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Title: The Iliad by Homer, Anton Lesser, William Cowper ISBN: 9-6263406-2-2 Publisher: Naxos Audio Books Pub. Date: September, 1995 Format: Audio CD Volumes: 3 List Price(USD): $19.98 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 (10 reviews)
Rating: 2
Summary: Great story - bad translation
Comment: I dunno about other people reading this but it was a struggle. The book itself is a deserved world classic which relates the story of the siege of Troy. However, most people associate that battle with the wooden horse incident so be aware that the book does not cover that period! It ends before it. The incident is referred to in Homer's Odyssey and fully told in Virgil's Aenid.
The story itself is one of powerful archtypes in the characters of Achilles, Agamemnon, Hector, Priam etc. The war itself is supplemented by the gods taking part and the premises of this epic poem are psychological, philosophical as well as the kick-butt action scenes.
However, I found this translation quite bad. The text is very dense. I know the original is dense as well - but at least the Greek has poetry. When a classic is translated, much of the poetic beauty is lost so as a result, it should at least be made readable. But this one isn't. The text is set out as prose but with very long paragraphs. The language is archaic - one can't follow an already complex piece of text with "spake" occuring every second. Also, at least in my copy, there were heaps of mistakes. I mean books have typos but in the bad parts a page might have 6 or 7 which is bound to get annoying.
So definitely read the Iliad but look for a better translation.
Rating: 5
Summary: Iliad on CD - very good
Comment: very good rendition. pace of reading is good and passionate without being melodramatic. very entertaining for long commutes or car trips. however, if you haven't read the book or are not somewhat familiar with the story already, it can be difficult at times to keep all the characters straight. however, there is a brief synoptic insert that comes with the CD and will help to read quickly before listening.
Rating: 4
Summary: Sing, goddess, sing of the rage of Peleus's son...
Comment: I long ago determined that the world of those interested in the Classical Literature of the Ancient Greeks that when it comes to Homer's epic poems there are those who prefer the "Iliad" and those who prefer the "Odyssey." My choice is for the story of the rage of Achilles. From Achilles's fateful confrontation with Agamemnon over Briseis of the lovely arms to the magnificently emotional ending where King Priam comes to beg for the body of his slain son, Hector, from the man who killed him, I find this story has greater resonance than the tale of Odysseus. The epic story also seems to me to be more classically Greek, with the great hero who acts out of anger, comes to regret his folly, and seeks to make amends with a great deed. Achilles is similar to Hercules in this regard, and although they are both strictly considered demi-gods, the Achaean hero ultimately seems more human. Plus, Achilles stature is enhanced by his opposition to the noble Hector; acknowledging the better warrior does not take away from recognizing the greater hero. Add to this the fact that all the gods and goddesses of Olympus are actively involved in the proceedings and I am convinced the "Iliad" is the more worthy book for inclusion into most classes dealing with Classical Mythology or the Ancient Greeks.
The main question with using the "Iliad" is class is picking a worthy version in English. The Lattimore translation is certainly above average, but I think the Fagles translation is far and away the best available (hence the one star deduction for this translation, which I have been compelled to use in the past) and I would not really consider using anything else in my Classical Greek and Roman Mythology course. I also like to use the "Iliad" as part of a larger epic involving the plays of Euripides, specifically "Iphigenia at Aulis" and "Trojan Women," as well as relevant sections from the "Aeneid" and other sources on the Fall of Troy. But the "Iliad" remains the centerpiece of any such larger tale, mainly because of the final dramatic confrontation when King Priam goes to weep over the bloody hands of Achilles. Not until Steinbeck writes "The Grapes of Wrath" is there anything in Western Literature offering as stunning an end piece.
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Title: The Odyssey: The Story of Odysseus by Homer, W. H. D. Rouse ISBN: 0451527364 Publisher: Signet Pub. Date: August, 1999 List Price(USD): $5.95 |
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Title: The Odyssey by Homer, Derek Jacobi, Highbridge Audio ISBN: 156511423X Publisher: HighBridge Company Pub. Date: 15 July, 2000 List Price(USD): $44.95 |
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Title: Aeneid by Virgil, Paul Scofield, Cecil Day Lewis, C. Day Lewis ISBN: 9626342781 Publisher: Naxos Audio Books Pub. Date: November, 2002 List Price(USD): $26.98 |
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Title: The Iliad (Cliffs Notes) by Bob Linn ISBN: 076458586X Publisher: Cliffs Notes Pub. Date: 05 June, 2000 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: The Aeneid by Virgil, David West ISBN: 0140444572 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: August, 1991 List Price(USD): $10.95 |
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