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The Iliad
- Narrated by: Alfred Molina
- Length: 16 hrs and 4 mins
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Publisher's summary
The power and the beauty of The Iliad resound again across 2,700 years in Stephen Mitchell's exciting new translation, as if the lifeblood of its heroes Achilles and Patroclus, Hector and Priam flowed in every word. And we are there with them amid the horror and ecstasy of war, carried along by a poetry that lifts even the most devastating human events into the realm of the beautiful.
Based on the recent, superb M.L. West edition of the Greek, this Iliad is more accessible and moving than any previous version. Whether it is his exciting recent version of Gilgamesh, with more than 150,000 copies sold, or his unmatched translation of the poet Rilke, still the standard after 29 years, or his Tao Te Ching, which has sold more than 900,000 copies and has itself been translated into six languages, Stephen Mitchell's books are international sensations. Now, thanks to his scholarship and poetic power, which re-creates the energy and simplicity, the speed, grace, and continual thrust and pull of the original, The Iliad's ancient story bursts vividly into new life and will reach an even larger audience of listeners.
Please note: Book 10, recognized since ancient times as a later addition to the Iliad, has been omitted in this translation.
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- By Jeff Diamond on 03-29-13
By: Victor Hugo, and others
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Greek Mythology
- The Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes Handbook: From Aphrodite to Zeus, a Profile of Who's Who in Greek Mythology
- By: Liv Albert
- Narrated by: Liv Albert
- Length: 4 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Greek mythology continues to appear in popular movies and books today, but have you ever wondered about where these characters started out? Discover the origins of your favorite characters from Greek mythology with this collection of profiles to tell you who’s who in classical lore! In Greek Mythology, you will discover the backstories of the heroes, villains, gods, and goddesses that enjoy popularity in today’s shows and films.
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Great Refresher or Introduction to Greek Mythology
- By caitlin herrington on 03-30-21
By: Liv Albert
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The Bible's Cutting Room Floor
- The Holy Scriptures Missing from Your Bible
- By: Joel M. Hoffman
- Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross
- Length: 10 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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In The Bible’s Cutting Room Floor, acclaimed author and translator Dr. Joel M. Hoffman gives us the stories and other texts that didn’t make it into the Bible even though they offer penetrating insight into the Bible and its teachings. The Book of Genesis tells us about Adam and Eve’s time in the Garden of Eden, but not their saga after they get kicked out or the lessons they have for us about good and evil.
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Good content, rather poor presentation by narrator
- By J_T on 12-28-16
By: Joel M. Hoffman
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Odin: The Origins, History and Evolution of the Norse God
- By: Jesse Harasta, Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Anthony R. Schlotzhauer
- Length: 1 hr and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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A one-eyed old man, with a gray cloak and a wide-brimmed hat leaning on a staff. A wanderer who appears when least expected, bringing triumph or doom. The god of prophecy, poetry and fate. A shape changer. A sorcerer. The god Odin cuts a dramatic figure in Norse mythology and is still a part of the popular imagination. He is the inspiration for figures like J.R.R. Tolkien's Gandalf the Grey, and he still appears in modern literature as varied as Marvel Comics and Neil Gaiman's novel American Gods.
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Not what I expected but enjoyable nontheless
- By Goose on 07-13-15
By: Jesse Harasta, and others
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Origins of The Wheel of Time
- The Legends and Mythologies That Inspired Robert Jordan
- By: Michael Livingston, Harriet McDougal - contributor, Robert Jordan
- Narrated by: Harriet McDougal, Kate Reading, Michael Kramer, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Take a deep dive into the real-world history and mythology that inspired the world of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time®. This companion to the internationally bestselling series will delve into the creation of Jordan’s masterpiece, drawing from interviews and an unprecedented examination of his unpublished notes. Michael Livingston tells the behind-the-scenes story of who Jordan was, how he worked, and why he holds such an important place in modern literature. Origins of The Wheel of Time will provide exciting knowledge and insights to both new and longtime fans.
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Agenda driven ideological bend.
