The Iliad

The Iliad by Homer

Read by Dan Stevens
Translated by Robert Fitzgerald.

• ISBN-10: 9781427229458
• ISBN-13: 978-1427229458

Bottom line: If you like Greek Mythology then this is just the ticket; I'm glad I finally got around to listening to it.

This is my first post about a book and I'd like to talk about audiobooks --- you know, I think this will warrant a separate post; I'll do that in the near future. I just want to note that I listen to almost all my books on audio on my daily commute. Should I say I read them or listened to them? The former sure is easier. More to come on that, for now on to Troy!

The Iliad is simply an account of the Trojan War. It focuses on the conflict between King Agamemnon (king of Mycenae, the son of King Atreus and Queen Aerope of Mycenae, the brother of Menelaus, the husband of Clytemnestra and the father of Iphigenia, Electra or Laodike (Λαοδίκη), Orestes and Chrysothemis) and Prince Achilles (the son of the Nereid Thetis and Peleus, king of Phthia).

I put all that stuff in parens because that's how a lot of this book is written. Every battle scene, heck, just about every conversation includes the lineage of the participants. Person A, son of So and So drove his spear straight through the temple of Person B, a land owner from Someplace whose parents would never see him again, and darkness shaded his eyes. And that's the last time we need to hear from Person B (and maybe Person A too). I tried (albeit briefly) to pay attention or try to keep track of the heritage of the characters but, nah. Fortunately, it isn't required for the story.

In some cases, for major players like Achilles and Hector, they are referred to by a title of some kind. Achilles the Runner and Hector the Breaker of Men -or was it Achilles the Breaker of Men... Anyway, I think it's fun.

Aside from the historical accounts, we get to see the Gods' role in the war. The Fates have already decided and yet we still have the Gods taking sides. I really enjoyed it. You have these generals and master strategisticians maneuvering troops (something that I don't know much about), you have the Gods bickering like a regular family. At one point Zeus says to Hera, "I know you like the Greeks, but stop nagging me! I promised I would let the Trojans win for a time. Stop it."

There was one more note about the Gods which I found fascinating. They come down from Olympus and have a variety of effects on the battlefield. They can direct arrows or javelins, transport people from the battlefield, and breathe motivation or speak inspirational things. They can even take the form of people and fight. It's so often the case where a person is fighting with gusto and it's clear to everyone that it is actually Apollo or Aries in human form. I tend not to hear this kind of thing with Christianity. I could be mistaken but usually it's God doing something for us or inspiring us to do something or speaking to us, but never that God is like possessing us. 

There is good pacing and the version I listened to had a solid cast of voices for the different characters.

A character in Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane enjoys mythology and describes it aptly that adult stories are slow and have to establish a lot of things before it gets moving. Mythology on the other hand just is or was. That's just how to describe The Iliad; it begins with little explanation and ends similarly. There aren't really major character arcs but that's not really what we're here for, is it?

This all said, I liked it and once I finish The Gulag Archipelago, I'm going to read The Odyssey (the kinda sequel to The Iliad).

What do you think, readers? Have you read The Iliad? What is your favorite Greek God or figure? 

Thanks for reading!