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adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
slow-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The Iliad is an ancient Greek epic by one of the most well-known poets in history. The story is set in ancient Greece, where the Akhaian and Trojan armies are in a military conflict. The conflict begins when Helen, the wife of Meneláos, is abducted by the prince of Troy, Paris. This leads the Akhaian army, commanded by Meneláos’s brother Agamémnon, to launch a full-scale siege on the city of Troy. Both they and their Trojan opponents follow (and occasionally defy) the Greek gods, as they fight through the ten years of bloody battle.
I thought this was an interesting and insightful book. It gives good insight into Greek mythology, and shows the ancient Greek people's views on the world. By incorporating perspectives and ideas back from Homer’s time, The Iliad allows readers to connect with the Greek world. The poetic language and artistic writing by Robert Fitzgerald’s translation adds on to this, making the story more vibrant and engaging for the reader. Although I have never read Homer’s original ancient Greek version, Fitzgerald’s efforts to resemble it best are clear. For example, Fitzgerald’s explanation of how fiercely the Akhaians and the Trojans fought in battle gave me a vibrant image of the war, as if I was there at that time. However, sometimes the poetic writing and unnecessary details made it hard to understand what the heck was going on, like when all the characters are introduced with their entire family history. Anyone who enjoys reading Greek mythology would definitely love The Iliad, but even if you just like history in general, this book should appear interesting to you. It is also a wonderful work of poetry as well—I would suggest this book to most people who love reading books.