The Iliad: The Fitzgerald Translation | 
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| Editorial Review / Publisher's Information:
Product Description
Anger be now your song, immortal one,
Akhilleus' anger, doomed and ruinous,
that caused the Akhaians loss on bitter loss
and crowded brave souls into the undergloom,
leaving so many dead men-carrion
for dogs and birds; and the will of Zeus was done.
-Lines 1-6
Since it was first published more than twenty-five years ago, Robert Fitzgerald's prizewinning translation of Homer's battle epic has become a classic in its own right: a standard against which all other versions of The Iliad are compared. Fitzgerald's work is accessible, ironic, faithful, written in a swift vernacular blank verse that "makes Homer live as never before" (Library Journal).
This edition includes a new foreword by Andrew Ford.
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Customer Reviews:
• A Masterpiece 15 January, 2007
This book was of course the favorite of Alexander the Great. He kept it under his pillow every night, and read it everynight. So I decided to check it out.
And it turned out to be great!
I personally like this book better than the Odyssey, partly because I like warfare over advantures. I found it more interesting, and by far the best poetry ever written (in my opinion).
- Reviewed by customer ID: A36LE7UZFZY5RC
• Not The Translation By Fitzgerald! 16 May, 2008
This is the public domain translation by Butler, NOT the Fitzgerald translation that the excellent reviews clearly refer to. What's more, I arrived here after searching Amazon Books for "Fitzgerald, Iliad". This brought up the Fitzgerald paperback book, which claimed to be available in a Kindle version. Selecting this link brought up what--from the reviews--also seemed to be the Fitzgerald translation. Fortunately, I chose to get the trial, which turned out to be the old translation by Butler. Only then did I bother to check out the poor ratings only to find that that this is an error that Amazon should have known about and corrected long ago.
These translations are about as different as can be. The Butler translation is from 1898 and is in prose, while the Fitzgerald is a modern (1974) translation in verse.
BEWARE!
- Reviewed by customer ID: A30SX8P7RGMS2E
• Terrible Seller 13 May, 2007
The sent me a different translation than is advertised and I had to buy the book elsewhere at an increased rate!
- Reviewed by customer ID: A19UI89LKOX764
• Sophomore Student's Review 01 April, 2008
I found The Iliad to be a very interesting read. I was able to augment my knowledge of Greek mythology, legend, and in a small way some manner of Greek history as I read. Before I began reading, I had thought that such a long book would be filled with actions in events in its plot. As I began reading the first few Books (chapters) I realized that the story line did not have such a plethora of plot twists and events. The main factor that contributed to the size of the book was the overwhelming attention given to detail and description. Many factors that are not typically given mention in modern literature but are included in detail include familial heritage, and the identification of lesser characters. The writing turns to metaphor, simile, and comparisons often in the description of a setting, person, or action. The acts of warriors in battle are often said to be done "just as" a wild beast behaves. For example, a great hero will run down his enemies with the skill of a great lion or other animal in pursuit of its prey or a warrior surrounded but unable to be hurt would be fighting like a wild boar that has been surrounded by humans.
I thought that this particular translation, with its choice of older spellings of names and places, was enlightening, as a student with no previous in-depth knowledge of greek heroes/mythology. Though others may have seen it as irritating or unnecessary, I thought that it added to the style and overall aura of the text.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A32J2F07ONJF5P
• One Of Our First War Novels 15 April, 2008
I used the W. H. D. Rouse translation
One of our first war novels: the Achains and their allies send a great multitude of ships laden with armored warriors carrying bows, spears, and swords; divisions of horse drawn chariots rumble there way into the ranks of the Trojans and their allies laying siege to Troy. The Trojans counter-attack with a push all the way to the ships. And as we read, these gains and losses continue throughout the story. There is a short truce to mourn the dead and recoup, then the battle rages on only in our minds.
It flows like a song. Lucid, with wonderful imagery and symbolism's. Homer, with Rouses' help, bring out the details of battle and personalize each warrior: we learn he has a wife, a family, and a life elsewhere, after he has been cut in two and stripped of his armor. Men are slaughtered with an indifference, as if they were mere cattle. I found it hard to follow the extensive list of characters. I believe some of the realism was lost to modernization. I also found the knowledge Homer had of the human anatomy surprising. The footnotes were helpful. Better than Odyssey.
It is interesting to note: the gods control man, and man controls the gods. The two interact with each other; the gods send down their wrath and protections upon their favored nation. The gods are no different than the humans they try to control, except for their immortality. Hades is where all mortals go unto death. The parallels to the Bible are evident, with connotations of God. It can be hard to grasp.......a story that is 2,700 years old.
Wish you well
Scott
- Reviewed by customer ID: ALDRY40BPNY09
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