The Iliad in Reading the Chunksters

Sep 08, 2017 Biblio Curious rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics-western, history-ancient, ancient-global-epic-project

In short, Lattimore's translation rocks! There's such beauty and elegance to his word choice. In some battle scenes, Lattimore's descriptions have a cinematic effect on the reader, very cool effect in text. Overall, The Iliad teeters between interesting themes and grinding constant warfare. ...more

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Sep 08, 2017 Biblio Curious marked it as skim-abandon-revisit

Fagles' language is trying hard to be modern that for me, it just doesn't suit the tone of the poetry. I thought it would make The Iliad an easier, quicker read but it sacrifices too much of the meaning so it becomes difficult to read. At some point, I'd like to return to Fagles' translation now that I've finished reading Lattimore's translation.

I enjoyed Lattimore's immensely ^.^ I savoured the dusty language that suits the ancient poem's mood!! I reviewed that translation here: Lattimore's Rev ...more

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Apr 26, 2017 Greg rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: poetry, translation, reviewed

I found many beautiful passages within these pages, and here is a favorite:
"But when he [Odysseus] let the great voice go from his chest,
the words came drifting down like the winter snows,
then no other mortal man beside could stand up against Odysseus."
I probably raced through a forced reading in high school. But this leisurely read often was breathtaking, especially the passionate loyalties of friendships and the desperate grieving among the survivors. I also know now that the "Illiad" is only ...more

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Apr 16, 2022 Gerrit Gmel rated it liked it · review of another edition

If I had to summarise it in a few words: The Iliad is John Wick as it would have been told 3000 years ago.

It’s a lot of blood, lack of emotional control by all parties, senseless brutality and grandiose graphic battle scenes. But really there’s no sense to it. There are a set of arbitrary rules dictated by fickle gods who can change their minds at any time.

Perhaps this is one of the main attractions of the book: you really are set back in time; in a brutal time where lives were short and inten ...more

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