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Stories From The Iliad, Or, The Siege Of Troy
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138 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1905
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February 27, 2023
3.5 stars
Jeanie Lang (1867-1932) was a turn of the twentieth century Scottish author who was introduced to the literary world by her uncle Andrew, who was the first to translate The Odyssey into English. Her first book was, not surprisingly, a reworking of The Odyssey and The Iliad into a version suitable for younger readers. (blurb from Google books)
Her “Stories from the Iliad” was a great introduction to the battles fought over the city of Troy, and the Greeks’ attempts to capture the beautiful Helen and return her to her husband Menelaus.
The gist of the book begins after ten years of weary fighting and recounts the valiant efforts on both sides (often undermined by the intervention of capricious gods). I was familiar with some of the names such as Paris, Odysseus and Hector, but was introduced to several new ones such as Diomedes, Nestor and Pandarus.
Some readers may be put off by the stilted, old-fashioned writing, but since I read a lot of vintage fiction, I enjoyed it. (“Glad was Achilles as he put on the armor, and terrible was his war cry as he roused the Greek warriors” and “like a mighty oak smitten by lightening he fell” are just a few examples.)
My only quibble is that the Trojan horse escapade, easily the best-known episode of the whole book, was jammed into the last few paragraphs. I had expected a little more storytelling on that event.
Jeanie Lang (1867-1932) was a turn of the twentieth century Scottish author who was introduced to the literary world by her uncle Andrew, who was the first to translate The Odyssey into English. Her first book was, not surprisingly, a reworking of The Odyssey and The Iliad into a version suitable for younger readers. (blurb from Google books)
Her “Stories from the Iliad” was a great introduction to the battles fought over the city of Troy, and the Greeks’ attempts to capture the beautiful Helen and return her to her husband Menelaus.
The gist of the book begins after ten years of weary fighting and recounts the valiant efforts on both sides (often undermined by the intervention of capricious gods). I was familiar with some of the names such as Paris, Odysseus and Hector, but was introduced to several new ones such as Diomedes, Nestor and Pandarus.
Some readers may be put off by the stilted, old-fashioned writing, but since I read a lot of vintage fiction, I enjoyed it. (“Glad was Achilles as he put on the armor, and terrible was his war cry as he roused the Greek warriors” and “like a mighty oak smitten by lightening he fell” are just a few examples.)
My only quibble is that the Trojan horse escapade, easily the best-known episode of the whole book, was jammed into the last few paragraphs. I had expected a little more storytelling on that event.
Displaying 1 of 1 review