The Iliad by Homer

The Iliad (Globe S.) (Narrativa74) (BCP Paperback S.) (Kingfisher epics) (Unabridged Classics in MP3)

by Homer

"The finest translation of Homer ever made into the English language."--William Arrowsmith
"Certainly the best modern verse translation."--Gilbert Highet
"This magnificent translation of Homer's epic poem . . . will appeal to admirers of Homer and the classics, and the multitude who always wanted to read the great Iliad but never got around to doing so."--The American Book Collector
"Perhaps closer to Homer in every way than any other version made in English."--Peter Green, The New Republic
"The feat is decisive that it is reasonable to foresee a century or so in which nobody will try again to put the Iliad in English verse."--Robert Fitzgerald
"Each new generation is bound to produce new translations. [Lattimore] has done better with nobility, as well as with accuracy, than any other modern verse translator. In our age we do not often find a fine scholar who is also a genuine poet and who takes the greatest pains over the work of translation."--Hugh Lloyd-Jones, New York Review of Books
"Over the long haul Lattimore's translation is more powerful because its effects are more subtle."--Booklist
"Richmond Lattimore is a fine translator of poetry because he has a poetic voice of his own, authentic and unmistakable and yet capable of remarkable range of modulation. His translations make the English reader aware of the poetry."--Moses Hadas, The New York Times

Reviewed by jamiereadthis on

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Well, I learned that, of course, Homer is all in the translation. I have a beautiful little copy of this and The Odyssey I bought for a quarter at a yard sale, and I was determined those were the copies I would read in all their beauty. (Circa 1950; the edition or translator isn’t even listed on Goodreads.) But, halfway through, I had to surrender mid-battle (of the unending battles) and defect to Robert Fagles.

It’s lyrical. It’s epic. I’m sure it comes even more alive with a better grasp of the context, but it was enough for now just to visit what I remembered from high school. (Well, high school age. I was homeschooled, so I can thank myself for not grueling through it back then and risking hating it forever. I still feel like I’m going to miss half these answers on Jeopardy, though.)

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  • Started reading
  • 19 May, 2013: Finished reading
  • 19 May, 2013: Reviewed