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The Iliad/The Odyssey
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Gripping listeners and readers for more than 2,700 years, 'The Iliad' is the story of the Trojan War and the rage of Achilles. Combining the skills of a poet and scholar, Robert Fagles brings the energy of contemporary language to this enduring heroic epic.
If 'The Iliad' is the world's greatest war story, then 'The Odyssey' is literature's greatest evocation of every man' ...more
If 'The Iliad' is the world's greatest war story, then 'The Odyssey' is literature's greatest evocation of every man' ...more
Paperback, Boxed Set, 1556 pages
Published
November 1st 1999
by Penguin Classics
(first published -750)
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Ἰλιάς ; Ὀδύσσεια = The Iliad and Odyssey, Homer
The Iliad is an ancient Greek epic poem in dactylic hexameter, traditionally attributed to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy (Ilium) by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles.
The Iliad Characters: Ajax, Odysseus, Helen of Troy, Menelaus, Paris, Hector, Achilles, Agamemnon, Aeneas, Sarpedon, Priam, Cassandra, ...more
The Iliad is an ancient Greek epic poem in dactylic hexameter, traditionally attributed to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy (Ilium) by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles.
The Iliad Characters: Ajax, Odysseus, Helen of Troy, Menelaus, Paris, Hector, Achilles, Agamemnon, Aeneas, Sarpedon, Priam, Cassandra, ...more
Sep 04, 2007
Lucinda Reed-Nowland
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
people who like the classics
The best story ever-it has everything-love, romance, war, brave, handsome men, exotic places, monsters, beautiful women-its all in these two stories. Odysseus is my all-time favorite hero, and although he is a brave hero, he has his faults and it's this combination that makes him so lovable and what makes this story one of the greatest of all time. The text can be difficult to read, and following the who's who of the gods and goddesses can be quite a feat. I've read it several times, I never get
...more
Other than the gruesome, violent images often presented in magnificent detail (hey, it is a war!), I really enjoy reading Homer's epic poem. Where else are we given such insight into stubborn Agamemnon, noble Hector, intelligent and well-spoken Odysseus, lazy and spineless Paris, guilt-ridden Helen, the wrath of the warrior Achille's and how vain he can be? We can identify with Trojan and Greek alike, agonizing with both sides over the destructiveness of war. We get the inside story on all the G
...more
It didn't take me long to figure out that I'm not a Homer girl. I think the problem was partly that after years of taking in entertaining, probably dumbed down versions of the stories, the reality ended up a bit of a let down. Another problem was I had trouble liking any of the characters. Achilles? Hector? Even Odysseus? Ugh! Whiney, deceitful, and not very likeable!
The Iliad was pretty painful to get through. I forced myself to finish and didn't even get a payoff in the end. What happened to T ...more
The Iliad was pretty painful to get through. I forced myself to finish and didn't even get a payoff in the end. What happened to T ...more
The translation was pretty readable. This is part of the Great Books of the western world Collection that I have set out to read.
Ulysses is my favorite Greek hero.Always was always will be. I read parts of some butchered version in high-school but this one seems to have satisfied my goddess needs.
I think we perhaps need some revitalization of the sentiments present in these books to save America from going down the cultural tubes. When the Odyssey is replaced with the "jersey Shore" cannot possi ...more
Ulysses is my favorite Greek hero.Always was always will be. I read parts of some butchered version in high-school but this one seems to have satisfied my goddess needs.
I think we perhaps need some revitalization of the sentiments present in these books to save America from going down the cultural tubes. When the Odyssey is replaced with the "jersey Shore" cannot possi ...more
The “Iliad and the Odyssey” keeps you on the edge of your seat from the beginning of the story to the end. I’m not into books like this one but I LOVED this book. The adventure, mystery, and the understanding of pre-history are great for anyone who wants to read this book. All these things made me want to read the book over again and even write a book review on it.
First the adventure is wild from the start. Fighting the Cyclopes and winning made me think that no matter what the size of the pers ...more
First the adventure is wild from the start. Fighting the Cyclopes and winning made me think that no matter what the size of the pers ...more
It's a damn Greek tragedy!
The Iliad takes us through the battle of Troy and the Greek invasion. We are able to Marvel at great warriors like Hector and Achilles. We are able to hear of their struggles and their woes and eventually their deaths.
