poetry

While the words "Iliad" usually conjure bad memories of High School English classes, this great epic of the end of the Trojan War survived all these years for a reason. Homer gets a bit redundant, with his word choice and with the material (it is mostly just a bunch of people dying, after all) but this is still a good example of the sweeping, bold storytelling of the ancient Greek poets. The Iliad mostly focuses on Achilles on the Achaeans' side and Hector on the Trojans' side. It begins with the argument between Achilles and Agamemnon, and ends with Hector's funeral.

Though this is a wonderful story, and this is an inexpensive edition, I was disappointed in the way it was presented. Instead of being written in verse, like it was meant to be, it is typed in prose form, which loses the rhythm and even some of the interest. Also, the translator chose to use the Roman names of the gods, which some people prefer, but in this story particularly I much prefer the Greek names, which are more familiar (and it was a Greek war, after all.) If you are just reading this book because you have to, this edition will do just as well as any other. But if you really want to enjoy the story, look for one written in verse form with the Greek names.

If you haven't read this book, and are hoping its gonna be another Odyssey, you'll be dissapointed. It is pretty good, but the story is set during the last of the Trojan War. The story revolves around Achilles, the friend of Odysseus, who is practically a god among men. He and Odysseus and others are fighting at Troy for the sake of Queen Helen, the mother of Achilles. The story is a little boring, but the words are great, and I think it would be nice to hear sitting around a campfire listening to a blind storyteller singing it.

THE BOOK IS HOT! THE BOOK IS HA HA HOTT!