I was very surprised to find that I actually enjoyed this book. You are able to witness the tragic flaws in all of the characters, and ultimately the pointlessness of the Trojan war. The book had an appropriate amount of suspense and sorrow, and lets just face it: Homer is a master. His ability to make you care about the characters, and the subtle way in which the Greek worldview is crafted throughout the story makes him one of the greatest writers of all time. Everyone needs to read the Iliad at least once in their lifetime, because the movie 'Troy' did not do it justice.
I also loved The Illiad. I found Homer's depiction of the relationship between the Gods and mankind extremely interesting (something which the movie Troy barely touches on). He succeeded in covering so many aspects of Greek culture from that period. I particularly liked his characterisation of Agamemnon. The loved the speech that Nestor gave to Agamemnon and Achilles. Now I'm working my way through The Odyssey!
Those were really good parts. I particularly loved the part where he first introduced Helen, because he never described her face, only other people's reactions to her. I felt like that was a brilliant move, because everyone is going to have a different image of the most beautiful woman ever, but everyone will have the same reaction.
I read it a long time ago. I liked it alot. Wish I could remember more specifics about it though. I do remember skipping the chapter that just lists all the men. I believe that it was chapter 2, The Forces are Displayed. I didn't have the patience for that, but I enjoyed the rest. I should reread it, and probably will.
Calvin : You can't just turn on creativity like a faucet. You have to be in the right mood. Hobbes : What mood is that? Calvin : Last-minute panic. Got YWS?
Yes, you should re-read it. Every time I pick it up I seem to find something different, or some other delight that I failed to notice before. The Iliad is just such a work of art. I really wish we knew more about Homer, because he must have been quite a character himself.