The Odyssey takes us through the 10-year struggle to return home after the Trojan War has ended. Odysseus battles mystical creatures and the Wrath of the Gods as he tries desperately to come back home to his throne.
Homer is definitely a master of the Greek ...more
The Iliad takes us through the battle of Troy and the Greek invasion. We are able to Marvel at great warriors like Hector and Achilles. We are able to hear of their struggles and their woes and eventually their deaths.
The Odyssey takes us through the 10-year struggle to return home after the Trojan War has ended. Odysseus battles mystical creatures and the Wrath of the Gods as he tries desperately to come back home to his throne.
Homer is definitely a master of the Greek ...more
The Iliad and the Odyssey are, of course, must-reads. It's hard to comment on classics like these, but, for those who haven't yet read them: I think the Odyssey is more entertaining than the Iliad because the action continues throughout whereas the Iliad has many breaks in the action to engage in the kind of lists of unpronounceable names you see in some places in the Old Testament of the Bible. Both of them are, however, fantastic.
3.5 I only read "The Odyssey" this time through. I haven't read it since high school and have been wanting to read it again. It is obviously well written and a classic. The 'legend/epic' style is different from what I normally read, but I enjoyed it.
As a female though I couldn't help but get annoyed with Odysseus sleeping with goddesses etc. while Penelope is pining away for him. Although, I also got annoyed at Penelope's inability to send the suitors away, so maybe they were meant for each oth ...more
As a female though I couldn't help but get annoyed with Odysseus sleeping with goddesses etc. while Penelope is pining away for him. Although, I also got annoyed at Penelope's inability to send the suitors away, so maybe they were meant for each oth ...more
Nov 19, 2012
Lisa (Harmonybites)
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Recommended to Lisa (Harmonybites) by:
Assigned in High School
Together these two works attributed to Homer are considered among the oldest surviving works of Western literature, dating to probably the eighth century BCE, and are certainly among the most influential. I can't believe I once found Homer boring. In my defense, I was a callow teen, and having a book assigned in school often tends to perversely make you hate it. But then I had a "Keats conversion experience." Keats famously wrote a poem in tribute to a translation of Homer by Chapman who, Keats
...more
28/04/2018
I've been reading the Oddysey with a book club and I must say that added a lot to my reading experience. I noticed more, I laughed more, I analysed more. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and I'm happy I've done so. I don't have a rating, because it feels wrong to rate a book that has been around for over 2000 years. Who am I in comparison?
-----------------------------
6/12/2018
We've now seen The Illiad in class. That means I've read parts of it in Ancient Greek and parts in Dutch. ...more
I've been reading the Oddysey with a book club and I must say that added a lot to my reading experience. I noticed more, I laughed more, I analysed more. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and I'm happy I've done so. I don't have a rating, because it feels wrong to rate a book that has been around for over 2000 years. Who am I in comparison?
-----------------------------
6/12/2018
We've now seen The Illiad in class. That means I've read parts of it in Ancient Greek and parts in Dutch. ...more
Sep 15, 2011
♥Mary♦Sweet♣Dreams♠Are♥Made♦of♣This♠
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
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I really enjoyed reading Homer's Odyssey and Iliad. I actually read this book of my own volition and not because I had to for school. The stories are very unique and captivating. You'll be sitting on the edge of your chair. I recommend this book to anyone who likes mythology of any kind.
I enjoyed it so much that I believe I'll give it another read after so many years and an adequate review.
I enjoyed it so much that I believe I'll give it another read after so many years and an adequate review.
May 12, 2018
Salva
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
could-not-continue-reading
Couldn't finish it, that's a pity! Lost track of the story as the time gap grew larger... But I may reread it one day as I enjoyed it pretty much.
After being force-fed this epic poem in school I was stunned by how much I loved it! I don't even know who's translation I first read, but I've read The Iliad twice since, and Fagles' translation is the best yet. Beautiful imagery and really exciting battle scenes (really!) explaining the loyalties of The Gods and their favorites on Earth.
This book is not a chore like we have been led to believe. Trust me, I don't go out seeking ancient Greek poems. But this is great stuff and Fagles' translati ...more
This book is not a chore like we have been led to believe. Trust me, I don't go out seeking ancient Greek poems. But this is great stuff and Fagles' translati ...more
Oct 09, 2016
Anastasia
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-i-own,
read-for-class
Finished! Finally done.