- By Maxwell on 06-19-23
By: Michael Livingston, and others
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Homer Box Set: Iliad & Odyssey
- By: Homer, W. H. D. Rouse - translator
- Narrated by: Anthony Heald
- Length: 25 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey are unquestionably two of the greatest epic masterpieces in Western literature. Though more than 2,700 years old, their stories of brave heroics, capricious gods, and towering human emotions are vividly timeless. The Iliad can justly be called the world’s greatest war epic. The terrible and long-drawn-out siege of Troy remains one of the classic campaigns. The Odyssey chronicles the many trials and adventures Odysseus must pass through on his long journey home from the Trojan wars to his beloved wife.
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Oddball Translation
- By Joel Jenkins on 05-11-17
By: Homer, and others
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The Glamour of Grammar
- By: Roy Peter Clark
- Narrated by: Roy Peter Clark
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Early in the history of English, glamour and grammar were the same word, linked to enchantment and magical spells. Now grammar brings to mind language bullies and bored-out-of-their-skulls students. Roy Peter Clark, one of America’s most influential writing teachers, wants to change that by putting the glamour back into grammar.
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Wasteful
- By ABID on 12-05-13
By: Roy Peter Clark
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Asian Journals
- India and Japan (The Collected Works of Joseph Campbell)
- By: Joseph Campbell
- Narrated by: Fred Stella
- Length: 26 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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At the beginning of his career, Joseph Campbell developed a lasting fascination with the cultures of the Far East, and explorations of Buddhist and Hindu philosophy later became recurring motifs in his vast body of work. However, Campbell had to wait until middle age to visit the lands that inspired him so deeply. In 1954, he took a sabbatical from his teaching position and embarked on a year-long voyage through India, Thailand, Cambodia, Burma, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and finally Japan.
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What a journey!
- By Anonymous User on 08-11-18
By: Joseph Campbell
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Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea
- Why the Greeks Matter
- By: Thomas Cahill
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 7 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Best selling history writer Thomas Cahill continues his series on the roots of Western civilization with this volume about the contributions of ancient Greece to the development of contemporary culture. Tracing the origin of Greek culture in the migrations of armed Indo-European horsemen into Attica and the Peloponnesian peninsula, he follows their progress into the creation of the Greek city-states, the refinement of their machinery of war, and the flowering of intellectual and artistic culture.
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Super super
- By Richard on 12-28-03
By: Thomas Cahill
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One of the foremost achievements in Western literature, Homer's Iliad tells the story of the darkest episode in the Trojan War. At its centre is Achilles, the greatest warrior-champion of the Greeks, and his refusal to fight after being humiliated by his leader, Agamemnon. But when the Trojan Hector kills Achilles' close friend Patroclus, he storms back into battle to take revenge - although knowing this will ensure his own early death.
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The Iliad made pleasurable.
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This brilliant new treatment of the world's oldest epic is a literary event on par with Seamus Heaney's wildly popular Beowulf translation. Esteemed translator and best-selling author Stephen Mitchell energizes a heroic tale so old it predates Homer's Iliad by more than a millennium.
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A defense of this "translation"
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Homer's Iliad and the Odyssey
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When first published, Walker’s versions of the Iliad and the Odyssey attracted attention for the quality of the writing. Multi-award-winning author Gillian Cross makes two of the greatest stories in the world come alive for children in her strong, clear, deceptively simple retellings, which are faithful to the spirit and structure of Homer’s epic poems, and this new bind-up in a friendly format comes complete with an introduction.
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Good but the chapters aren't IN ORDER
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The Iliad. Join Achilles at the Gates of Troy as he slays Hector to Avenge the death of Patroclus. Here is a story of love and war, hope and despair, and honor and glory. The recent major motion picture Helen of Troy starring Brad Pitt proves that this epic is as relevant today as it was twenty five hundred years ago when it was first written. So journey back to the Trojan War with Homer and relive the grandest adventure of all times. The Odyssey.
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narrator lacks intrigue
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The Iliad
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In Stephen Mitchell's The Iliad, the epic story resounds again across 2,700 years, as if the lifeblood of its heroes Achilles and Patroclus, Hector, and Priam flows in every word. And we are there with them, amid the horror and ecstasy of war, carried along by a poetry that lifts even the most devastating human events into the realm of the beautiful. Mitchell's The Iliad is the first translation based on the work of the preeminent Homeric scholar Martin L. West.
