James Rowland’s Reviews > The Iliad > Status Update

Achilles is a monster. Hector’s father’s and wife’s monologues were highlights, followed by the chase.
“There are no binding oaths between men and lions - wolves and lambs can enjoy no meeting of the minds - they are all bent on hating each other to the death. So with you and me. No love between us. No truce till one or the other falls and gluts with blood.” I want to say that to an enemy before I merk them

“Let bygones be bygones. Done is done. Despite my anguish I will beat it down, the fury mounting inside me, down by force.

This is a very good book but Homer is dragging it. 24 books. I’m not trying to hear people complain about franchises going on too long anymore when the bedrock of literature/ storytelling could have been significantly shortened.

The repetition for when a character dies of describing death as a blackness that creeps over them is a strong effect.

“Like the generations of leaves, the lives of mortal men. Now the wind scatters the old leaves across the earth, now the living timber bursts with the new buds and spring comes round again. And so with me: as one generation comes to life, another dies away.”

“Now Strife hurled down the leveller Hate amidst a both sides, wading into the onslaught, flooding men with pain.”

Ouuuuuweee. This is gonna be a heavy read. I like it so far, but chapter 2 that section that listed a hundred names and each paragraph ended with “sailed forth long black ships” was cool but annoying to read. These characters listed better all be relevant - even though I don’t remember any of them