*I've read it for my Foreign literature class.
It took me a month, and not because it was boring or anything (although some chapters were less exciting than others), it's just really hard to read because of the metre - hexameter. Not a natural metre for a Russian poetry, so it was unusual.
But I did like this book. Especially all those gruesome descriptions of death. It was sort of fascinating.
Also I did like a lot of the characters - Andromache, Achilles, Hector, Patrok ...more
*I've read it for my Foreign literature class.
It took me a month, and not because it was boring or anything (although some chapters were less exciting than others), it's just really hard to read because of the metre - hexameter. Not a natural metre for a Russian poetry, so it was unusual.
But I did like this book. Especially all those gruesome descriptions of death. It was sort of fascinating.
Also I did like a lot of the characters - Andromache, Achilles, Hector, Patrok ...more
At the core of Western culture, there is ancient Rome and Greece, and at the core of the ancient Roman and Greek culture, there is Homer. When reading, I really did feel that the Iliad and Odyssey contain the basic building blocks of the Western way of thinking. For example, Achilles and Odysseus were arguing about what to do next, and each could make a case that sounded convincing. But the ideas were not equally good.
This translation uses plain English, with no hexameter of rhymes, which helped ...more
This translation uses plain English, with no hexameter of rhymes, which helped ...more
I like the Iliad much better than the Odyssey.
The Illiad is very rambling and quite boring.
THE ILIAD
The wrath of Achilles not only begins the oldest piece of Western literature, but is also its premise. The Iliad has been the basis of numerous clichés in literature, but at its root it is a story of a war that for centuries was told orally before being put down by Homer in which the great heroes of Greece fought for honor and glory that the men of Homer’s day could only imagine achieving.
The story of the Trojan War is well known and most people who have not read The Iliad assume they k ...more
The wrath of Achilles not only begins the oldest piece of Western literature, but is also its premise. The Iliad has been the basis of numerous clichés in literature, but at its root it is a story of a war that for centuries was told orally before being put down by Homer in which the great heroes of Greece fought for honor and glory that the men of Homer’s day could only imagine achieving.
The story of the Trojan War is well known and most people who have not read The Iliad assume they k ...more
I will also do a video review here at my channel: http://www.youtube.com/magicofbooks
Homer's "The Illiad" follows the battle between the Greeks and the Trojans. Homer's "The Odyssey" follows Odysseus who is trying to return home after the war with Troy, but he keeps getting deterred by gods and monsters.
It occurred to me during this reading that I think I've fantasized my love of "The Illiad" and "The Odyssey." Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed my re-reading of these two classics of Greek lite ...more
Homer's "The Illiad" follows the battle between the Greeks and the Trojans. Homer's "The Odyssey" follows Odysseus who is trying to return home after the war with Troy, but he keeps getting deterred by gods and monsters.
It occurred to me during this reading that I think I've fantasized my love of "The Illiad" and "The Odyssey." Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed my re-reading of these two classics of Greek lite ...more
I absolutely love Greek myth, and after having seen so many renditions of both the Iliad and the Odyssey, I figured it was time to get around to reading the originals.
I'll be honest, I wasn't overly impressed with the Iliad in its raw form. Whilst the story of Troy is a classic, I couldn't get past my absolute loathing of Agamemnon. He is truly an awful person. The first book of the Iliad could really be summarised as "Agamemnon throwing a tantrum because someone took his slave girl away and now ...more
I'll be honest, I wasn't overly impressed with the Iliad in its raw form. Whilst the story of Troy is a classic, I couldn't get past my absolute loathing of Agamemnon. He is truly an awful person. The first book of the Iliad could really be summarised as "Agamemnon throwing a tantrum because someone took his slave girl away and now ...more
Apr 25, 2019
Hera (_herareads)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
int-books-owned
For a long time finally get back to the 1st ever Greek Myth I read when I was child and it was an amazing experience.
Still now, I love the character of Achilles, Patroclus and Hector also Andromache. I was slightly disturbed by the narration of the fighting or the deaths but it was still an amazing read for me since I'm such a Greek addict and will definitely reread this again soon.
I still hate The Odyssey though, probably gonna rae it a 2 stars for it's parts or perhaps a 2.5.