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Best Translation
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Beowulf
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Stephen Mitchell's marvelously clear and vivid rendering recreates the robust masculine music of the original. It both hews closely to the Old English and captures its wild energy and vitality, not just as a deep "work of literature" but also as a rousing entertainment that can still stir our feelings and rivet our attention today, after more than a thousand years. This new translation - spare, sinuous, vigorous in its narration, and translucent in its poetry - makes a masterpiece accessible to everyone.
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Great translation, weak reading
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By: Stephen Mitchell
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The Iliad and The Odyssey
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The Iliad, set 9 years into the Trojan War, tells the story of the wrath of Achilles. The Odyssey tells the story of Odysseus as he wearily travels home from the war. The two epics provide the basis of Greek education and culture in the classical age. They have long remained among the most significant poems of European tradition. Produced here in full cast arrangement and narrated by Rob Goll, one can experience these age-old stories in a brand new way.
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Wonderful! I was waiting for a dramatized version
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Perhaps no other Biblical tale penetrates so deeply into the everyday travails of the common person as The Book of Job. It tells the story of a righteous man beset by torment and misfortune through no fault of his own. This parable of bad things happening to a good person addresses the eternal question of why we are here, and why we suffer. This translation is by Stephen Mitchell.
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Phenominal !!!
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The Iliad is the world’s greatest epic poem—heroic battle and divine fate set against the Trojan War. Its beauty and profound bleakness are intensely moving, but great questions remain: Where, how, and when was it composed and why does it endure? Robin Lane Fox addresses these questions, drawing on a lifelong love and engagement with the poem. He argues for a place, a date, and a method for its composition—subjects of ongoing controversy—combining the detailed expertise of a historian with a poetic reader’s sensitivity.
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Masterful!
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Duino Elegies and The Sonnets to Orpheus
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The poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke addresses the issues of God, death, and "destructive time." Rilke tries to transform these problems into an inner world, what he calls "a whole inner world as if an angel, comprehending all space, were blind and looking into himself." Eminent author and translator Stephen Mitchell brings these ideas vividly to life in this new translation of Rilke's most transcendent works.
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warning: listen before buying
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The Iliad of Homer
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- Original Recording
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For thousands of years, Homer's ancient epic poem the
Iliad has enchanted readers from around the world. When you join Professor Vandiver for this lecture series on the Iliad, you'll come to understand what has enthralled and gripped so many people. Her compelling 12-lecture look at this literary masterpiece -whether it's the work of many authors or the "vision" of a single blind poet - makes it vividly clear why, after almost 3,000 years, the
Iliad remains not only among the greatest adventure stories ever told but also one of the most compelling meditations on the human condition ever written.
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Vandiver never disappoints
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Bhagavad Gita
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Stephen Mitchell brings to life his acclaimed translation of these most famous and revered Hindu scriptures - the timeless story of the paths of knowledge, devotion, action, and meditation.
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I am Review, shatterer of words
- By Darwin8u on 05-04-19
By: Stephen Mitchell
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Tao Te Ching
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In 81 brief chapters, Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching, or Book of the Way, provides advice that imparts balance and perspective, as well as a serene and generous spirit. It teaches us how to work for the good with the effortless skill that comes from being in accord with the Tao: the basic principle of the universe.
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Wonderful translation and reading, but...
- By Jason on 08-12-13
By: Stephen Mitchell, and others
What listeners say about The Iliad
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- C Wisdom
- 11-01-18
incredible translation meets wonderful narrator
Mitchell's translation conveys beauty and depth; Molina's narration encompasses propulsive action, quiet pathos, and wrenching sorrow.
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- Wordward David
- 02-17-19
I could hardly stop listening.
As with Gilgamesh, Mitchell has cut the fat and arranged what's left in a beautiful, modern whole. The voice work is perfect. The book comes alive in a way that's impossible for more faithful translations. The scenes are tighter. The boasts no longer sound so ridiculous. And best of all are the insults, which have actual bite in Mitchell's hands. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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- Adam
- 01-23-12
A great listen!
If you could sum up The Iliad in three words, what would they be?
