poetry

This is an amazing book. The story of Achilles and his fellow Greeks is an amazing tale of pride, love, greed, anger, rage, and human emotion. This book is a wealth of wisdom and philosophy of the ancient Greeks told in the form of an epic. In this book, we see how the pride of Achilles nearly destroys the entire Greek army, how the greed of Agamemnon and his pride cause incalculable losses to the Greeks, and how the cowardly Paris steals a man's wife and lets everyone else fight for him. This is more than a mere story, but a book of ancient wisdom second only to the Bible. The story is amazing... but it is the demonstration of the evils of life and their consequences that make this book truly great. The feelings of the characters, and the ability to identify with their thoughts, feelings, and emotions really turn a war story into a story of the human psyche. 5 stars also go to the translator who has made this book as easy to read as any piece of modern literature.

"The Iliad", one of the greatest literary works of Western Civilization. It is the 10th year of Trojan War and neither the Greeks or Trojans are any closer to victory. And by the end, a lot of heros and champions are dead, but no one is any closer to the end. I love this book, but one huge problem was that the story doesn't begin or end. It starts and ends in the middle. For those, you have to look elsewhere. I liked "The Odyssey" better, it had a beginning and end. But I still liked this one. It is hard to read, and not for beginners, but it's rewarding, not to mention you got major braging rights.

The Illiad is possibly the greatest war story ever told. Nowhere else can the tales of superhuman heroes and gods be told with such man-like vigor and emotional verve. One feels the blows of the sword, the clashing of arms, and the pangs of war, while reading this timeless epic. The bold harangues of Greek and Trojan warriors and the artful intrigues of the gods, still resound within the imagination of the reader nearly twenty-eight hundred years after its composition. The Illiad is a definite recommendation for anyone; but for those not especially fond of the war-like, masculine tone, which underlies this work, then the Odyssey will be a much more rewarding read. Robert Fitzgerald's translation is great; and it is highly suggested.