dioinysus's Reviews (22)

Les Misérables

Victor Hugo

5.0

rip vicky hugo you would've loved ritalin

The Odyssey

Homer

4.0

slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I know there's always been arguments regarding the odyssey having "added chapters" or about where the "true ending is" and whatnot. but my hot take is that the text we *now* have that constitutes the odyssey is incomplete, the end is so abrupt and leaves a few loose ends that seemed to be leading somewhere.
somehow I feel like, if anything, the chapter where odysseus in all his deranged nature decides to give his senile father a panic attack for the sake of being an absolute beast, served as a quick wrap up to make up for what's missing?
but anyway, the odyssey is special to me because it gives me a boundless personal connection to people from an ancient civilization, I truly feel a deep bond with every greek writer that came upon this epic story and went "I don't think odysseus suffered enough actually", and then proceeded to put him in a blender.

(wish I could rate the translation separately from the text itself cause emily wilson is truly brilliant)

The Hundred Years' War on Palestine

Rashid Khalidi

5.0

Dune

Frank Herbert

The Iliad

Homer

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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.

Content Warnings

Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes

Edith Hamilton

5.0

No matter how many poems and papers I read about greek mythology I always come back to this one. the way she takes her time to absolutely eviscerate every greek and roman poet that has ever live before going into the stories will never not get to me😭 just a CERTIFIED CLASSIC!!!
I truly can not stress this enough. FUCK. THE ROMANS