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The Iliad Audiobook
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(4.13) - 31 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
One of the New Yorker’s Favorite Books from 2011—from the renowned translator of Rilke, Tao Te Ching, and Gilgamesh, a vivid new translation of Western civilization’s foundational epic: the Iliad.
One of The New Yorker’s Favorite Books of 2 011
Tolstoy called the Iliad a miracle; Goethe said that it always thrust him into a state of astonishment. Homer’s story is thrilling, and his Greek is perhaps the most beautiful poetry ever sung or written. But until now, even the best English translations haven’t been able to re-create the energy and simplicity, the speed, grace, and pulsing rhythm of the original. Now, thanks to the power of Stephen Mitchell’s language, the Iliad’s ancient story comes to moving, vivid new life, and we are carried along by a poetry that lifts even the most devastating human events into the realm of the beautiful.
Mitchell’s Iliad is also the first translation based on the work of the preeminent Homeric scholar Martin L. West, whose edition of the original Greek identifies many passages that were added after the Iliad was first written down, to the detriment of the music and the story. Omitting these hundreds of interpolated lines restores a dramatically sharper, leaner text. In addition, Mitchell’s illuminating introduction opens the epic still further to our understanding and appreciation.
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"This translation was a real pleasure to read. Also, I was amazed at how much I related to Achilles. Probably not necessarily a healthy thing. This poem captures incapacitating rage in a way that really hit very close to home. "
— Clinton (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Mitchell’s updating has resulted in a livelier, more contemporary feel for this epic of world literature…make room for this one on the shelf…For all the revising and updating, there’s still much poignancy here.”
— Los Angeles Times -
“[A] romping, clear-sighted translation…gripping…in The Iliad there are immortal, death-prophesying horses; though rivers can fight and you might find yourself chatting to a god; when we look at the stones of Troy, we see not aliens, but ourselves. That remains the poem’s greatest pull, and Mitchell has reenergized it for a new generation.”
— Telegraph (London) -
“The focus is all on the poetry…Mitchell’s characters boast and argue sharply. His Hera sasses, his Agamemnon snarls, his Helen prophesies.”
— Chronicle of Higher Education -
“Alfred Molina’s rich tones and robust narrative style…[and] impeccable pacing and subtle inflections, along with plenty of vocal punch for the battle scenes and confrontational dialogue, make the sometimes coarse vernacular feel appropriate to what Mitchell calls the ‘spirit of the text.’ Let’s hope we get to hear Molina finish the story for us in The Odyssey.”
— AudioFile
The Iliad Listener Reviews
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" Any book you've ever read stems from literature such as The Iliad, believe that. "
— Stuart, 2/6/2014 -
" listening and reading... really great "
— Esther, 1/26/2014 -
" It was required reading in school. While the other kids struggled, I loved it! "
— Darlene, 1/16/2014 -
" So much killing... and how the heck did they know everyones names!! "
— Amy, 1/5/2014 -
" Yeah, I had to read this in English Literature in high school. Not my favorite. "
— Leanne, 1/5/2014 -
" Not always easy to read, but important to read if one is going to have a rounded education in lit across the many years and cultures. "
— Alice, 12/31/2013 -
" i don't love the iliad like i do the aeneid, but the iliad is so amazingly vivid. "
— kissmyshades, 12/26/2013 -
" I enjoyed reading the story in prose form. "
— James, 12/13/2013 -
" Great read. Not a "great book" for no reason. I'd imagine the constant battle scenes would bore some, though. ;-) "
— Tobias, 12/6/2013 -
" Personally, I was very disappointed with the read. I guess for the time, it was a very heavy novel or story, but it led a lot to be desired, and though I consider myself very open minded, it caused me not to think but to sleep. "
— Douglas, 12/5/2013 -
" Really good, but much better as an unabridged audio book. "
— Anthony, 11/12/2013
About Homer
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.
About Alfred Molina
Alfred Molina is an actor and winner of numerous Earphones Awards for audiobook narration. His films include Spiderman II, Frida, Magnolia, Chocolat, Boogie Nights, The Perez Family, Maverick, Enchanted April, Not Without My Daughter, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Prick Up Your Ears. He has appeared extensively on British and American television, including the TV series Bram & Alice and Ladies’ Man. He received a Tony Award nomination, a Drama Desk Award, and an Outer Critics Circle Award for his performance in Art on Broadway. He also performed on Broadway in Molly Sweeney and in Speed the Plow for the National Theatre in London.