Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

The Iliad by Homer

11 reviews

cpratreads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark informative sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

I did not enjoy reading this book. It was such a slog. 

I am not a big fan of war focused narratives, so that part is on me. But the descriptions are simply too in-depth. I also would have an existential crisis if I lived in this book, as the Gods seem to always do what they want, except when they don't, so it doens't even make anything feel important. 

If you like lists, then boy do I have a story for you. The lists in this book are endless, and include: the name of every ship being sailed including a description and how many men are on board - the name of every person who dies ever in this war, how they die, and who they are related to - the names of everyone that participates in any sort of game, wager, race, etc.  A list lovers dream, truely. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Sexual violence, and War

Moderate: Blood, Gore, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Alcohol

dioinysus's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This translation of the Iliad achieves one aspect of it that has long been forgotten, that the tale within it precedes writing. Oral tradition is the basis of all culture and before it was compiled and studied by the greeks themselves these were the legends told as history that were passed down through generations til they became myths. Without losing any the beauty and carnage of the poem this translation discards the "elevated language" that any "classic" story is often approached with, crafting what I believe is a version of the Iliad that is both truly engaging and exciting as well as heartbreaking but without falling into added meaning by the author. The tale is presented as was, is, and will be and it's up to the one that engages with it to do with it what they will, either as an insight on early greek culture and it's values or by grasping the human experience conveyed in it and understanding what makes this a timeless tale about grief.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore and War

Moderate: Child death, Sexual violence, and Slavery

michaelatrelby's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The Lombardo translation is really fantastic, and accessible to a reader who is looking for digestible, contemporary language. Highly recommend if you have never read through the Iliad before.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Sexual violence

gilnean's review

adventurous challenging dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Infidelity, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Trafficking, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Violence, Death, Blood, Kidnapping, Animal death, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Genocide, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Incest, Vomit, Gun violence, Child death, Physical abuse, Body horror, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Animal cruelty, Toxic relationship, and Excrement

foxmulders's review against another edition

emotional informative slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

"if only i had will and heart to do it
i would carve up your flesh and eat it raw, 
for the abominations you have done me."

"my friend patroclus, whom i loved, is dead.
i loved him more than any other comrade.
i loved him like my head, my life, myself.
i love him, killed him."

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Slavery, Violence, Gore, War, Sexual violence, and Grief

careinthelibrary's review against another edition

adventurous challenging sad slow-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, War, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Kidnapping, Blood, and Gore

Moderate: Sexism, Rape, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Trafficking, and Sexual assault

katee17's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

5.0

I fucking love the iliad which is my nerdiest opinon ever but I genuinely love it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Blood, Violence, Gore, and Grief

Moderate: Sexual assault, Slavery, and Sexual violence

gabriella_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

The scene with Andromache and her son had me fighting for my life. Also who doesn’t love some Patroclus and Achilles love?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Murder, War, Violence, Pregnancy, Grief, Sexism, Abandonment, Sexual violence, Misogyny, and Death

emmonsannae's review

adventurous challenging sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

There's not much to say about this that hasn’t already been said by someone smarter. I did enjoy seeing how this is the prototype for so many of our later stories in some form or another—war and battle, carrying the past, wrestling with fate and duty, being doomed by the narrative and fighting in spite of it. There is something uniquely enduring about these stories that has imprinted itself on our collective consciousness, in the way we instinctively recognize the heart of them even if we haven't read them before (which was a cool experience for me). I did love it. It wasn't an easy read, but I enjoyed reading it. I found Fagles' translation very readable and beautifully phrased.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, War, Animal cruelty, Blood, Death, Grief, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual violence and Slavery

tinnuben's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Violence, and War

Moderate: Sexual violence and Slavery

Minor: Animal death, Cannibalism, and Child death