While Mitchell's translation and the variation of the Illiad it is based on are rather controversial, it is surely a wonderful thing to listen to. The great actor, Alfred Molina, does a splendid job. A true pleasure to listen to. Mitchell's translation in contemporary English makes the text especially alive.
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8 people found this helpful
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- Josh
- 07-14-16
loved it
Alfred Molina performs incredibly. Great experience. Great story. Odyssey comes next with Ian McKellen, cannot wait.
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- Amazon addict
- 04-22-20
Mostly great
It is well read and written but with an excessively long start which goes over all the people and main events in full dialect and the narrators personal take and opinions
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- Ryan
- 03-22-13
The spirit of the epic, reinterpreted
The last time I experienced the Iliad was when I had to read it as a freshman in high school. It was interesting to return to it with a more adult perspective, and to appreciate Homer's poetic imagery; the ancient ideals of heroic conduct; the timeless tragedy of war and human pride; and the way the ancient mind saw gods as capricious meddlers in human affairs, reaching down to bestir or chill the warrior's heart, or to guide a weapon towards or away from its target. To what extent Homer's audience really believed in the gods of his tale, or recognized them as dramatizations, is unclear to me. Yet, the genius of his story is that the audience can see it both ways. For generations of listeners, this tale must have stood like a Colossus with one foot in the real, solid world and one foot in the mists of myth.
Mitchell's translation aims to capture the way the Iliad was meant to be told: read aloud with feeling. He does so by stripping away a lot of the archaic phrasing and epithets that I remember from high school, leaving behind verse that's simple, tight, dynamic, and speaks directly to modern listeners. Some readers, of course, will be offended by his presumptuousness at "editing" a classic, but others will appreciate his efforts to make the passions of the story more accessible. A good litmus test is the scene where a soldier admonishes Paris as a "sissy" -- do you read that as a coarse, stinging insult (as was intended by the speaker), or a flagrant anachronism? (Most of the language isn't so "modern", but that was a more noticeable example.)
If you can roll with the "spirit of the work" interpretation, then Alfred Molina's masculine but sensitive audiobook performance is a great fit, capturing the frantic motion of combat, the smoldering resentment of Achilles, the feckless golden-boy attitude of Paris, and the anguish of Priam. No longer the dusty archetypes I remember from English class, the characters now come to life as human and flawed.
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8 people found this helpful
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- Richard
- 02-04-13
Returning to the classics: this was a great choice
What made the experience of listening to The Iliad the most enjoyable?
The music in the wording was enjoyable. As soon as I finished, I had to go immediately to the Odyssey.
What did you like best about this story?
I learned what Homer said and not what Hollywood’s distortions
Which character – as performed by Alfred Molina – was your favorite?
Achilles
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
It was exhilarating and heightened my imagination. I’m eager to find additional classics from the period.
Any additional comments?
It is kind of fun to revisit all the books I should have read in school.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Epik Soothsayer
- 05-25-22
Sing the Rage of Achilles
Greatest story of all time performed by a fantastic actor! Alfred Molina is stellar in his performance.
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- Tad Davis
- 10-23-11
Riveting
I expected something more free-form from Stephen Mitchell, something hewing less closely to the original; I don't know why. What's here is spectacular: a disciplined, sustained march from the beginning to the tragic (and transcendent) end. It's one of the best verse translations of "The Iliad" I've ever read.
You may have heard that there are "parts missing." True, but don't let that put you off. The omitted passages, about 1000 lines altogether, are almost universally considered later additions: this amounts to the whole of Book 10 (and good riddance!) and several hundred other lines scattered here and there throughout the poem. Apart from the omitted book, the differences are invisible (at least to me). What remains is tight, with an almost crystalline precision, an economy of movement that results in stunning action sequences and wholly realized grace notes.
You may have also heard that Mitchell dispensed with the heroic epithets that make up so much of the texture of Homer. Maybe some; maybe there aren't as many as in some other translations; but Athena, in Mitchell's rendering, is still grey-eyed; Apollo is still he "who shoots from afar"; and plenty of Trojans and Achaeans alike are "breakers of men" and "tamers of horses." This is in no respect a prosed-down or dumbed-down translation. It's the genuine article.
