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Unrivaled, unparalleled and unsurpassed. I've lost count of how many times I've read this in both English and Ancient Greek.
Gods, gore & grief. Old enough to read it, now Emily Wilson’s translated it.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Out of the big 3 epics, The Iliad is definitely my least favourite. One has to admire the craftsmanship, but it draaaaaaaaaags in many parts. Achilles is an asshole (as are most Achaeans). Helen is neurotic. Patroclus, Priam, and Hector are the only likeable characters.
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This turned out to be surprisingly weird, in terms of what the author chose to focus on: rituals and sacrifices, descriptions of valuable items, descriptions of what the gods were wearing, details of exactly how the spear plunged through so-and-so's skull, what they had for lunch, how the horses were harnessed, etc etc. And the insanely detailed list of names of (apparently) every single person killed in battle - their lineage, background, who killed them and exactly how.
The biggest surprise for me was in what was not included: the story begins 12 years into the war, and doesn't include Paris and the apples and Helen and all - and it ends before the conflict is over, so no Trojan Horse!
I'm wondering if the eyeballs of the ancient Greeks were less robustly attached than ours, because when spears crunched through their skulls their eyes popped right out onto the ground.
I'm also wishing Homer had given more time to the talking horse.
This is an odd and lengthy read, eccentric enough to keep it interesting, but - be forewarned - devoid of pacing or form (by modern standards). So it's a bit of a slog.
Main takeaways:
1. pride leads Men to do great things but also incredibly stupid things
2. the Gods really are assholes
Moving on to the Odyssey...
The biggest surprise for me was in what was not included: the story begins 12 years into the war, and doesn't include Paris and the apples and Helen and all - and it ends before the conflict is over, so no Trojan Horse!
I'm wondering if the eyeballs of the ancient Greeks were less robustly attached than ours, because when spears crunched through their skulls their eyes popped right out onto the ground.
I'm also wishing Homer had given more time to the talking horse.
This is an odd and lengthy read, eccentric enough to keep it interesting, but - be forewarned - devoid of pacing or form (by modern standards). So it's a bit of a slog.
Main takeaways:
1. pride leads Men to do great things but also incredibly stupid things
2. the Gods really are assholes
Moving on to the Odyssey...
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced