2024 the best translation of the iliad review

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(as of Nov 17, 2024 14:05:13 UTC - Details)

2024 Audie Award Winner for Literary Fiction & Classics

When Emily Wilson’s translation of The Odyssey appeared in 2017―rendering the ancient poem in contemporary language that was “fresh, unpretentious and lean” (Madeline Miller, Washington Post)―critics lauded it as “a revelation” (Susan Chira, New York Times) and “a cultural landmark” (Charlotte Higgins, Guardian) that would forever change how Homer is read in English. Now Wilson has returned with an equally revelatory translation of Homer’s other great epic―the most revered war poem of all time.

Brought to life in vivid audio form, this crisp verse translation of The Iliad roars with the clamor of arms, the bellowing boasts of victors, the fury and grief of loss, and the anguished cries of dying men. It sings, too, of the sublime magnitude of the world―the fierce beauty of nature and deities’ grand schemes beyond the ken of mortals.

Wilson’s musical iambic pentameter verse is brought to life in the evocative voice of narrator and Broadway legend Audra McDonald. In her thrilling reading, this magical and often horrifying tale gallops at a pace befitting its legendary battle scenes. The culmination of a decade of intense engagement with antiquity’s most surpassingly beautiful and emotionally complex poetry, Wilson’s Iliad now gives us a complete Homer for our generation.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

Reviewer: Susan P. Blevins
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Vibrant new translation of a classic
Review: I compared this translation with others and this is by far the best. It has so much vitality and rhythm, as does Homer's original. It is a joy to read, and the introduction and notes are most informative and interesting. It is an exciting read!

Reviewer: Jewell
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Dramatic translation
Review: I'm taking a class on the Iliad and this was our text. Our teacher reads it to us. He is an amazing reader/actor and this is an amazing translation.

Reviewer: Jon Shemitz
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A wonderful, fluid translation
Review: I read the whole thing aloud. I didn't quite mean to: I read the preface and book 1 the night it arrived, and said to my sweetie 'She urges us to read this aloud, and I probably will inflict bits on you. Hmm. Maybe I should just start over and read the whole thing aloud [the way we did with Circe].' So I did.I'm sure I'll have to read it again - silently - but imho the read aloud did add to the experience. It didn't feel like verse and it felt very easy to avoid the singsong of carelessly read rhymed verse - but it was striking how reading the verse aloud made it very obvious when I transposed words or misread names.Wilson got our attention with her Odyssey which eschewed euphemisms like "housekeeper" or "attendant" and called a slave a slave. That was an amazing translation, and this is a thoroughly worthy successor. She does not convert me to her preference for the Iliad over the Odyssey, but her Iliad is a vital, powerful story told in language that probably does feel as natural and unaffected to a modern audience as the original Greek felt to the original audiences. Eyeballs pop, brains jelly, gods and kings bicker - this is no more a guide to how to live well than its rough contemporary from Palestine, but a heck of a lot more fun to read.

Reviewer: John Hamer, Jr.
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: The Iliad: Come for the Blood, Stay for the Poetry
Review: The Iliad is a hard sell. The Odyssey is a great yarn while The Iliad is about death. The Odyssey is an adventure, a journey, the guy gets the girl. While in the Iliad everybody dies. Not just on the plains in front of Troy: everybody, everywhere. We are all interchangeable to the folks on Olympus. And everybody knows it. Except The Iliad is too powerful, too good, too cinematic not to read, and reread once in a while. In either event--reading for the first time or returning to it after years (like Odysseus, maybe?)--read Emily Wilson's new translation of the Iliad. And while you're reading it, every so often stop and read ten or twelve lines aloud, savor Wilson's poetry, get caught up in the churning power of her cadence, weep with Andromache, or scoff at Artemis. Sure the apparatus worthy of an important scholarly and artistic accomplishment is present (a great introduction, interesting translator's notes, maps, and glossary) and certainly Wilson makes amazing and discussible decisions, but just for a while, before it happens to you, relish reading something great. Because while we can stand to the side and watch, detached, Odysseus, deal with the suitors and cheer, we are all involved in The Iliad.

