The Iliad

Rating:
Summary: The greatest war story ever.
Review: "The Iliad", one of the greatest literary works of Western Civilization. It is the 10th year of Trojan War and neither the Greeks or Trojans are any closer to victory. And by the end, a lot of heros and champions are dead, but no one is any closer to the end. I love this book, but one huge problem was that the story doesn't begin or end. It starts and ends in the middle. For those, you have to look elsewhere. I liked "The Odyssey" better, it had a beginning and end. But I still liked this one. It is hard to read, and not for beginners, but it's rewarding, not to mention you got major braging rights.

Rating:
Summary: The greatest war story ever.
Review: "The Iliad", one of the greatest literary works of Western Civilization. It is the 10th year of Trojan War and neither the Greeks or Trojans are any closer to victory. And by the end, a lot of heros and champions are dead, but no one is any closer to the end. I love this book, but one huge problem was that the story doesn't begin or end. It starts and ends in the middle. For those, you have to look elsewhere. I liked "The Odyssey" better, it had a beginning and end. But I still liked this one. It is hard to read, and not for beginners, but it's rewarding, not to mention you got major braging rights.

Rating:
Summary: Not bad, but no Fitzgerald . .
Review: A well-done prose version of Homer's classic; however, I didn't like it as well as the Fitzgerald version. If you're a fan of Homer, he's still the best . . and it's a shame, too, because for pure reading pleasure I would actually prefer prose to poetry. But Rouse's constructions are awkward at times; it's almost as though he fed the original Greek into a computer and let the computer translate the words. Sometimes the sentences don't flow as fluently as I felt they should. And this may be a little thing, but in the paperback version I received, the font is MINISCULE . . so you may want to think before purchasing this particular edition. But it's an OK translation . . if, like me, you would prefer the story in prose form, then this is a good choice.

Rating:
Summary: Best first read
Review: I am a retired high school and college instructor who taught the Iliad many times at both levels. The Rouse version was always my translation of choice, and it was enormously successful. The complaints (or halfhearted commendations here) miss the point. Most seem to think that Rouse's "plain English" version is a diminution of the original. All translations are! Rouse merely eliminated many epithets and repetitions (necessary in the meter of the poem and unnecessary in prose). But Rouse is extremely accurate within his chosen limits and the result is a brilliant achievement: a fast-moving text (as is the original) that is colloquial where appropriate, noble sithout being stuffy when nobility is called for; the result is an always ongoing, rapidly moving narrative told in vivid, sinewy prose that simply hurtles you along. It does not attempt to give the more complex reading experience that Fitzgerald and Lattimore and Fagles achieve in their superb verse translations; but these are best reserved for second . . .or 17th readings, once the complex story and relations between characters are mastered. And indeed, none of the more famous verse translations (Pope's is to be avoided: it's a beautiful Augustan poem, not Homer)--none come close to Rouse's focused and frightening rendering of Achilles' on the battlefield, once he goes into action. In short, Rouse is in spirit thoroughly "Homeric"--by turns racy and funny, savage, noble, ultimately tragic as, e.g., the dreadful Victorian versions of Butler and Lang, Leaf, & Myers are not and should be avoided). Even with the small point-size in which the text was set, Rouse's Homer is not just a bargain: it's a treasure bought at a small price.

Rating:
Summary: Homer for Dummies
Review: I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that as a junior literature major, this is the first time I have ever read The Iliad all the way through. Though I can't compare the Rouse translation to others, I can say a few words based on my perception of it. First, you'll notice that it is a prose, not poetry. This did not hinder the experience for me, but individual readers may wish to experience this classic the other way. I found it to be much easier reading than I expected, with the central characters easy to remember and follow. The story clips along rapidly and is rarely boring. The introduction states that much of the repetition that would be necessary for oral storytelling has been removed for the benefit of the reader, which I found to be a positive. However, there is still plenty of repetition of certain phrases ("and darkness covered his eyes" or "rattling armor" come to mind) and there is no shortage long lineages or lists of previously anonymous characters killed in battle. Still, it is worthwhile to get to know Homer and this seems like a reasonable translation to begin with.

