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challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If you're interested in The Iliad, it's probably something of a bucket-list read, a classic of western literature which has influenced generations of writers. It's a kind of window into the culture, values, religion and thinking patterns of ancient Greece. But I'm about to say something heretical: The Iliad is like a Transformers movie of the bygone world. Seemingly endless violent battle scenes comprise much of the text, with warriors boasting and mocking their adversaries, then killing each other in grotesque ways (disemboweling, splitting skulls, cleaving groins, popping out eyeballs – interesting because the author(s) and original listeners probably saw things like that in real life). In the midst of all, the gods come in and manipulate events.
All that means that, story-wise, The Iliad might struggle to hold your attention, as you slog your way through repetitive speeches, all-out brawls and deus ex machinas. For a more riveting and eventful story, I found The Odyssey more engaging.
That said, Emily Wilson's translation – that's where several stars come in. It's at once beautiful, with flowing iambic pentameter, and readable due to the everyday English she uses throughout. Wilson makes a difficult text much less difficult and much more accessible with her language choices and the amount of work she invested in both this and her translation of The Odyssey leaves me in awe.
All that means that, story-wise, The Iliad might struggle to hold your attention, as you slog your way through repetitive speeches, all-out brawls and deus ex machinas. For a more riveting and eventful story, I found The Odyssey more engaging.
That said, Emily Wilson's translation – that's where several stars come in. It's at once beautiful, with flowing iambic pentameter, and readable due to the everyday English she uses throughout. Wilson makes a difficult text much less difficult and much more accessible with her language choices and the amount of work she invested in both this and her translation of The Odyssey leaves me in awe.