Overall, I recomm ...more
Still now, I love the character of Achilles, Patroclus and Hector also Andromache. I was slightly disturbed by the narration of the fighting or the deaths but it was still an amazing read for me since I'm such a Greek addict and will definitely reread this again soon.
I still hate The Odyssey though, probably gonna rae it a 2 stars for it's parts or perhaps a 2.5.
Overall, I recomm ...more
I decided to simultaneously read three different translations.
From oldest to newest:
Samuel Butler
Robert Fagles
Emily Wilson
I went through the 24 books by reading one book in all three versions, annotating as I proceeded before moving on to the next. The pitfall of this approach is that my mind kept wandering in the second and third versions because the first was so fresh in my memory. I knew what was coming and I frequently became bored.
So, which version is best? If you had three children, w ...more
From oldest to newest:
Samuel Butler
Robert Fagles
Emily Wilson
I went through the 24 books by reading one book in all three versions, annotating as I proceeded before moving on to the next. The pitfall of this approach is that my mind kept wandering in the second and third versions because the first was so fresh in my memory. I knew what was coming and I frequently became bored.
So, which version is best? If you had three children, w ...more
I was forced to read this story through my World Literature class, and I must admit that it wasn't worth the time I spent to read it. I do not like stories such as these, for they are myths passed down for possible 'truths' and can sometimes be believed when they shouldn't be. I had to force myself to finish reading it.
Dusted off the copy I had from college, gave it a try. Wow, good stuff but it did make my head hurt a bit. Took me awhile to get through it, but there is a reason this is a classic. The action and adventure held up to the test of time. Give it a shot, or torture your kids. Either way, it's something I'll revisit.
Who am I to critique one of the oldest known epics? No one. But I'm doing it anyway. I read The Odyssey in college and eventually got into it and enjoyed it. So, I thought I'd give The Iliad a shot. Two years later, I have finally finished it and boy, was it painful. Good for Homer for creating something that has lasted thousands of years. But, not a particularly enjoyable read in my opinion.
Not really sure how to talk about the master-text for all of Western lit. I guess it's just cool to hear the language in it. If we were talking Iliad I might be at a 4 star rating but The Odyssey is just sheer magic. Tell me there's something more sad on an interpersonal level than being away for a long time only to come home and have your dog be the only one to recognize you thru your disguise and then have the dog die? This was so good to go through slowly and thoroughly. I feel like I know mo
...more
This was my second time through both epics. Written thousands of years ago, but they never get old.
Epic, beautiful, brutal, and satisfying to the max. Odysseus is the original super hero.
Sep 05, 2018
c45mn6
added it
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| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What are the Reasons for Hiring Pest Control Services | 1 | 2 | Mar 28, 2019 11:26PM | |
| Goodreads Librari...: Add a new edition | 2 | 12 | Feb 12, 2019 08:35AM | |
| Reading The Iliad November 1-30, 2015 | 1 | 3 | Oct 25, 2015 02:44PM | |
| AoM Essential Man...: Homer | 1 | 3 | May 01, 2015 09:21AM | |
| Libro Odisea de Homero | 1 | 4 | Mar 09, 2014 02:11PM | |
| Iliad or Odyssey | 8 | 51 | Aug 05, 2013 05:59AM |
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In the Western classical tradition, Homer (Greek: Όμηρος) is considered the author of The Iliad and The Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest of ancient Greek epic poets. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.
When he lived is unknown. Herodotus estimates that Homer lived 400 years before his own time, ...more
When he lived is unknown. Herodotus estimates that Homer lived 400 years before his own time, ...more
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“Rage - Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus' son Achilles,
murderous, doomed, that cost the Achaeans countless losses,
hurling down to the House of Death so many sturdy souls,
great fighters' souls, but made their bodies carrion,
feasts for the dogs and birds,
and the will of Zeus was moving toward its end.
Begin, Muse, when the two first broke and clashed,
Agamemnon lord of men and brilliant Achilles.”
—
39 likes
murderous, doomed, that cost the Achaeans countless losses,
hurling down to the House of Death so many sturdy souls,
great fighters' souls, but made their bodies carrion,
feasts for the dogs and birds,
and the will of Zeus was moving toward its end.
Begin, Muse, when the two first broke and clashed,
Agamemnon lord of men and brilliant Achilles.”
“lebron is the goat”
—
1 likes
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