The Iliad

[Marky Lazer]

Next week I will start reading The Iliad of Homer, translated by George Chapman. I have the UK edition from 2000 by Wordsworth Editions, Ltd. (ISBN 1840221178). Is anyone intrested in this, reading book-by-book and discussing this great epic poem?

 

[Tea is my copilot]

I've read it last year, but not in English. Still, I would be more than happy to comment on it.

 

[Patrick Mahon]

Marky,

Subject to time constraints (I'm in the middle of proof-reading Mark Robson's Imperial Assassin this week), I'd love to discuss Homer's Iliad with you. I've started it several times, but always wandered off to do something else. This should give me the push to keep reading...

 

[GOLLUM]

I've read the Illiiad and the Odyssey and enjoyed both.

 

[Amber]

I've read the Iliad dozens of times- its one of my best books ever, and I'm always happy for an excuse to read it again. I might not (due to time constraints) be there all the time, but I'd like to join in

 

[Curt Chiarelli]

Time is tight for me also, but I'd be interested in joining your merry band.

 

[Marky Lazer]

Reading The Iliad takes me quite long, and I'm sure I don't understand half of it. It's harder than I expected it to be.

 

[Tea is my copilot]

I had to analyse most of the parts for my literature class.
I liked it in the end, but *sigh*, so many hours lost. Don't you have books that explain hidden meanings?

 

[ladyflorange]

I've never read it! So yes, I would like to join in, but like everyone else, really busy at the moment, so will join in when I can

 

[GOLLUM]

Marky, my bookshop friend just happened to show me last week two very handsome copies of Homer and The Illiiad he recently purchased which have explanatory notes on both books.

The 2 books Homer and Iliad are translated by Robert Fagles with Introduction and Notes by Bernard Knox.

This may be of interest to you...

 

[Brian G Turner]

Won't be able to read along with you, but it is a good book and I'm sure you'll get plenty of comments. Especially if we mentioned the name Diocles.

 

[Marky Lazer]

Well, it's been a while, and I've been a bit busy, but I finished Book 1. I can't say it's as easy as I expected it to be. But I'm getting into it now...

 

[Trimac20]

I find the prose of the original translation very old-fashioned and hard to read...which is a pity cos I think alot of its power and significance is lost with the 'kiddie translations.'

 

[the_faery_queen]

i can try. i studied ancient history and the illiad and odyessey at college and university and ok that was ten years ago (when i went to college, i left uni about 5-6 years ago) i may remember some

personally, me hatey the illiad. too much, so and so killed bla and bla. odyessy was ok. tho i hated odyesseus which didn't help.

in short, not a fan of epic poetry (didnt like the aeneid either) but i can try and remember stuff to discuss

 

[Trimac20]

You can pretty much summarise the whole story in like one paragraph. Most of it is just drivel, it's the language which holds the power to excite the imagination.

 

[Alia]

Time is tight for me too. I do have a copy of The Iliad and would read along with you Marky. I will make it a point to make time. Let me know when you plan on starting it.

 

[Patrick Mahon]

I find the prose of the original translation very old-fashioned and hard to read...which is a pity cos I think alot of its power and significance is lost with the 'kiddie translations.'

Which translation are you referring to as "the original"? I've seen two or three translations, some from the nineteenth century, and very reminiscent of the stuff we read when studying Latin at school

But I've also seen much more recent "adult" translations, both in prose and verse, that update the language but try to keep the epic quality. Some work better for me than others.

I've read Book 1 too, Marky - what did you think in detail?

Cheers,
Patrick.

 

[j d worthington]

It has been -- quite literally -- decades since I read Homer; I'd had it set aside for a reread for some time, but it always seemed to get put on the back burner. However, between this prompt and the fact that I've got it set up in conjunction with some other research I'm doing (though it would have been further down the line), I may well get to it sooner rather than later. I've never read the Chapman translation; I've read Lang and Pope and one other verse translation (cannot remember presently by whom); but I'm heartened to see so many who have read and enjoyed it. Can't agree with the disparagement of it; I find it's a great piece of work that still enthralls. As with so many others, subject to time constraints, count me in!

(When I joined this throng, I certainly never expected to be discussing this!)

(Anyone up for a discussion of Spenser's "Faerie Queene"?)

 

[GOLLUM]

(Anyone up for a discussion of Spenser's "Faerie Queene"?)

ER..possibly but other than moi and one or two others I'm willing to bet have read the book not sure who else has covered it?

You can always test the waters JD and start a new thread to see how it fares...

 

[j d worthington]

Marky: I realize this has been on a long time, but are you still interested in this? I just got a copy of Chapman's Homer (Iliad and Odyssey both), and if you're still going through this and want discussions, I'm game. Otherwise, it goes on my ever-growing TBR list (though not too far into it). (Pity this doesn't include the lesser Homerica -- I'd rather like to read that.)