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Really does good at contextualizing Neoplatonism and explaining the doctrines and ideas of these philosophers such that I feel more confident facing primary sources of these people now.

Really starts at ground zero and is very understandable

It really is starting to be clear that the decider of all victory in this book is the “will to fight”, which is hampered by cowardice and encouraged by bravery.

Good to understand the context in which much Neoplatonic thought has been written

I am actually starting to wrap my head around some of the basic concepts. It really stretches my comprehension, and I often need to reread each paragraph (sometimes even sentences) multiple times to penetrate what is even being said, but I do really appreciate the insights, and I am starting to get the ball rolling on this book. I like the Epicurean polemics I am encountering on simply chasing pleasure being wrong!

The further I read, the more I am convinced that cowardice and honor are the two main themes, which are seldom not mentioned at least once in practically every interaction.

Besides Achilles, naturally, I think Odysseus is my favorite, and I look forward to reading the next book in the Epic Cycle. As we progress through the war, I see lots of themes like honor, cowardice, and gloating pride.

This is the most damn confusing book I’ve read in my entire life. The wordings confound me, and Plotinus is clearly much smarter than me. I hardly scrape by his distinctions of soul and essence, and struggle to understand the importance and implications of what he says.

I think a lot of the quality of the book kind of drops off by the theosophy section, basically just becoming a list of names and basic ideas.

I love the characters. I am surprised it's been this long since the purported main character (Achilles) is not involved in story yet. Despite this, he still permeates the narrative in the motivations of the gods and mortals alike. I really am curious about why Zeus is so eager to listen to Thetis, and why he even cares about Achilles beyond Thetis? The interactions and relationships between the gods is so fun!

I love how the gods fight, and I really am excited for Achilles to reenter the story when he’s done coping. I think my favorite character’s so far are Achilles and Odysseus, which makes me excited to read the Odyssey after The Iliad

Great! I’m excited to see how the conflict between Agamemnon and Achilles resolves whilst the fight between Paris and Menelaus brews onward. I’m noticing both have themes about stolen wives, and I wonder why?

Homer does a great job at just sitting back and telling the story and there is no interpretation or anything of that sort. He simply says what happened and leaves it to you, which gives you a lot to think about and makes the story a lot easier to follow. I think Achilles is a very interesting person so far I love the dynamic between the gods and I’m excited to see the rivalry of Achilles and Agamemnon play forth.

The isolation really takes a toll on Gregor. You can really feel him getting used to his miserable life— the same way we can get used to isolation and guilt, letting it consume us and hurt those around us

Great book. Gregor is relatable, and I love the isolation mixed with the almost delirious nature of his condition and how we respond to this as social humans

Really engaging and good so far. Love the characters