A review by rosekk
The Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer

4.0

I read The Odyssey years ago (and liked it a lot) and have been meaning to read the Iliad ever since, so I'm mainly focusing on The Iliad now that I've finally gotten round to it. The story doesn't cover the beginning or end of the Trojan war so it doesn't quite feel like a complete story (whereas the Odyssey has a much clearer narrative structure, and feels more complete), but it's still fascinating to follow. The personalities and relationships of the heroes and gods come through clearly, and you get a good sense of the god's power and their behaviour towards mortals. There's also mention of other events outside the main plot, so you get a good sense of where all of this falls within wider mythology. Also, it's a surprisingly gory read. My only real complaint with The Iliad was towards the end, where there's a long focus on games held in Patroclus' honour, which occupy a lot of space, which seems odd when compared to the battles, personal grievances and struggles of heavenly diplomacy which take up the rest of the book. All in all, however, it's clear why the story has continued to live and find and audience for thousands of years.