“Without the Iliad the West would be a vastly poorer place; Homer’s achievement speaks to every successive generation with its unflinching understanding of the essential tragic nature of life.” Jon Meacham, author of American Lion
Description
Homer’s Iliad can justly be called the world’s greatest war epic. The terrible and long-drawn-out siege of Troy remains one of the classic campaigns, the heroism and treachery of its combatants unmatched in song and story. Driven by fierce passions and loyalties, men and gods battle to a devastating conclusion.
“Homer is full of merriment, full of open fun and delicate comedy, even farce—as when Ares, wounded, bursts up to Olympus like a bomb. And the divine family! What a delightful natural party: human beings raised a degree or two, but all the same, funnier than that. They are the comic background for the tragedy below—for the story of Achilles is a tragedy—the fiery conflict of a man divided against himself, who in a few short days drops to the lowest hell of savagery, then rises to self-mastery and inward peace.”—W.H.D. Rouse
Praise
“Without the Iliad the West would be a vastly poorer place; Homer’s achievement speaks to every successive generation with its unflinching understanding of the essential tragic nature of life.” Jon Meacham, author of American Lion
“Iliad is a powerful statement of what it means to be human in the middle of vast and senseless bloodshed.” Masterpieces of World Literature
“The Iliad is one of the two great epics of Homer, and is typically described as one of the greatest war stories of all time, but to say the Iliad is a war story does not begin to describe the emotional sweep of its action and characters.” Amazon.com, editorial review
“The classic epics were the original audiobooks, and the power of the Iliad, undiminished over the centuries, comes over best in a spoken reading. Anthony Heald brings vigor and freshness to this rendition, and the pacing and clarity of his articulation are excellent, both in conveying the poetic quality of the lines and in maintaining the narrative flow of the storytelling. His narrative line is simple, direct, and tense, and this fine production makes clear why the Iliad stands up beside any narrative of war and men in arms, ancient or modern. Invigorating in both content and meter, this is an excellent title for extended activity—walking, driving, doing yard work.” AudioFile
Details
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| Release Day | Sep 29, 2008 |
| Release Date | September 30, 2008 |
| Release Date Machine | 1222732800 |
| Imprint | Blackstone Publishing |
| Provider | Craig Black |
| Categories | Literature & Fiction, Classics, Classics, Evergreen Classics, Evergreen Classics, Classics, Fiction - All, Fiction - Adult |
Author Bio
Homer (9th or 8th century BC) is the presumed author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, the two greatest epic poems of ancient Greece. Virtually nothing is known about his life. Tradition has it that he was blind. Most scholars believe he composed the Iliad and the Odyssey by relying on oral traditions. Their value lies chiefly in the poetry itself, moving from sublime passages about the gods and heroic exploits to passages expressing deep human emotion.
Narrator Bio
Anthony Heald, an Audie Award–winning narrator, has earned Tony nominations and an Obie Award for his theater work; appeared in television’s Law & Order, The X-Files, Miami Vice, and Boston Public; and starred as Dr. Frederick Chilton in the 1991 Oscar-winning film The Silence of the Lambs. He has also won numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards for his narrations.
Overview
Homer’s Iliad can justly be called the world’s greatest war epic. The terrible and long-drawn-out siege of Troy remains one of the classic campaigns, the heroism and treachery of its combatants unmatched in song and story. Driven by fierce passions and loyalties, men and gods battle to a devastating conclusion.
“Homer is full of merriment, full of open fun and delicate comedy, even farce—as when Ares, wounded, bursts up to Olympus like a bomb. And the divine family! What a delightful natural party: human beings raised a degree or two, but all the same, funnier than that. They are the comic background for the tragedy below—for the story of Achilles is a tragedy—the fiery conflict of a man divided against himself, who in a few short days drops to the lowest hell of savagery, then rises to self-mastery and inward peace.”—W.H.D. Rouse
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