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Lisa's Reviews > The Iliad
The Iliad
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"Did you really LIKE the Iliad, mum?"
My son has just finished reading it, and his question is valid. Do you really LIKE to read line after line of gory murder, repeated endlessly from song to song?
I evaded the question, speaking of fantastic opening lines, of classic art and immense influence on other authors. And then I capitulated - a little:
"The Odyssey is much more interesting as a story!" I said.
"So you didn't like it then?"
"I liked reading it!"
And we agreed that some books just ARE. As a reader, you will want to tackle them at some point, and the rules you apply to more recent works of fiction don't count. You award yourself 5 stars for finishing, for knowing more than you did before starting. But then my son killed the Iliad with a spear as sharp as those of Homeric warriors. He compared it to Greek tragedy. And that is where I stumbled: those ARE too - but I also LIKE reading them. They are thought-provoking, exciting, and classic. Troy's fall from the perspective of Philoctetes is pure literary bliss. The Iliad is not. But it remains...
My son has just finished reading it, and his question is valid. Do you really LIKE to read line after line of gory murder, repeated endlessly from song to song?
I evaded the question, speaking of fantastic opening lines, of classic art and immense influence on other authors. And then I capitulated - a little:
"The Odyssey is much more interesting as a story!" I said.
"So you didn't like it then?"
"I liked reading it!"
And we agreed that some books just ARE. As a reader, you will want to tackle them at some point, and the rules you apply to more recent works of fiction don't count. You award yourself 5 stars for finishing, for knowing more than you did before starting. But then my son killed the Iliad with a spear as sharp as those of Homeric warriors. He compared it to Greek tragedy. And that is where I stumbled: those ARE too - but I also LIKE reading them. They are thought-provoking, exciting, and classic. Troy's fall from the perspective of Philoctetes is pure literary bliss. The Iliad is not. But it remains...
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Reading Progress
Finished Reading
July 9, 2014
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message 1:
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Antje
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Apr 26, 2019 07:58AM
Die Odyssee habe ich geliebt; an die Ilias habe ich mich seltsamerweise bis heute nicht getraut.
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Antje wrote: "Die Odyssee habe ich geliebt; an die Ilias habe ich mich seltsamerweise bis heute nicht getraut."Ja, das kann ich nachvollziehen. Ilias ist Pflicht, Odyssee ist Kür, aber wenn man nur für die eigene Freude liest, reicht die Kür meiner Meinung nach :-)
Brava! I'm with you, the Odyssey was much more interesting and memorable to me. But -- I had possibly the most fun experience one could have when reading the Iliad in college. I lived with my family to save money, and every night at the dinner table I would retell that day's action-packed episode to my two teenage brothers (and parents, both English teachers). The brothers (and probably Dad) loved it, and when it came time for the exam I remembered everything in great detail. (However, I don't remember much of it now, decades later ... drink, fight, repeat, right?)
Caterina wrote: "Brava! I'm with you, the Odyssey was much more interesting and memorable to me. But -- I had possibly the most fun experience one could have when reading the Iliad in college. I lived with my fam..."
I would have loved to sit as guest on your family's table (c:
Lisa wrote: "Antje wrote: "Die Odyssee habe ich geliebt; an die Ilias habe ich mich seltsamerweise bis heute nicht getraut."Ja, das kann ich nachvollziehen. Ilias ist Pflicht, Odyssee ist Kür, aber wenn man n..."
Lisa, ist es also eher eine süße Qual, die Ilias zu bewältigen?
Caterina wrote: "Brava! I'm with you, the Odyssey was much more interesting and memorable to me. But -- I had possibly the most fun experience one could have when reading the Iliad in college. I lived with my fam..."
Drink fight moan repeat, yes! Love your family story, Caterina! That's how literature comes alive...
Antje wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Antje wrote: "Die Odyssee habe ich geliebt; an die Ilias habe ich mich seltsamerweise bis heute nicht getraut."Ja, das kann ich nachvollziehen. Ilias ist Pflicht, Odyssee ist Kür, ab..."
Genau, Antje!
Manuel wrote: "Ah, the Iliad...Alas, my brain...":-)
The opening lines … are something that I will probably remember right up to the day they, embarrassed of my failing abilities, will drag me to a nursing home … Sing, Goddess, Achilles’ rage,Black and murderous, that cost the Greeks
Incalculable pain, pitched countless souls
Of heroes into Hades’ dark,
O, those first lines!
Jacob wrote: "The opening lines … are something that I will probably remember right up to the day they, embarrassed of my failing abilities, will drag me to a nursing home … Sing, Goddess, Achilles’ rage,Black ..."
Yes, he nailed the beginning, just like Milton:
"Of man's first disobedience, and the loss thereupon..."
Shall we blame bad or nonexistent editing for the tedious splatter action that followed?
Lisa wrote: "Jacob wrote: "The opening lines … are something that I will probably remember right up to the day they, embarrassed of my failing abilities, will drag me to a nursing home … Sing, Goddess, Achilles..."No, we should definitely not. Homer is nothing but the referee, and a marvelous one at it.
Jacob wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Jacob wrote: "The opening lines … are something that I will probably remember right up to the day they, embarrassed of my failing abilities, will drag me to a nursing home … Sing, Godd..."Right, and the Trojan Horse the worst own goal in history. Talking about letting your defence slip!
Lisa wrote: "Jacob wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Jacob wrote: "The opening lines … are something that I will probably remember right up to the day they, embarrassed of my failing abilities, will drag me to a nursing hom..."Well, he probably had to recover the manuscript from an Office365 break-down and forgot to delete the part about the Trojan Horse.
Caterina wrote: "O, those first lines!"Yep!
I completely agree! the violence was hard for me to get through, but I was really glad to have read it when I finally finished! It's like that with most classics
