The Iliad / The Odyssey
by Homer
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Book Reviews of The Iliad / The Odyssey
Book Review: Dramatic and readable
Summary: 4 Stars
Robert Fagles has done an excellent job at giving life to this ancient 'song', an epic of war. If you read this translation aloud (which you should certainly do!!), you will see how he has tried to give it the feel of an oral tradition, as if a bard were truly singing it. If you want to read this for the excitement of it, and really get a feel for the life behind it, read this translation. There are some boring parts, but that's just how the Iliad is, and it has nothing to do with Fagles's translation.However, if you are in a reading group of some sort where you all have different translations, you will quickly realize upon comparison that Fagles's translation, especially compared to the Lattimore, leaves something to be desired in terms of its literal-ness (is that a word?). For studying the particulars, I would suggest the Lattimore translation instead, which makes more of an effort to be true to the original Greek, and is still interesting, but less readable and intense than the Fagles translation.
Book Review: Review of Fagle's Iliad and Odyssey
Summary: 5 Stars
My Credentials:
Admittedly, less than appealing. I have never read any translation other than Fagles's.
Review:
The books open with an extensive and scholarly introduction to the history and context of the poems. Fagles's tone is certainly epic. I have no qualms about his writing style, which I found fascinating. A standard rythym would might have been nice, but, again, a brilliant rendering overall. I cannot speak to his accuracy as a translator.
There are maps in the opening section, but I made little use of these, so I can't speak to their quality or lack thereof.
I prefer footnotes to endnotes, which in this book are extensive and useful. Also, the introductions open with a discussion of Homer, which is essentially the same in both books. This is ultimately unavoidable for the publisher, but may be avoided by the reader who doesn't wish to read about modern bards in Yugoslavia more than once.
Book Review: Excellent
Summary: 5 Stars
I don't know whether it is the font size, the appropriate spacing, or the translation, or even, the combination of all three. This was the most accessible, approachable, and engaging version I have ever read. I am no scholar of these works so I cannout vouch for the literary accuracy, but I suspect the main literary themes are left unadulterated: War is hell and gruesome; both sides suffer; stife breeds conflict even among allies; life is an odyssey with free will being buffetted by many uncontrollable forces (gods?); graciousness, courtesy, wit, wisdom, and personal responsibility are attributes that will help us through this journey. I highly recommend this version as well as this 2700 year old work of art. Literature doesn't get any better than this.Book Review: Excellent translations -- not to mention great stories
Summary: 5 Stars
I have a number of translations of these works in my personal library. Since I was beginning a new course about these books, I went searching for a more up-to-date (modern) approach.
Some professors of classical studies have criticized these translations for being marred by excessive use of colloquial language and that Fagles' meter does not capture the feeling of the Homeric hexameter. That may be true but, as far as I am concerned, it doesn't matter.
Fagles' translation is very easy for the ordinary American to read and that is most important as far as I am concerned.
Book Review: Breathtaking
Summary: 5 Stars
The Iliad translation is wonderful. My mouth was foaming as I felt Achilles' rage. I am not a frequent reader of the classics or poetry, but this one kept my attention and is one of the best books I have ever read. The tapestry was magnificent, I was constantly visualizing the fractal motifs within motifs, the tragedy of the moment within the tragedy of the episode within the tragedy of the war, within the tragedy of the condition. The translation gives you a palpable sense of the unseen and unstated surrounding the epic. I'll stop gushing, but I cannot imagine anyone not loving this one.