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The Illiad

Schadenfreude

Schadenfreude

Lifer
I like reading up on mythology; and along with the Oddysey, the Illiad is supposed to be THE works of Homer, representing his best work; so I pick it up - I read it the first time, and 2/3rds of the way through, I'm so disgusted that I just drop the book;

recently I picked up another copy of the book, this time it's a general world mythologies book, where it's more of a compliation of cliff notes for the book - "I thought, hey, it might be the translation that was so bad"; this edition is even worse!

What's your opinions on the book? I'll elaborate why it disgusts me so, but I have to go!

For you guys that loved it, Why? What do you guys see that I do not?
 
Had to read it for school. Hated it. Worst book in my six years of both high school and college combined.

EDIT: I was in 9th grade when I read it, so that may have had something to do with it. I liked The Odyssey much much more.
 
Originally posted by: Jehovah
I like reading up on mythology; and along with the Oddysey, the Illiad is supposed to be THE works of Homer, representing his best work; so I pick it up - I read it the first time, and 2/3rds of the way through, I'm so disgusted that I just drop the book;

recently I picked up another copy of the book, this time it's a general world mythologies book, where it's more of a compliation of cliff notes for the book - "I thought, hey, it might be the translation that was so bad"; this edition is even worse!

What's your opinions on the book? I'll elaborate why it disgusts me so, but I have to go!
Click to expand...

Um, we don't even know if "Homer" existed. Some say that the Iliad was a folk work passed on from bard to bard, and that Homer is just that collection of authors. The Iliad is 1/2 of "his" work, the other being the Odyssey. It really depends what translation you get and why you are reading it. You really can't read it like a novel.
 
I've read condensed versions of the Iliad and the Odyssey, but haven't read the real thing. I do enjoy Greek mythology, however.
 
I was never forced to read it. They made us real the scarlet pimpernel (that's different from the scarlet letter), so I by no means got off easy.

I believe that people would read more if English classes didn't encourage the reading of such mind-numbing sh*t as that, a tale of two clitties, etc.
 
Originally posted by: Skoorb
I was never forced to read it. They made us real the scarlet pimpernel (that's different from the scarlet letter), so I by no means got off easy.

I believe that people would read more if English classes didn't encourage the reading of such mind-numbing sh*t as that, a tale of two clitties, etc.
Click to expand...

I wish they would've let us read books like that. :Q 🙁
 
I have read the Iliad maybe three or four times. It is not the most accessible book to read. It is very old and was origtinally sung instead of read. No it did not disgust me.

It is fits in the same category as Beowolf and The Odyssey.
 
I'd have to say I didn't like it very much either. Story aside, it was just one of those reads that crosses into frustration. Definitely not a book I would think of picking up for fun.
 
Originally posted by: Jehovah
For you guys that loved it, Why? What do you guys see that I do not?
Click to expand...

well
i was an english major in college...so i love to read Stuff.
i like the oddysey better but i enjoy these stories. i enjoy the poetry. i know the stories would be just as universal had they not been in this form. i can understand why some people would rather just get a few paragraphs or so of summary or what have you and be just as pleased.
i also must say that anything translated is always interesting to me. you can usually find subtle differences depending on the versions and annotated copies always have tons of cool info in the foot/endnotes on why scholars have chosen *this* to be the "right" way to look at something, etc.
its basically the same reason i like the bible. im not religious but i find it interesting to look at something so influential and so old. its mind-boggling to think of something being around that long and still being relevant. i always find it cool to run across everyday quotes and see it in the original context to see just how far those phrases have mutated or see if they are still being used in the same way. more often than not, i find the original context of popular phrases cast a certain amount of irony on the way they are currently used.
long story short: my interest is largely academic. although i find Homer enjoyable, i doubt ill be curling up with the Illiad again anytime soon. since having read it a few times, it has become mostly reference material for me.
 
Originally posted by: Orsorum
Originally posted by: Skoorb
I was never forced to read it. They made us real the scarlet pimpernel (that's different from the scarlet letter), so I by no means got off easy.

I believe that people would read more if English classes didn't encourage the reading of such mind-numbing sh*t as that, a tale of two clitties, etc.
Click to expand...

I wish they would've let us read books like that. :Q 🙁
Click to expand...

just to be a jackass, i will point out that you can go ahead and read anything you want.
 
Originally posted by: PatboyX
Originally posted by: Jehovah
For you guys that loved it, Why? What do you guys see that I do not?
Click to expand...

well
i was an english major in college...so i love to read Stuff.
i like the oddysey better but i enjoy these stories. i enjoy the poetry. i know the stories would be just as universal had they not been in this form. i can understand why some people would rather just get a few paragraphs or so of summary or what have you and be just as pleased.
i also must say that anything translated is always interesting to me. you can usually find subtle differences depending on the versions and annotated copies always have tons of cool info in the foot/endnotes on why scholars have chosen *this* to be the "right" way to look at something, etc.
its basically the same reason i like the bible. im not religious but i find it interesting to look at something so influential and so old. its mind-boggling to think of something being around that long and still being relevant. i always find it cool to run across everyday quotes and see it in the original context to see just how far those phrases have mutated or see if they are still being used in the same way. more often than not, i find the original context of popular phrases cast a certain amount of irony on the way they are currently used.
long story short: my interest is largely academic. although i find Homer enjoyable, i doubt ill be curling up with the Illiad again anytime soon. since having read it a few times, it has become mostly reference material for me.
Click to expand...

Dude, I'm a philosophy major - you think I don't like to read? 😛

Anyhow, I understand where you're coming from - but what about the story itself? I'm not about to ruin it for the people that have read it, but the focus and the hero of the story is waaay out of whack, I think . . ..
 
had to read it in World Lit I during sophomore year of college. I loved it, mostly because of the mythology aspects and the epic scope of the trojan war.

much better than The Oddysey, IMO... having a good translation makes a huge difference, though.
 
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