The Iliad of Homer

I am a fan of Greek mythology and had been looking for a book on it in the library when I came across The Iliad. I opened the contents page and saw some familiar names. I thought I had the right book, but it was only when I read the introduction that I realized my mistake. I was aware that The Iliad was one of the classics and a great book of the ancient world. It is one of the oldest books available to us although the original hasn’t survived the ravages of time. Still, it remains as one of the greatest classics of all time. This encouraged me to read on and not return the book.

At first, I was put off by the language used. It wasn’t exactly Shakespearean but it was tedious. My eyes would tire quickly so that I couldn’t read more than a chapter or two at one sitting. This meant time and time is something I am constantly chasing so it took me quite some time to get from cover to cover. After completing it I don’t feel it was a great read. If you watch the film Troy you have the essence of the story told in graphic fashion. Besides laboring with the weight of the language I had to cope with the multitude of names that brimmed out of nearly every page. The writing is pretty good considering the age and the story is alright despite the embellishments and the dizzying references to God’s and men. I understand that it was perhaps some kind of religious epic and thus there are so many references to God’s and heroes. Honestly, I preferred the film to the book but at least I can strike this off my bucket list: Read at least one classic.