Alfred Molina gives a spirited reading, softer and slower in some places, bursting into vibrant energy, trembling with anger, in the furious dialogue and the shock of battle. Mitchell is reported to be working on a companion version of "The Odyssey." I hope he is: and I hope, when he's done, that he gets Molina back to read it.
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- Blythe
- 02-27-16
The Iliad should be subtitled 'Achilles is an Ass'
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
This poem is 3000 years old and one of the oldest works of literature to survive that long; it's an amazing and highly influential work; and there is so much to be learned from it historically and culturally that it's an incredible work of art and pretty much essential to any education in literature.
But, nonetheless, if you ignore all that and just take the story for what it is, it's a long and fairly violent story about Achilles being a total dick and everyone suffering. Plus a lot of lengthy ancient Greek lineage recitations which, if you pick up the audio book, will make an excellent cure for insomnia in certain chapters.
Was The Iliad worth the listening time?
Entirely depends what you're hoping to get out of it. Read it for the historical or cultural value, read it for the influence it had on future works, read it if you can in the original Greek to appreciate the structure of the poem, or even read parts of it to cure insomia ... but be realistic and just don't expect deep character development or a plot that stands up to more modern standards!
Any additional comments?
"The Iliad" should really be subtitled, "Achilles is an ass". That's basically what the story is about, from almost the very beginning to the last page: Achilles acting like a 3-year old throwing a temper tantrum for most of the length of the story.
I'd warn of spoilers, except it's hard to see how to spoil a 3000 year old story, so plot summary: during the war with the city of Troy, the Achaean soldiers capture a couple of pretty maidens from an allied town, and these poor ladies are given to King Agamemnon and Achilles (one of the greatest warriors) as "prizes". One of the maidens happens to be the daughter of a priest, who offers Agamemnon a huge ransom for her return, but King Agamemnon refuses because "MINE". Priest consults the god Apollo, who sends a plague down to punish King Agamemnon and the whole camp. Eventually Agamemnon gives the priest back his daughter, but then takes Achilles' maiden in her place because Kings can do that kind of thing, apparently.
Achilles has a temper tantrum worthy of a spoiled toddler and refuses to fight Troy or anyone else any more, because Agamemnon took "his" toy. With Achilles pouting in his tent the war starts to go badly and the Achaeans start to suffer badly. Insert various conflicts between various heroic characters on both sides, which the Greek gods aid and abet and generally confuse, switching sides so often (and sometimes working against each other on both sides) that it's hard to understand why either side could ever find it helpful to pray to any of them.
Defeat seeming imminent for the Achaeans, Achilles' best friend Patroclus persuades Achilles (still sulking and refusing to do anything) to let him wear Achilles' very recognizable armor and inspire the Achaeans to rally (assuming he is Achilles). He does this, and the Achaean morale improves enough to push the Trojans back to the city walls, but unfortunately Hector (the greatest warrior from Troy) kills Patroclus (aided and abetted by the gods).
Achilles, having basically caused the death of his best friend Patroclus by acting like a spoiled brat, finally rejoins the fight and goes on a rampage killing everyone he can, eventually including Hector (now betrayed by the gods, because you just can't trust those gods). Achilles then spends the next 10 days or so dragging Hector's body around tied to his chariot wailing about Patroclus's death and how sad he is (except for the part where he decides to throw a set of "funeral games" including chariot races and wrestling for prizes which Achilles provides), and generally trying to mutilate Hector's corpse as horribly as possible (which is foiled by those indecisive gods, who now - rather belatedly - pour healing salves and stuff on the corpse so it doesn't decay and still looks good).
Eventually even the gods agree this is getting ridiculous and Patroclus appears to Achilles in a dream telling him to give Hector's body back to his father, and the gods escort Hector's father the king of Troy to collect the body, which he does, having a nice dinner with Achilles in the mean time during which Achilles agrees to stop attacking Troy for a 2 week temporary truce so the Trojans can properly bury Hector. At which point the book ends, although Patroclus has made it clear in the dream that Achilles is about to die also, so Achilles spends a lot of time telling everyone how he wants to be buried with Patroclus and all the details of what he wants.
And thus ends my very irreverent but completely accurate plot summary of "The Iliad: Achilles is an Ass".
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