The Iliad: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)

What can one say about Robert Fagles scholarly translation of one of the world’s most famous poems? The story of Achilles heated dispute with Agamemnon together with its tragic consequences all set against the background of the Trojan War is a story known, at least in outline, to most of us. The particular arrangement of words in in early Greek epic poetry, the dactylic hexameter, determined by the kind and number of metrical units in a line cannot however be retained in translation, even though it is necessary to obtain a complete understanding of Homer’s work. Fagles has attempted to retain some flavour of it, while still giving an accurate translation of the text. Those of us unprepared to learn the language in which this poem was written, should read, I think, several eminent translations, among which Fagles’ would feature, in order to get the best impression of the original work.

Great Quality. Great Book

I bought this PB edition of Fagles' translation specifically for the deckled page edges. Anyone not considering deckled page edges to be an enhancement might consider the (non-Deluxe) Penguin Classics edition. The book cover also has French flaps.

Liked the book but would not buy one again from this author

I've been wanting to read this for quite a while. this is a great translation if this is your first reading of the story, its written largely in modern idiom making it easy to understand. this is a story every western child grows up knowing and i was even visting the very ruins of troy when i was reading this. Homer's account of the epic siege of Troy is a story we all know yet still it takes you away as you read through it. it does drag a bit at times yet in others its simply epic. Definitely give it a try and persist with it, my advice would be to read it as if you were reading it out to a group of people just as it was originally written to be read, it seems to flow better and feel even more epic this way.

Robert Fagles is by far the best translator. He makes this such a readable edition In my opinion he is by far the best translator of the Iliad. Highly recommended

Fagles great translation and telling of this great epic. It is accompanied by an excellent essay on the background and history of rhe ten years war between the Greek city-states and Troy,fomented and maintained by the gods. It has very helpful notes on the background, the pronunciation of names, the places and a very full index. Even those who know the basic story well will find that the book sheds new light on the pre-classical world and on human behaviour.The introduction alone is worth the price

Beautiful book, lovely translation. I bought this when it first can out decades ago and I’m really happy it feels the same. Isn’t that enough advice already?

Fellow customers: please note that the "jagged" deckled edges are intentional, not a defect! That info is tucked away toward the bottom of the product description, so that came as a surprise to me. I don't prefer deckled edges, but they're not a dealbreaker for me, and the quality of the paper itself actually feels very nice—better than most of the books I own. As usual, Amazon's handling was less gentle than ideal, and the cover edges got a little dinged up in transit. No significant damages, though. Now with that out of the way: this is my first time reading The Iliad (because I guess I've been living under a rock for all these years) and I am stunned by how truly excellent it is. For some background, I mainly read epic fantasy, but lately I have found a lot of my more recent reads to be lackluster—so I decided to go back to the original tales of gods, fantastical feats, thematic depth, and cultural significance. I started with Stephen Mitchell's translation since it was the only version available from my library, but it felt stilted and omitted a whole chunk of the original epic, so I switched to this translation (as per the Internet's as well as my husband's recommendation). Fagles' translation reads beautifully and I can't recommend it highly enough. The language is contemporary enough to be accessible and rich enough to maintain its sense of grandeur and awe. The Iliad is a thrilling, tragic, and at times darkly humorous cautionary tale of the cost of war and man's hubris. The reader feels the weight of the violence and the carelessness of men and gods; the ugly sides of the war and social dynamics aren't sugarcoated or watered down. It sits with you in a way that reminds you that these themes from millennia ago are still relevant today. Absolutely excellent, highly recommended.

The book was delivered 11 days after the order. The book was received in good condition.The book is worth reading.

The translation was easy to read, but it's still a book that needs to be read slowly to fully understand. Amazing to read a story that was already old for the ancient Greeks, and has so influenced the world.

A very beautiful cover! The slightly torn page edges really add to it as well

A pleasure to look at and hold, an absolute delight to read. A treasure to pass down to future generations.