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Paperback The Iliad Book
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ISBN: 0140444440

ISBN13: 9780140444445

The Iliad

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Format: Paperback

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Book Overview

'The best modern prose translation of The Iliad' Robin Lane Fox, The Times

The first of the world's great tragedies, The Iliad centres on the pivotal four days towards the end of the ten-year war between the Greeks and the Trojans. In a series of dramatic set pieces, it follows the story of the humiliation of Achilleus at the hands of Agamemnon and his slaying of Hektor: a barbarous act with repercussions that ultimately...

Related Subjects

Greek Mythology Revenge Epic Poetry 13 - 17 Years 9 - 12 Years History Literary Criticism & Collections Literature & Fiction Poetry

Customer Reviews

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great!

Published by Areesha , 1 year ago
exactly what you want and expect when thrifting homer

Great Epic

Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
I absolutley adored this book. I am reading the Odyssey now. I recommend you read both. It adds depth to the whole tale.

The best Iliad for the general reader

Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 19 years ago
The Iliad is one of the greatest treasures of Western Civilization-and not just because a teacher told you it was. On the surface, it offers raw emotions, visceral action sequences and colorful characters you admire and hate, often at the same time. But it is much, much deeper than that. The scene where Hector bids his young wife good-bye and holds up his infant son to the gods, praying that the boy will one day be a better man than ever he himself was, has never been equaled as a statement of what it means to be a man, husband or father. The debates about honor and duty are still the same we face every day. The humanity, insight and profound philosophy are remarkable-especially for a work now 3,000 years old. The problem? How do you convey all that power? How do you do so in a way that captures the feel of original? Iliad translations have started to come fast and furious, as every ten years or so someone tries to tackle the monumental task of bringing the poem to modern readers. The process isn't helped by the fact that the text was already 300 years old to the classical Greeks like Aristotle, Sophocles and Euripides-making it as vaguely old-fashioned as Shakespeare is to us. Should it sound antiquated to us, too? If you really want a line by line translation, one that has some kind of meter that approaches the Greek original, the obvious choice is Lattimore's classic translation. It has the side benefit now of being somewhat dated in its English usage too. That said, for just a good ol' read of the Iliad, Lattimore isn't even my third choice. For all its accuracy, I've always felt I was reading a textbook, written by a classics scholar rather than an honest-to-goodness writer. Lombardo, on the other hand, is my preferred translation for sitting back and reading what is still a rip-roaring adventure (with enough deep thoughts to give it extra weight). Lombardo confesses there really is no way to adequately convey the "musicality" of the original, and goes on to re-cast it in freer poetry, based on natural speech. He's built up his translation thru multiple performances of the poems, with drum accompaniment, in public places, and his Iliad is honed to a razor sharp edge. The musty old poem students rolled their eyes at becomes a terrifying, beautiful beast that grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. It is so immediate, trilling and relevant. Lombardo's translation is an Iliad you will feel, not just respect. Pick up the Lombardo translation and you will understand immediately why this work is still called the cornerstone of Western culture.

The Iliad Mentions in Our Blog

The Iliad in What to Read After Percival Everett's 'James'
What to Read After Percival Everett's 'James'
Published by Ashly Moore Sheldon • June 25, 2024

Told from the point of view of the enslaved Jim, Percival Everett's latest novel, James, is a brilliant, action-packed retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. If you enjoy stories that reimagine, reframe, or pay homage to classic texts, here are fifteen more titles for you.

The Iliad in The Tortured Poets Department
The Tortured Poets Department
Published by Ashly Moore Sheldon • April 30, 2024

Taylor Swift's new album, The Tortured Poets Department, came out April 19. Swift has a long history of including literary nods in her music and this title suggests her most bookish album yet! Back when she announced the track list, we made some predictions about things. Let's see how we did and explore all of the literary references in her latest lyrics.

The Iliad in Divine Inspiration
Divine Inspiration
Published by William Shelton • March 14, 2023
From the earliest moments of mankind, even until today, our species has been compelled to look up and ponder our origin. This instinct naturally leant itself to the origin of books and writing itself, with much of the written word produced by mankind having been devoted to recording our beliefs.
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