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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
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Paperback, Boxed Set, 1556 pages
Published
November 1st 1999
by Penguin Classics
(first published -800)
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Tori
Either way is fine, but the Odyssey would make more sense to read second.
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Start your review of The Iliad/The Odyssey
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
I read it when was in school and it was obligatory Portuguese subject reading. I tried a second reading and decided to give another opportunity to this masterpiece and I really really enjoyed it even more than the first time.
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
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
I am reading this to two sets of students and it never gets old. My only complaint is that the Provensons left out Argos. I do believe it is the best children's Homer I have read. I love the chapter breakdowns which are almost parallel to the poems. The Provensons never disappoint, do they?
...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
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Well, after hearing of the Iliad and the Odyssey for my entire life through the miasma of culture, media, and that one primary school teacher who, to my memory, taught me nothing but greek myth (big up Miss Fahey), I finally got around to reading them.
Well, kind of.
Reading stories this old is like saying you finally heard Bohemian Rhapsody, but it was played by some guy in a pub who heard another guy describe it (admitantly, really well) on the radio from the time his dad played it for him aft ...more
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
Oct 09, 2016
Anastasia
rated it
liked it
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review of another edition
Shelves:
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books-i-own
September 5th, 2016
3 stars.
Finished the Iliad! 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 - ...more
3 stars.
Finished the Iliad! 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 - ...more
After reading “The Song of Achilles” I found a new interest in Ancient Greece, as well as the myths and stories that go along with it. “The Iliad and the Odyssey” is as much about history and collective humanity as it is about the actual story of the Trojan War and Odysseus’s voyage home. Although at times difficult to read and tiring, it is a timeless piece of literature that has inspired countless other great works of art. Odysseus has survived the Trojan War and the perilous journey back to I
...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
Five stars to the Odyssey and 2.5 to the Iliad to be exact. I was very bored with the who-killed-whom parts in the Iliad.
Fitzgerald’s translation of the Odyssey is nowhere as good as Emily Wilson’s although it is still a very powerful translation. Dan Stevens’s narration really brought it to life. I hope an audiobook of Ms. Wilson’s translation is made soon as well.
No matter how many times I read or watch or hear the story of Hector’s death, it makes me sad all over again. Man-eating war indee ...more
Fitzgerald’s translation of the Odyssey is nowhere as good as Emily Wilson’s although it is still a very powerful translation. Dan Stevens’s narration really brought it to life. I hope an audiobook of Ms. Wilson’s translation is made soon as well.
No matter how many times I read or watch or hear the story of Hector’s death, it makes me sad all over again. Man-eating war indee ...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. ...more
I enjoyed it so much that I believe I'll give it another read after so many years and an adequate review. ...more
Oh hell.
I thought I was an intelligent human being until I tried to read this. I think I'm going to go back to picture books now. ...more
I thought I was an intelligent human being until I tried to read this. I think I'm going to go back to picture books now. ...more
May 12, 2018
Sali-steady-read
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.
...more
"Of all creatures that breathe and move upon the earth, nothing is bred that is weaker than man."
-The Odyssey.
The Iliad and the Odyssey are two books that I have always wanted to read. Luckily I found a hardbound version and translated by Samuel Butler.
In The Iliad, Greeks are marching to war backed by legendary greek hereos like Achilles, Menelaus, Ulysses as well as their leader Agamemnon amongst others. They fight back and forth with the Trojans in front of the cities great walls.
All this h ...more
-The Odyssey.
The Iliad and the Odyssey are two books that I have always wanted to read. Luckily I found a hardbound version and translated by Samuel Butler.
In The Iliad, Greeks are marching to war backed by legendary greek hereos like Achilles, Menelaus, Ulysses as well as their leader Agamemnon amongst others. They fight back and forth with the Trojans in front of the cities great walls.
All this h ...more
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While the contrast of the two, one after the other, is very interesting I can't say I'd be likely to ever read The Iliad again. The Odyssey though works very well rendered here as prose and more fully fulfills the classic expectation of what a Greek adventure story should be.
...more
Logan already knew some of these adventures from the excellent recorded reading by Benedict Flynn The Adventures of Odysseus. But I happened on this copy at a used-books shop in Cannon Beach and had to have it because in 1975, my mother gave me "Myths and Legends" Golden Treasury of Myths and Legends Adapted from the World's Great Classics illustrated by the same couple and I loved the pictures. Logan loved the stories and recommends it to "anyone who likes battles really, because there are lots
...more
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
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
This was a golden book, actually a giant golden book, given to me one Christmas while in grade school, 1960 or thereabouts. Stories from the illiad and the odyssey that captured my imagination. I reread it almost 50 years later and remembered the shock of Hector being dragged from the chariot of Achilles or the thrill of Odysseus returning home after all those years to drive the greedy suiters from his home and to reclaim his wife.
The illustrations of Alice and Martin Provensen bring this children's book to life. First published in 1956, author Jane Werner Watson boils down the essential elements of the Homer's Iliad and The Odyssey for young readers in a very classy way. If you want to familiarize a child with Myceneaen Greece this is a fantastic introduction.
...more
Read for CC1 wk 3,4. Read beginning, middle and end of each book. Difficult to keep all the characters in order at this age but it was an ok book. Now we know what people are talking about when they mention Homer and the Iliad and the Odyssey.
The second modern version of the Trojan war tales that I read. It was wonderful to find that Homer attracted English translations more than once per decade. I read the translation of the Odyssey first since it appeared first. As I recall, the paoperback version included drawings by Picasso.
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In the Western classical tradition, Homer (Greek: Ὅμηρος) 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
Articles featuring this book
Every month is a good month to appreciate poetry, but in April it's an official thing. Founded in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets,...
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1 trivia question
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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.”
—
46 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
More quotes…