Rating:
Summary: Melesigenes' Masterpiece
Review: Melesigenes (or in Latin, Homer) has written an epic that I would recommend to anyone interested in classical literature or anyone interested in a good adventure story. The book contains many graphic descriptions of death and suffering, but given that this is a war epic, I do not think that Homer was excessive in this respect. This story is also almost unique, in that it has no clear antagonist. There are many candidates for this position, but none could receive this title outright. Homer has written a story that has withstood the test of time, and done it with flying colors.
This book is about the final year of the Trojan War, but it is not a boring documentary. A common misconception is that Achilles is present throughout the book, but this is far from the truth. Achilles is in camp for most of the story because of a quarrel with Agamemnon. He finally comes into the action late in the book, after the Trojans infuriate him. The beginning of the book is centered around Aias Telemonian and Hector, of the Achaian and Trojans respectively. Achilles' character is developed by comments that others make about him, rather than his actions. Most of the Achaians revere him almost as a demigod, but the Trojans live in fear of him.
This translation is very easy to read; although some historical references are made that many people would not understand. This is counteracted by footnotes on nearly every other page. Also, many characters are mentioned once and never mentioned again, making keeping track of the characters somewhat difficult.

Rating:
Summary: "The Greatest War Story Ever Told"
Review: The Illiad is possibly the greatest war story ever told. Nowhere else can the tales of superhuman heroes and gods be told with such man-like vigor and emotional verve. One feels the blows of the sword, the clashing of arms, and the pangs of war, while reading this timeless epic. The bold harangues of Greek and Trojan warriors and the artful intrigues of the gods, still resound within the imagination of the reader nearly twenty-eight hundred years after its composition. The Illiad is a definite recommendation for anyone; but for those not especially fond of the war-like, masculine tone, which underlies this work, then the Odyssey will be a much more rewarding read. Robert Fitzgerald's translation is great; and it is highly suggested.

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Summary: The pride of Agamemnon and Achilles.
Review: The version of the "Iliad" that I read was the prose translation by W. H. D. Rouse (those of you interested in the verse translation should see the edition provided by Robert Fagles). Agamemnon holds a Trojan captive as his concubine, Chryseis. He refuses to release the girl to her father Chryses, a priest of Apollo, for ransom. Apollo sends a plague as punishment and Agamemnon finally relents. But, he replaces her with Briseis, the concubine of Achilles, the leading Greek warrior. Achilles now refuses to fight. His closest friend, Patroclus, dons Achilles' armor and goes to battle, hoping to rally the Greeks against the Trojans. He is killed in combat by Hector, son of the ruler of Troy. Achilles is furious. He obtains new armor, is reconciled to Agamemnon, and goes to meet Hector in battle. Hector is killed and the epic ends with Hector's funeral. This is one of the great classics of literature and should be required reading for every College student. Unfortunately, it isn't.

Rating:
Summary: Among the best books of all time
Review: This is an amazing book. The story of Achilles and his fellow Greeks is an amazing tale of pride, love, greed, anger, rage, and human emotion. This book is a wealth of wisdom and philosophy of the ancient Greeks told in the form of an epic. In this book, we see how the pride of Achilles nearly destroys the entire Greek army, how the greed of Agamemnon and his pride cause incalculable losses to the Greeks, and how the cowardly Paris steals a man's wife and lets everyone else fight for him. This is more than a mere story, but a book of ancient wisdom second only to the Bible. The story is amazing... but it is the demonstration of the evils of life and their consequences that make this book truly great. The feelings of the characters, and the ability to identify with their thoughts, feelings, and emotions really turn a war story into a story of the human psyche. 5 stars also go to the translator who has made this book as easy to read as any piece of modern literature.

Rating:
Summary: Among the best books of all time
Review: This is an amazing book. The story of Achilles and his fellow Greeks is an amazing tale of pride, love, greed, anger, rage, and human emotion. This book is a wealth of wisdom and philosophy of the ancient Greeks told in the form of an epic. In this book, we see how the pride of Achilles nearly destroys the entire Greek army, how the greed of Agamemnon and his pride cause incalculable losses to the Greeks, and how the cowardly Paris steals a man's wife and lets everyone else fight for him. This is more than a mere story, but a book of ancient wisdom second only to the Bible. The story is amazing... but it is the demonstration of the evils of life and their consequences that make this book truly great. The feelings of the characters, and the ability to identify with their thoughts, feelings, and emotions really turn a war story into a story of the human psyche. 5 stars also go to the translator who has made this book as easy to read as any piece of modern literature.