Reviewer: Lashanti Jones
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Easy to read and understand!
Review: This is my first time ever reading the Iliad, though I already knew the story extremely well. I think it was because I knew the story well, but had not read the Iliad, a lot of confusion arose on certain parts of the story. One example is when Agamemnon is trying to appease Achilles. He offers Achilles numerous gifts including one of his three daughters, Chrysothemis, Iphianassa and Laodice. I found it odd that Agamemnon included Iphianassa when she is supposed to be dead at this point. But Wilson clarified and explained a few differences, contradictions, and errors in her notes section at the end of the book. She explained that in Homer, the sacrifice/murder of Iphigenia is not included. Her notes section is very lengthy and detailed. Wilson meticulously goes through each chapter explaining numerous facts, points, ect. Each chapter is also summarized and tied into the notes section.I do believe this translation of the Iliad is a bit longer than the others because Wilson really broke down the story so that it was easily understood as you read. You didn’t have to stop and reread a passage and think over what something meant before continuing on. It was pretty easy to read and I’m very pleased I choose this translation to be my first translation to read. You can tell Wilson put a lot of care and thought into her translation and it was much appreciated.*Also a pronunciation section is included at the end along with a few genealogies. That pronunciation guide was incredibly helpful, the names that begin with Ep and Ph usually trip me up really bad.

Reviewer: MadMax
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: More enjoyable to read translation
Review: Earlier translations were tough to get through, but Emily Wilson did an excellent job with bringing a more enjoyable reading experience. Don't skip the Introduction, Translator's Notes, Notes or Glossary. Her use of iambic pentameter made reading many parts aloud a pleasure. Next up, her translation of The Odyssey.

Reviewer: S. Hong
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A great translation that shouldn’t be used to push an agenda
Review: Unfortunate that Emily Wilson’s translations has been coopted into the culture wars going on today. This wonderful new translation can and should be enjoyed by all, no matter your political leaning or sexual politics. Liberal or Conservative. It is a disservice to her work to be used in such reductive way. Like a composition by Mozart there are many wonderful interpretations and performances and they can all contribute valid perspectives. There is no best but there are the better ones. This is one of them.

Reviewer: Amazon Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A++; 5/5. Totally TOP SHELF.
Review: An exquisite publication written by a remarkable afficionada of Ancient Greek poetry. Her complete effort is evident. Maps, Glossary, Notes, even the Introduction, and of course the Translation are impeccable for any book lover of the ancient worldTake it from me, someone with a shelf of “The Iliad” in translations.

Reviewer: Kristian
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Emily Wilson’s translation of the Iliad is a real gem. The language is accomplished yet very accessible. For someone slightly intimidated by reading Homer in its full unabridged length, this is a very good choice. Although long, the Iliad is always entertaining. Its colourful characters and drama (including the never-ending interference of the gods) pulls you in, and along. Nordon’s hardcover edition is of good quality. A keeper.

Reviewer: Kez
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: In the introduction Emily Wilson explains the reasoning behind her translation:“Many modern English translations of Homer use contorted, unnatural language that seems to me quite alien to the experience of the Greek. Many versions create a reading experience that mirrors how first-year language students labor valiantly through each word, but have only a foggy notion of what it all means.”Emily Wilson's Iliad is a translation for the modern reader making it accessible to everyone, especially those who would have loved to read Homer but as she points out been put off by the archaic language of previous versions. There are also extensive notes, a glossary and an introduction well worth reading.It is also beautifully presented with 'French flaps' and 'deckled edging' giving it an antiquarian look and feel. (It isn't as some reviews have presumed just badly cut pages.)

Reviewer: Martin Gilar
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Emily Wilson translation is vivid and clear, reading it is a true joy.

Reviewer: Tessa
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I've always been a fan of Greek myths and was excited to read a translation by a woman! The book itself was high quality, and free of any print mistakes, shipping issues or wear and tear. I read this with my mum and we both enjoyed it a lot.

Reviewer: Amazon Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Good reading. Great service 👏