The Iliad Paperback – August 6, 2024

Emily Wilson’s translation of The Iliad is nothing short of breathtaking. She brings Homer’s epic to life with clarity, power, and emotional depth, making it both readable and deeply resonant. The language is vivid yet precise, capturing the raw intensity of battle, the complexities of honor, and the tragic fates of warriors and kin.

This is my first time ever reading the Iliad, though I already knew the story extremely well. I think it was because I knew the story well, but had not read the Iliad, a lot of confusion arose on certain parts of the story. One example is when Agamemnon is trying to appease Achilles. He offers Achilles numerous gifts including one of his three daughters, Chrysothemis, Iphianassa and Laodice. I found it odd that Agamemnon included Iphianassa when she is supposed to be dead at this point. But Wilson clarified and explained a few differences, contradictions, and errors in her notes section at the end of the book. She explained that in Homer, the sacrifice/murder of Iphigenia is not included. Her notes section is very lengthy and detailed. Wilson meticulously goes through each chapter explaining numerous facts, points, ect. Each chapter is also summarized and tied into the notes section.I do believe this translation of the Iliad is a bit longer than the others because Wilson really broke down the story so that it was easily understood as you read. You didn’t have to stop and reread a passage and think over what something meant before continuing on. It was pretty easy to read and I’m very pleased I choose this translation to be my first translation to read. You can tell Wilson put a lot of care and thought into her translation and it was much appreciated.*Also a pronunciation section is included at the end along with a few genealogies. That pronunciation guide was incredibly helpful, the names that begin with Ep and Ph usually trip me up really bad.

This translation is easy to read and flows exceptionally well. I am enjoying it immensely and will be reading more of her works in the future.

I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit that I’ve read four translations of an epic poem about warfare that was written 2,600 years ago. This one is the best because it is wonderfully clear; in other versions, you’ll often feel not just confused but lost.I am not a huge fan of classic literature; most of the classics are moldy oldies and deserve to remain buried. The Iliad is one of the exceptions. This version succeeds at accomplishing something that is right on the edge of impossible: Emily Wilson provides us with 610 pages of iambic pentameter poetry, a task that Shakespeare could never have dreamed of even trying.There are more than a hundred unique, poetic descriptions of the final moments of life in battle. The ground trembles as thousands of warriors and their horses rush toward each other. Red blood soaks into the black earth outside the walled city of Troy.This is also a story about uncertainty, fear, and suffering. The women (especially Hector’s wife) know that if the Trojans lose the war, they will be enslaved and their young children will be killed.If you’ve never read the Iliad, be forewarned that this book is LONG and that it contains graphic descriptions of battle wounds. Everyone suffers: men, women, and horses. You’ll skim many pages, but you’ll also be stunned by the author’s skill.There is a summary of each chapter at the end, which should have been placed at the beginning.Perhaps someday Emily Wilson can be convinced to provide us with an abbreviated version that’s about 250 pages long.

I'm posting in the immediate afterglow of having completed the Iliad. I have been on a journey of reading the world's classic books - Don Quixote, War and Peace, the Bible, etc - a literary ultramarathoner is my new profession I say.When I first set out to read the Iliad about a year ago, I made it a quarter of the way through another translation and quit (this despite having listened to the entire lecture series by Elizabeth Vandiver before hand! - which I actually really liked too). Despite the above achievements, just couldn't make it happen. THE ONLY book I have given up on since I began my journey. I was disappointed. But I was acutely aware that now true ultramarathoner can NOT read the Iliad - too important in history.During the course of my readings I have become acutely aware of how important translators are, so when I went back to conquer it again I paid careful attention to that - Dr. Wilson rose to the top. I cannot tell you what a MAGNIFICENT job she did with this book - the introduction, the summaries at the end, and as importantly making the book actually enjoyable to read. Her hard work and accomplishment was instrumental in allowing me to navigate this work - and for that I am very grateful - and you will be too,

Small rip on back, otherwise came on time.