A review by alingtori
The Iliad by Homer

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

4.5

The first time I read this book was when I was in college, so I don't really remember much about it. I previously gave it a 4-star rating so I must've loved it too.

And I still do. Granted, this will not be everyone's cup of tea. There are parts—like the listing of the ships LOL—that I just glossed over, but the emotional scenes really had me. Hector and Patroclos' deaths were very painful to read, especially seeing how they are both so well loved by their own people. There are many times where I ask myself why are they even waging this war? Obviously, it's not really about Helen anymore, but with everyone's pride and honor. Which makes all the deaths even more painful to me. 

Speaking of deaths, I did not remember The Iliad to be so gory so I was very amused every time I read someone getting their brains pierced and scattered. This is definitely not for the fainthearted and I wonder how the ancient greeks reacted when Homer spoke of it. 

I really did not expect to enjoy this book but here we are. I've grown fond of the characters—and yes, even the meddling gods. I do see myself reading this again in the future!
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