, as well, is enough to make anyone feel like a scholar.
I loved each character, god, and goddess. Using certain pieces of dialogue and scenes to sift through their simply described actions, in order to look deeper into the depths of their humanity, was such a fun exercise - both as a reader, and a writer.
It's pure poetry.
Literally.
To check out my The Iliad inspired playlist, click here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6eiD1XESrUdNaOQAkHXsJ4?si=YdpW50zdShmYJyS0JiYRbg
Any moment might be our last. Everything is more beautiful because we're doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are now. We will never be here again.
There's so much to love about this. Though a little difficult to digest at times, and a bit tedious to read (I kept having to look up the meanings/contexts of certain words), there's so many heroic moments and lines throughout this epic. The fight scenes and depictions of war were the stuff of literal legend. I was obsessed. The dark academia aesthetic that comes along with reading this, as well, is enough to make anyone feel like a scholar.
I loved each character, god, and goddess. Using certain pieces of dialogue and scenes to sift through their simply described actions, in order to look deeper into the depths of their humanity, was such a fun exercise - both as a reader, and a writer.
It's pure poetry.
Literally.
To check out my The Iliad inspired playlist, click here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6eiD1XESrUdNaOQAkHXsJ4?si=YdpW50zdShmYJyS0JiYRbg
I’d heard about Emily Wilson’s award winning translation of the Odyssey and my curiosity was piqued enough to try her translation of the Iliad, by far my favorite of the two epics. After reading her work I may well read her Odyssey too despite my general apathy for the story, it’s just that good.
Wilson delivers a beautifully rendered translation that feels vibrant and immediate even though we all know how the story ultimately ends. The introduction and supplementary materials were interesting as well and shed new light on an epic I thought I knew pretty well.
In addition to reading, I listened to an audiobook adaptation of this specific translation performed by Audra McDonald. I can’t say enough good things about McDonald’s ability as a voice actor here, every aspect of the poem from the more mundane (the catalog of ships) to the most exciting (Achilles duel with Hector) is made better by her impassioned performance.
Wilson delivers a beautifully rendered translation that feels vibrant and immediate even though we all know how the story ultimately ends. The introduction and supplementary materials were interesting as well and shed new light on an epic I thought I knew pretty well.
In addition to reading, I listened to an audiobook adaptation of this specific translation performed by Audra McDonald. I can’t say enough good things about McDonald’s ability as a voice actor here, every aspect of the poem from the more mundane (the catalog of ships) to the most exciting (Achilles duel with Hector) is made better by her impassioned performance.
The poetic imagery was exquisite and I love the story.
Here’s my beef: The Iliad, Song of Achilles (book), and Troy (movie) are all SO different. Sure, [spoiler alert] Paris and Helen are doin’ the dirty and she gone, Agamemepoo is piiiisssed, huge war, Achilles (will never picture him as anyone but Brad Pitt... *daydream* ...aaand we’re back) is a badass and owns the battlefield, Hector (also fluent in badassery) kills Patroclus, big no-no, Achilles says, “you gone” and yadda, yadda.
Main issues:
- Gadar broken: In Song, Achilles and Patroclus were head-over-heels infatuated lovers who both had a tiny lapse of heterosexuality. In Troy, they were very much all hetero. In Iliad, they were spoken of as mainly hetero but basically bi.
Pansy Patroclus: In Troy, P was much younger and A’s cousin I believe. He was a good fighter just inexperienced. In Iliad, he was called “our best man” (amazing fighter) by Menelaus and “changed the tide of the war.” In Song, he was a total pansy and didn’t know which side was the business end of a spear.
Patroclus ded: Same in all 3: P wears A’s armor and Hector kills him. Differences: Troy: Achilles didn’t know P was fighting and Hector didn’t know who he killed, Song: Achilles knew he was going, Hector didn’t know, Iliad: both Achilles and Hector knew. What the??
Also, Troy makes it seem like Achilles shows up, is a one man army and war is over in a few days. It was over a decade.
Lastly, Homer, I love you (like a brother not like Ancient Greek love) but, pretty early on in the epic, Zeus foretells all the spoilers do the story to Hera (and to the reader). Oh well, I already knew the story.
And yes, Gabe, if you read this... too many damn names.
Still worth the read.
Here’s my beef: The Iliad, Song of Achilles (book), and Troy (movie) are all SO different. Sure, [spoiler alert] Paris and Helen are doin’ the dirty and she gone, Agamemepoo is piiiisssed, huge war, Achilles (will never picture him as anyone but Brad Pitt... *daydream* ...aaand we’re back) is a badass and owns the battlefield, Hector (also fluent in badassery) kills Patroclus, big no-no, Achilles says, “you gone” and yadda, yadda.
Main issues:
- Gadar broken: In Song, Achilles and Patroclus were head-over-heels infatuated lovers who both had a tiny lapse of heterosexuality. In Troy, they were very much all hetero. In Iliad, they were spoken of as mainly hetero but basically bi.
Pansy Patroclus: In Troy, P was much younger and A’s cousin I believe. He was a good fighter just inexperienced. In Iliad, he was called “our best man” (amazing fighter) by Menelaus and “changed the tide of the war.” In Song, he was a total pansy and didn’t know which side was the business end of a spear.
Patroclus ded: Same in all 3: P wears A’s armor and Hector kills him. Differences: Troy: Achilles didn’t know P was fighting and Hector didn’t know who he killed, Song: Achilles knew he was going, Hector didn’t know, Iliad: both Achilles and Hector knew. What the??
Also, Troy makes it seem like Achilles shows up, is a one man army and war is over in a few days. It was over a decade.
Lastly, Homer, I love you (like a brother not like Ancient Greek love) but, pretty early on in the epic, Zeus foretells all the spoilers do the story to Hera (and to the reader). Oh well, I already knew the story.
And yes, Gabe, if you read this... too many damn names.
Still worth the read.
I listened to the Audiobook of this, and I quite liked the narrator.
The Iliad itself was pretty good and interesting, but it did drag at times, and I got tired of all the names.
The Iliad itself was pretty good and interesting, but it did drag at times, and I got tired of all the names.
A good new translation. Hard to enjoy anything that is a list of names but it’s not a classic by accident.
Both these translations worked for me.
Robert Fagles's Translation
Those looking for a balance between readability and epic tone.
ISBN-13: 978-0140275360
Robert Fitzgerald's Translation
Those looking for a poetic experience with less emphasis on precise adherence to the Greek.
ISBN-13: 978-0385059411
Robert Fagles's Translation
Those looking for a balance between readability and epic tone.
ISBN-13: 978-0140275360
Robert Fitzgerald's Translation
Those looking for a poetic experience with less emphasis on precise adherence to the Greek.
ISBN-13: 978-0385059411
Fagles translation too wordy, didn't know what tf was going on
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced