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The Iliad: A Graphic Novel
In a companion volume to his award-winning adaptation of The Odyssey, the incomparable graphic novelist Gareth Hinds masterfully adapts Homer’s classic wartime epic.
More than three thousand years ago, two armies faced each other in an epic battle that rewrote history and came to be known as the Trojan War. The Iliad, Homer's legendary account of this nine-year ordeal, is considered the greatest war story of all time and one of the most important works of Western literature. In this stunning graphic novel adaptation — a thoroughly researched and artfully rendered masterwork — renowned illustrator Gareth Hinds captures all the grim glory of Homer's epic. Dynamic illustrations take readers directly to the plains of Troy, into the battle itself, and lay bare the complex emotions of the men, women, and gods whose struggles fueled the war and determined its outcome. This companion volume to Hinds’s award-winning adaptation of The Odyssey features notes, maps, a cast of characters, and other tools to help readers understand all the action and drama of Homer's epic.
More than three thousand years ago, two armies faced each other in an epic battle that rewrote history and came to be known as the Trojan War. The Iliad, Homer's legendary account of this nine-year ordeal, is considered the greatest war story of all time and one of the most important works of Western literature. In this stunning graphic novel adaptation — a thoroughly researched and artfully rendered masterwork — renowned illustrator Gareth Hinds captures all the grim glory of Homer's epic. Dynamic illustrations take readers directly to the plains of Troy, into the battle itself, and lay bare the complex emotions of the men, women, and gods whose struggles fueled the war and determined its outcome. This companion volume to Hinds’s award-winning adaptation of The Odyssey features notes, maps, a cast of characters, and other tools to help readers understand all the action and drama of Homer's epic.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published March 12, 2019
183 people are currently reading
1,655 people want to read
About the author
Gareth Hinds
19 books244 followersGareth Hinds is the creator of critically-acclaimed graphic novels based on literary classics, including Beowulf (which Publisher’s Weekly called a “mixed-media gem”), King Lear (which Booklist named one of the top 10 graphic novels for teens), The Merchant of Venice (which Kirkus called “the standard that all others will strive to meet” for Shakespeare adaptation), The Odyssey (which garnered four starred reviews and a spot on ten “best of 2010” lists), Romeo and Juliet (which Kirkus called “spellbinding”), and Macbeth (which the New York Times called “stellar” and “a remarkably faithful rendering”). Gareth is a recipient of the Boston Public Library’s “Literary Lights for Children” award. His books can be found in bookstores and English classrooms across the country, and his illustrations have appeared in such diverse venues as the Society of Illustrators, the New York Historical Society, and over a dozen published video games.
Gareth lives in the Washington DC area.
Gareth lives in the Washington DC area.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 415 reviews
May 17, 2019
I don't know how many of you out there went to Sunday School as children, but I remember having to read these god-awful children's books with truly ugly art depicting bible tales. Watercolor, with bland-as-hell poses and expressions for everyone... all so worthless that I wished they had just done without the pictures altogether. Maybe the bland tales, too.
"But wait," you say, "This is supposed to be the Iliad! It's exciting and tragic and it has gods and heroes and that damn horse!"
Yeah, well, this is the book where even great tales go to die.
If you want to read the original, READ THE ORIGINAL. Or as in my case, the translation to the original. Go for the poetry one or the prose one. I don't care. It's better than this. Even the text manages to draw out the dull. And if you wanted a great comic portrayal, go watch that horse-dung of a movie that came out in the oughts. It really was comic. And at least it didn't have ALL THESE FOOTNOTES.
You know the old adage, a picture paints a thousand words? Well, the author ignores the great thousands of words and leaves them in the comic and ignores the possible brilliance of the art that could have replaced certain scenes. And then, instead of focusing on the really iconic scenes to great benefit, he gives a lot of space to the random dead that we can list for hours in the original text. I can kinda appreciate that in a "oh, cool, I can't believe he did that," kind of way, but in actuality, I was thinking, "oh, damn, that really, really could have been left out."
My boredom got bored.
Do not read. This is a public service announcement.
*apologies to the artist*
"But wait," you say, "This is supposed to be the Iliad! It's exciting and tragic and it has gods and heroes and that damn horse!"
Yeah, well, this is the book where even great tales go to die.
If you want to read the original, READ THE ORIGINAL. Or as in my case, the translation to the original. Go for the poetry one or the prose one. I don't care. It's better than this. Even the text manages to draw out the dull. And if you wanted a great comic portrayal, go watch that horse-dung of a movie that came out in the oughts. It really was comic. And at least it didn't have ALL THESE FOOTNOTES.
You know the old adage, a picture paints a thousand words? Well, the author ignores the great thousands of words and leaves them in the comic and ignores the possible brilliance of the art that could have replaced certain scenes. And then, instead of focusing on the really iconic scenes to great benefit, he gives a lot of space to the random dead that we can list for hours in the original text. I can kinda appreciate that in a "oh, cool, I can't believe he did that," kind of way, but in actuality, I was thinking, "oh, damn, that really, really could have been left out."
My boredom got bored.
Do not read. This is a public service announcement.
*apologies to the artist*
June 12, 2019
4.5★
“This is not the story of the Trojan War. Or at least not the whole story.
. . .
The war was fought over a woman. Or possibly an apple, or a lot of gold, or control of trade routes. Here’s what supposedly happened: the two mightiest gods, Zeus and Poseidon, were both attracted to a sea-nymph named Thetis.”
This is a long, full-on graphic novel, not a short comic book. I have not compared it to official versions – I can’t say original, because this was written around the 12th century BCE (before common/current era) – but there is poetry quoted and the language used by the characters is written in a manner that suggests historic rather than modern times.
I make no attempt to summarise the story, other than to say it includes all the elements of a good dramatic action adventure: romance, jealousy, heroes, kings, gods and goddesses, magic and weakness. Oh yes, and war, not to forget the Trojan War. I’ve captured a few of the illustrations, which are done as coloured drawings, some very detailed and some more sketchy, particularly those of the mythical gods and goddesses and Dream.
Picture of some important Trojans (note the warriors with and without their helmets) and some gods
The introduction tells us why Agamemnon and Achilles are quarrelling and shows what happens next.
“Chryses prayed to Apollo for retribution, and the god heard him. Down he came from the heights of Mount Olympus, the arrows of disease and death rattling in his quiver like thunder, and darkness following in his footsteps.”
Picture of Agamemnon and Achilles, head-to-head, Chryses praying, and Apollo striding down to mix things up some more
Achilles is the son of Thetis, a beautiful sea goddess. and he begs her to go to Zeus and ask him to intervene. He’s the chief/king of the gods, after all, and he has always had a soft spot for Thetis (to put it politely). Hera, Zeus’s wife, is well aware of his weaknesses.
Pictures of Hera (pink) jealous of Thetis (aqua) who is begging Zeus
“I saw you bow your head to that sea-trollop just now.* What have you promised her?”
At the bottom of that page is this footnote:
“* If Zeus bowed his head when making a promise, it was said to be an unbreakable vow.”
There are similar notations here and there, as needed, plus extensive notes at the end of the book. You can see even from these small examples, the difference between the illustrations of the gods and the mortals, which helps keep them straight.
I haven’t read each panel thoroughly, but I can see how much attention to detail there is, and how easy it would be to encourage otherwise less-interested readers to engage with reading some of these old tales. (I suppose Brad Pitt and Eric Bana and the film probably attracted some interest too.)
There are plenty of graphic bloody battles.
Battle illustration. Note the gods each cheering for their own sides in the background on the top right!
Here’s a bit more of what’s available in this publication. A map.
Map of the armies and where they came from
I realise you can’t see this here, but this will give you an idea of the details included.
The first of several page-by-page notes to accompany the illustrated text
The lengthy author's note adds history and context. There is also a good bibliography, which includes this interesting link, if you’re interested.
http://age-of-bronze.com/Cartoonistin...
Thanks to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the preview from which I’ve copied a few illustrations.
“This is not the story of the Trojan War. Or at least not the whole story.
. . .
The war was fought over a woman. Or possibly an apple, or a lot of gold, or control of trade routes. Here’s what supposedly happened: the two mightiest gods, Zeus and Poseidon, were both attracted to a sea-nymph named Thetis.”
This is a long, full-on graphic novel, not a short comic book. I have not compared it to official versions – I can’t say original, because this was written around the 12th century BCE (before common/current era) – but there is poetry quoted and the language used by the characters is written in a manner that suggests historic rather than modern times.
I make no attempt to summarise the story, other than to say it includes all the elements of a good dramatic action adventure: romance, jealousy, heroes, kings, gods and goddesses, magic and weakness. Oh yes, and war, not to forget the Trojan War. I’ve captured a few of the illustrations, which are done as coloured drawings, some very detailed and some more sketchy, particularly those of the mythical gods and goddesses and Dream.
Picture of some important Trojans (note the warriors with and without their helmets) and some gods
The introduction tells us why Agamemnon and Achilles are quarrelling and shows what happens next.
“Chryses prayed to Apollo for retribution, and the god heard him. Down he came from the heights of Mount Olympus, the arrows of disease and death rattling in his quiver like thunder, and darkness following in his footsteps.”
Picture of Agamemnon and Achilles, head-to-head, Chryses praying, and Apollo striding down to mix things up some more
Achilles is the son of Thetis, a beautiful sea goddess. and he begs her to go to Zeus and ask him to intervene. He’s the chief/king of the gods, after all, and he has always had a soft spot for Thetis (to put it politely). Hera, Zeus’s wife, is well aware of his weaknesses.
Pictures of Hera (pink) jealous of Thetis (aqua) who is begging Zeus
“I saw you bow your head to that sea-trollop just now.* What have you promised her?”
At the bottom of that page is this footnote:
“* If Zeus bowed his head when making a promise, it was said to be an unbreakable vow.”
There are similar notations here and there, as needed, plus extensive notes at the end of the book. You can see even from these small examples, the difference between the illustrations of the gods and the mortals, which helps keep them straight.
I haven’t read each panel thoroughly, but I can see how much attention to detail there is, and how easy it would be to encourage otherwise less-interested readers to engage with reading some of these old tales. (I suppose Brad Pitt and Eric Bana and the film probably attracted some interest too.)
There are plenty of graphic bloody battles.
Battle illustration. Note the gods each cheering for their own sides in the background on the top right!
Here’s a bit more of what’s available in this publication. A map.
Map of the armies and where they came from
I realise you can’t see this here, but this will give you an idea of the details included.
The first of several page-by-page notes to accompany the illustrated text
The lengthy author's note adds history and context. There is also a good bibliography, which includes this interesting link, if you’re interested.
http://age-of-bronze.com/Cartoonistin...
Thanks to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the preview from which I’ve copied a few illustrations.
June 16, 2019
I typically love mythology, especially Greek mythology, but this gets bogged down by too many details. I don't need to know the 50 people each character killed in battle and who each of those people's dads were. I often found myself skimming through the book to finish. After dragging through 272 pages, the story of the Trojan war isn't finished either. It ends where the Iliad ends, after Achilles and Hector's final battle. It drags on for too long after that, giving the book an unsatisfying ending. The art reminds me of textbook art.
Received a review copy from Candlewick Press and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
Received a review copy from Candlewick Press and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
March 13, 2019
Wow. There is a lot going on in this book. Like a super lot. For me, someone who is not well-versed in the Iliad or Greek mythology, this was just too dense.
Reading this felt a bit like trying to watch all 8 seasons of Game of Thrones condensed into one season. The result is a massive info dump of character names and relationships and that doesn't leave a ton of room for engaging story. I chose to read this because I thought it would be an easier way to familiarize myself with the stories. I think the opposite is true.
This material will be much more enjoyed by those who already have some understanding of the story. My 10-year-old nephew who has been absorbing these stories since he was about 6 would LOVE this. He already knows the background information, so reading this would not nearly be the same struggle for him. I think this is well-suited for that kind of reader.
The art here is good, and I appreciate the efforts Hinds made to try to differentiate between the characters. I also quite like the notes throughout that explain certain words or ideas.
Overall, I give this 3 stars, but think that people familiar with the story will like this much more than I did.
Thank you to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for providing me with a DRC of this book.
Reading this felt a bit like trying to watch all 8 seasons of Game of Thrones condensed into one season. The result is a massive info dump of character names and relationships and that doesn't leave a ton of room for engaging story. I chose to read this because I thought it would be an easier way to familiarize myself with the stories. I think the opposite is true.
This material will be much more enjoyed by those who already have some understanding of the story. My 10-year-old nephew who has been absorbing these stories since he was about 6 would LOVE this. He already knows the background information, so reading this would not nearly be the same struggle for him. I think this is well-suited for that kind of reader.
The art here is good, and I appreciate the efforts Hinds made to try to differentiate between the characters. I also quite like the notes throughout that explain certain words or ideas.
Overall, I give this 3 stars, but think that people familiar with the story will like this much more than I did.
Thank you to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for providing me with a DRC of this book.
April 23, 2019
Yeah, I definitely wouldn't have gotten through this one in the original format. Hinds cut out a lot of stuff, but still 70% of the story was dedicated to describing which warrior died and how, plus what was plundered and fought over, and what was sacrificed to one god or another. I skimmed over those parts.
Even in such abridgement, I did get a good picture of Greek life though. The emphasis on warrior "glory” (i. e. desecrating enemy corpses, stealing armor off the dead bodies, raping and enslaving women, fighting over every little offense), the view of women as property, etc. . (This last part highlighted to me exactly why Barker was compelled to give voice to the women of Trojan War the The Silence of the Girls. Too bad she failed so spectacularly at doing it.)
The most interesting for me was trying to understand the interplay of gods and "fate." I am not sure I fully comprehend why the gods even wasted SO MUCH time interfering, if ultimately they all knew what the end would be. Was it just for kicks? To distract themselves from the boredom of their immortal lives?
And finally, I see why the notion of Achilles/Patroclus romance is so irresistible. By far the most emotional part of The Iliad was the one of Achilles throwing himself around in grief after Patroclus's death. I understand this particular ship much better now.
Even in such abridgement, I did get a good picture of Greek life though. The emphasis on warrior "glory” (i. e. desecrating enemy corpses, stealing armor off the dead bodies, raping and enslaving women, fighting over every little offense), the view of women as property, etc. . (This last part highlighted to me exactly why Barker was compelled to give voice to the women of Trojan War the The Silence of the Girls. Too bad she failed so spectacularly at doing it.)
The most interesting for me was trying to understand the interplay of gods and "fate." I am not sure I fully comprehend why the gods even wasted SO MUCH time interfering, if ultimately they all knew what the end would be. Was it just for kicks? To distract themselves from the boredom of their immortal lives?
And finally, I see why the notion of Achilles/Patroclus romance is so irresistible. By far the most emotional part of The Iliad was the one of Achilles throwing himself around in grief after Patroclus's death. I understand this particular ship much better now.
May 17, 2019
*sighs*
I LOVE the Iliad and the Odyssey so when I saw this on a friend's timeline here, I requested the ARC from Netgalley and was really happy when I got approved. That happiness died a very quick but unfortunately still very painful death.
The story is almost as old as literature itself. An epic confrontation between several Greek city states (led by Agamemnon and his brother, helped by lesser lords) against the legendary kingdom of Troy.
Helen and Paris, Hector and Priam, Achilles and Patroclus, a host of Greek gods, Odysseus, the famous horse ... you know.
The aspects of this epic story are myriad and awesome so I thought reading bout it in a more compact form and illustrated, too, would be cool. Sadly, that was not the case.
The art was ... maybe not exactly bad but too simple. Like one of those very old picture books explaining difficult scientific or historical matters to children. It wasn't ugly but it was bland - from the lack of actual backgrounds to the lack of facial expressions or body language.
Moreover, while the story here is close to the source material, the characterizations were so annoying (especially the gods) and the dialogues so boring that I found myself skimming the text. But I also started flying through the images pretty soon as there were no great details or anything exciting/interesting.
In short: I'm glad I got an ARC because I'd be quite angry if I had spent money on this.
I LOVE the Iliad and the Odyssey so when I saw this on a friend's timeline here, I requested the ARC from Netgalley and was really happy when I got approved. That happiness died a very quick but unfortunately still very painful death.
The story is almost as old as literature itself. An epic confrontation between several Greek city states (led by Agamemnon and his brother, helped by lesser lords) against the legendary kingdom of Troy.
Helen and Paris, Hector and Priam, Achilles and Patroclus, a host of Greek gods, Odysseus, the famous horse ... you know.
The aspects of this epic story are myriad and awesome so I thought reading bout it in a more compact form and illustrated, too, would be cool. Sadly, that was not the case.
The art was ... maybe not exactly bad but too simple. Like one of those very old picture books explaining difficult scientific or historical matters to children. It wasn't ugly but it was bland - from the lack of actual backgrounds to the lack of facial expressions or body language.
Moreover, while the story here is close to the source material, the characterizations were so annoying (especially the gods) and the dialogues so boring that I found myself skimming the text. But I also started flying through the images pretty soon as there were no great details or anything exciting/interesting.
In short: I'm glad I got an ARC because I'd be quite angry if I had spent money on this.
March 10, 2019
Homer's epic war poem The Iliad, set in ancient Greece, is one of the most revered classics of all time, and it's quite a tough read for many, so I was excited to discover this graphic novel version which I thought would be especially perfect for introducing youngsters to Homer's works. However, I'm afraid there were a number of issues. It was very difficult to read as the words ran into one another, and I felt describing it as a graphic novel was a bit of a misrepresentation; it's more accurately described as pretty much the entire tale in writing with a few accompanying illustrations which was not what I chose to read this for. It's simply too wordy to be called a graphic novel, and that, of course, defeats the purpose.
The inclusion of maps and charts was a nice touch and much appreciated but with all of the formatting issues, this was too messy to enjoy. I would like to think that the finalised version will have all of the problems resolved or there are going to be some rather unhappy readers. There were also far more characters than the usual telling of the story which isn't ideal and will almost certainly be off-putting to many. If I, a reasonably astute reader, have problems engaging with this then those that are younger are likely to have a similar problem. I'm also, sadly, not a fan of the artwork. A great concept but poor execution.
Many thanks to Candlewick for an ARC.
The inclusion of maps and charts was a nice touch and much appreciated but with all of the formatting issues, this was too messy to enjoy. I would like to think that the finalised version will have all of the problems resolved or there are going to be some rather unhappy readers. There were also far more characters than the usual telling of the story which isn't ideal and will almost certainly be off-putting to many. If I, a reasonably astute reader, have problems engaging with this then those that are younger are likely to have a similar problem. I'm also, sadly, not a fan of the artwork. A great concept but poor execution.
Many thanks to Candlewick for an ARC.
June 25, 2023
I've really struggled with mythology retellings and ordered this book to help digest one of the weightier stories. This didn't disappoint. The really beauty of this book is the style of illustration.
March 13, 2019
Rating: 4 stars
HEA: You know it’s not going to happen
The Iliad has always been my favorite of the three classics. I don’t know exactly why, but I guess there’s something unequivocally sad and melancholic about Achilles’s character and the madness he experienced after Patroclus’s death. The same madness that drove him to kill Hector and fulfill that atrocious prophecy.
This graphic novel was interesting to the point I didn’t want it to end. Told in prose, lines and stunning drawings, it’s one of the most beautiful versions of the Iliad I have ever seen. I would recommend it to adults, but children as well. The drawings were engaging and those who portrayed Patroclus and Hector’s death were poignant and quietly eloquent.
Loved the electronic version. I am wondering about the paperback…
Thank you Netgalley and Candlewick Press for providing me this copy in exchange for an honest review. Thoughts and opinions are my own.
HEA: You know it’s not going to happen
“I’ll never follow your orders again if you take Briseis. And should you lay claim to anything else of mine, your blood will soak my spear.”
The Iliad has always been my favorite of the three classics. I don’t know exactly why, but I guess there’s something unequivocally sad and melancholic about Achilles’s character and the madness he experienced after Patroclus’s death. The same madness that drove him to kill Hector and fulfill that atrocious prophecy.
This graphic novel was interesting to the point I didn’t want it to end. Told in prose, lines and stunning drawings, it’s one of the most beautiful versions of the Iliad I have ever seen. I would recommend it to adults, but children as well. The drawings were engaging and those who portrayed Patroclus and Hector’s death were poignant and quietly eloquent.
Loved the electronic version. I am wondering about the paperback…
Thank you Netgalley and Candlewick Press for providing me this copy in exchange for an honest review. Thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 13, 2022
This is the third book by Hinds I've thoroughly enjoyed. As a family, we read and enjoyed Beowulf and Romeo & Juliet. I was enamored after the first couple pages of that very first "graphic novel" by Hinds. But that terminology doesn't do justice to the fully colorized works of work that illustrate his tale. Highly recommend (this particular work as well as anything else by him).
October 23, 2020
A lot better than most adaptations of The Iliad and with better artwork than most, too, but it tries hard to pack too much in too short a space, so it feels rushed at breakneck pacing and overly emotional. Still a decent enough adaptation that makes an effort to understand the Homeric epic, though.
January 22, 2023
An easy to read graphic novel providing a good written and visual account of Homer’s ‘Iliad’. The main characters and the gods are well distinguished.
The “Iliad’ is about events that took place in the tenth and final year of the Trojan War, a war fought between the city of Troy and the Greeks. This graphic novel was first published in 2019.
The “Iliad’ is about events that took place in the tenth and final year of the Trojan War, a war fought between the city of Troy and the Greeks. This graphic novel was first published in 2019.
March 27, 2021
Am crescut cu Legendele Olimpului ale lui Alexandru Mitru, dar am citit și epopeile homerice traduse în versuri, pe când eram în clasa a XI-a, ”obligat-forțat” de apartenența la clasa de filologie din liceu și de orele de literatură universală. Am trecut de atunci de multe ori prin mitologiile antice, fie când citeam volume precum ”Mythos” sau pe când vizitam ruinele grecești din Mycene, Argos sau Olympia.
Așa că reinterpretarea Iliadei de către Gareth Hinds, ca roman grafic, am găsit-o foarte potrivită și proaspătă. Autorul a studiat multe variante ale Iliadei, în diferite traduceri, și s-a apropiat mult de mitologia antică, de tipologiile vremurilor și de istoria Troiei și a zonei Greciei de atunci, populată de ahei. Rezultatul este o relatare foarte bună a războiului troian, a războinicilor acestuia și mai ales o privire atentă asupra istoriei și zeilor din Olimp. O astfel de realizare este, cred eu, potrivită copiilor (+12, spune coperta a patra), dar și celor pasionați de romane grafice sau care doresc să se apropie de mitologie și de Homer pe o cale mai facilă și mai ușor de înțeles.
Așa că reinterpretarea Iliadei de către Gareth Hinds, ca roman grafic, am găsit-o foarte potrivită și proaspătă. Autorul a studiat multe variante ale Iliadei, în diferite traduceri, și s-a apropiat mult de mitologia antică, de tipologiile vremurilor și de istoria Troiei și a zonei Greciei de atunci, populată de ahei. Rezultatul este o relatare foarte bună a războiului troian, a războinicilor acestuia și mai ales o privire atentă asupra istoriei și zeilor din Olimp. O astfel de realizare este, cred eu, potrivită copiilor (+12, spune coperta a patra), dar și celor pasionați de romane grafice sau care doresc să se apropie de mitologie și de Homer pe o cale mai facilă și mai ușor de înțeles.
March 8, 2019
It looks like an oldish book, with simple artwork (pencils, maybe?) and too much text. I love The Iliad and, although I think this graphic novel can be perfect for the youngsters to get to know the classic story, for me it was a little dissapointing. Don't expect something like 300, this is the story (not only the Trojan horse but the whole story) with drawings. I think it's great for aproaching to Homer's tale but not so much for people that have read the original many times, like myself.
February 19, 2022
I loved it. Nice, easy way to get through the iliad. Now when I read the book itself, I'll be able to follow along easier.
May 6, 2020
Though this certainly makes The Iliad more accessible to a lot of people that may never have attempted to read Homer's epic I don't think this makes it very exciting. The text is often poorly chosen (lists of names, description of action that could have been drawn into the panel, long speeches that don't say much) and the panels lack a sense of action a lot of the time. I do think it improved at the end where it at least included some well conveyed emotion.
December 7, 2024
The page texture made me want to chuck the book out of a window, however the book itself wasn’t toooooo bad, wasn’t great tho, the art style was ok but the portrayals just didn’t seem the best compared to other things I’ve read, however the gods being color coded is really smart and cool
February 2, 2019
Well written, accurate, faithful to the original. Unfprtunately, I actively disliked the art. I'm sure others will love it, though.
March 11, 2024
Went ahead and read this through after I started it with students. If you ever teach English, teach with a graphic novel adaptation. Students love it (The Iliad is WAY more interesting this way)
December 14, 2020
My bête noire has always been Homer’s epics, no matter how many times I would start them I would just not get the point and at best I would just force myself to finish them and forced myself to pretend to understand the point beyond the plot. As Augustine of Hippo said, ‘I got the plot of Homer, but I did not get the point’. It took Augustine to first hear a voice in a garden saying ‘take up and read’ and convert to Christianity before Augustine finally understood why Homer was worthwhile even 1700 years after it was written, and since I have never heard an imaginary voice nor do I ever plan to become a Christian, I need a comic book to help explain to me what was going on in the ‘Iliad’ and what the points and relevance are to today.
I really don’t care if the comic book was faithful to the original or missed major sections or what not, because in the end this comic book (graphic novel) was good by itself and for itself, and there’s nothing like seeing what is happening with blurbs explaining in words what is happening and also helpful footnotes telling the reader which God is the God of what and what it meant to the Greeks of 1300 B.C.E. and showing the reader how ‘rage’ enslaves (the first word of ‘The Iliad’ is ‘rage’ for a reason).
I’m fairly certain that when I read ‘The Iliad’ and I definitely plan to soon, I’ll not only be able to understand the plot, but I’ll be able to understand the point and why it is worth knowing today over 3300 years after it was originally told or 2500 years after it was first written down. Fiction is often a foreign land for me and within that exotic milieu of the make-believe I often get lost because I stumble and forget to see the forest for the trees. A great book, as this comic book is, returned me to the right path and helped me see beyond the obvious and I imagine will let me experience a classic that has previously always alluded me and was always my ‘black beast’, I have high expectations for when I next attempt the ‘Iliad’.
I really don’t care if the comic book was faithful to the original or missed major sections or what not, because in the end this comic book (graphic novel) was good by itself and for itself, and there’s nothing like seeing what is happening with blurbs explaining in words what is happening and also helpful footnotes telling the reader which God is the God of what and what it meant to the Greeks of 1300 B.C.E. and showing the reader how ‘rage’ enslaves (the first word of ‘The Iliad’ is ‘rage’ for a reason).
I’m fairly certain that when I read ‘The Iliad’ and I definitely plan to soon, I’ll not only be able to understand the plot, but I’ll be able to understand the point and why it is worth knowing today over 3300 years after it was originally told or 2500 years after it was first written down. Fiction is often a foreign land for me and within that exotic milieu of the make-believe I often get lost because I stumble and forget to see the forest for the trees. A great book, as this comic book is, returned me to the right path and helped me see beyond the obvious and I imagine will let me experience a classic that has previously always alluded me and was always my ‘black beast’, I have high expectations for when I next attempt the ‘Iliad’.
April 24, 2021
As I've been reading and teaching from Lattimore's translation of The Iliad this spring, I've enjoyed looking at Hinds's beautifully-produced graphic novel adaptation. Hinds has put a good amount of research into this work, so that it helps us visualize such things as the armor the men wore, the layout of the battlefield around Troy, and the arrangement of the Greeks' camp. While by his own admission he cannot capture all the nuances or details of Homer's original work, Hinds does help us see clearly the nobility and grief of the mortal characters, along with the vanity of the Greek gods.
November 13, 2024
I never tire of reading Homer's epics (Iliad and Odyssey) in different versions. This was an excellent graphic novel version of Iliad. The artwork was impressive, the ability to differentiate between the gods and the mortals, and the Greeks and Trojans within them, was particularly noteworthy. I really enjoyed reading this.
March 1, 2022
The author and the illustrator did a fantastic job! Story....not so much into it.
April 19, 2022
Simt cumva că Gareth Hinds nu a prins foarte bine esența Iliadei - sau impresia mea despre ce ar fi trebuit să fie Iliada. Recunosc, nu am citit textul Iliadei de foarte multă vreme, și poate că ar trebui să revizitez textul pentru a putea aprecia la adevărata valoare munca lui Hinds. Dar simt că ceva lipsește. Războiul e prezentat sec, reflecția asupra morții e superficială, nici stilul de desenat nu e extraordinar de convingător, și nu-mi dau seama dacă e un neajuns al materialului sursă, sau al scenaristului.
În orice caz, după un început mai lent devine mai palpitantă povestea așa cum e prinsă în comic book. Finalul e parcă un pic mai bun, dar parcă nu reușește să compenseze pentru neajunsurile de până acolo. Desigur, nu o să pot da un verdict definitiv încă. Dar mi-a plăcut, a fost în regulă.
În orice caz, după un început mai lent devine mai palpitantă povestea așa cum e prinsă în comic book. Finalul e parcă un pic mai bun, dar parcă nu reușește să compenseze pentru neajunsurile de până acolo. Desigur, nu o să pot da un verdict definitiv încă. Dar mi-a plăcut, a fost în regulă.
February 27, 2025
1.5
Not Gareth Hinds fault I just hate The Iliad and had to read this for work.
Not Gareth Hinds fault I just hate The Iliad and had to read this for work.
January 21, 2019
The Iliad is a cautionary tale for our time.
It's an old story, from around the twelfth century B.C. and the reader can't help but feel glad we don't live in times such as these. Men grow angry with each other. They steal others' possessions. They seek vengeance for wrongs done to them. They attack each other, and they are vicious in their attacks, slashing with spears, brutally killing and maiming. They go to war against each other, and their wars last for years. They relish the cruelty they do to others. They seek the help of the gods, who are just as petty and vindictive as the humans themselves.
Yes, it's an old story, and the reader can't help but feel glad we don't live in times such as these, times we slash out at our opponents, times we delight in the cruelty we inflict on others, times we seek to build walls to protect ourselves, walls that oh-so-easily tumble and fall when the violence breaks out between conflicting tribes.
This book is a cautionary tale.
It's an old story, from around the twelfth century B.C. and the reader can't help but feel glad we don't live in times such as these. Men grow angry with each other. They steal others' possessions. They seek vengeance for wrongs done to them. They attack each other, and they are vicious in their attacks, slashing with spears, brutally killing and maiming. They go to war against each other, and their wars last for years. They relish the cruelty they do to others. They seek the help of the gods, who are just as petty and vindictive as the humans themselves.
Yes, it's an old story, and the reader can't help but feel glad we don't live in times such as these, times we slash out at our opponents, times we delight in the cruelty we inflict on others, times we seek to build walls to protect ourselves, walls that oh-so-easily tumble and fall when the violence breaks out between conflicting tribes.
This book is a cautionary tale.
October 9, 2021
There's very little one can do wrong when re-imagining Greek mythology. Beautiful artwork; the text could have been edited better.
June 19, 2019
Gareth Hinds is a brilliant graphic novel adapter of classic works, among the best if not the best. I've read his The Odyssey several times and was thrilled when he came out with The Iliad. It is a full and faithful adaptation, done in 24 books that include everything of significance in the original with relatively little compression and nothing notable (at least to my mind) omitted. The drawings are muscular, bloody, and at times painful. The gods are lighter, partly translucent and floating above and around. The natural features, like rivers, are almost alive--as they are in The Iliad.
Gareth Hinds adopts a number of devices to simplify the reader's ability to keep track of the characters, like having a faint impression of the first letter of their name on their breastplate and different colors for the Trojans and Greeks.
My daughter and I read this aloud together and she loved it as well.
Am hoping he gets to the Aeneid next. But until then there are still several Shakespeare plays of his I have not read (and those are full text).
Gareth Hinds adopts a number of devices to simplify the reader's ability to keep track of the characters, like having a faint impression of the first letter of their name on their breastplate and different colors for the Trojans and Greeks.
My daughter and I read this aloud together and she loved it as well.
Am hoping he gets to the Aeneid next. But until then there are still several Shakespeare plays of his I have not read (and those are full text).
April 1, 2019
The Iliad
Gareth Hinds (Goodreads Author)
The basic story flow was well done and I have no quibbles with any omissions. In fact I view the brevity as a big plus. It can attract readers that may want a quick introduction to the story.
Throughout the work, the graphics matched the flow of the story, and were helpful in expressing emotional content. There are three graphics at the end of "Book 2 - The Armies" that were very helpful in understanding the layout and battlefield of the two armies. I had not seen this before, and it was a welcome surprise.
The graphics of people and "gods" were, for me, a little too much of a caricature with exaggerated features and expressions. Certainly some exaggeration is appropriate, but overall it seemed excessive.
As expected, the author had some very helpful notes at the end that included a map of where the combatants came from.
I was a tiny bit disappointed with this work, perhaps because my hopes were so high.
Gareth Hinds (Goodreads Author)
The basic story flow was well done and I have no quibbles with any omissions. In fact I view the brevity as a big plus. It can attract readers that may want a quick introduction to the story.
Throughout the work, the graphics matched the flow of the story, and were helpful in expressing emotional content. There are three graphics at the end of "Book 2 - The Armies" that were very helpful in understanding the layout and battlefield of the two armies. I had not seen this before, and it was a welcome surprise.
The graphics of people and "gods" were, for me, a little too much of a caricature with exaggerated features and expressions. Certainly some exaggeration is appropriate, but overall it seemed excessive.
As expected, the author had some very helpful notes at the end that included a map of where the combatants came from.
I was a tiny bit disappointed with this work, perhaps because my hopes were so high.
March 5, 2019
Don't let the graphic novel format fool you into thinking this is a dumbed-down version of Homer's classic work. Rather, its gorgeous illustrations, maps, and character charts (the latter two are a brilliant addition) provide a new facet or two to the work, while still maintaining the same story, same gorgeous (albeit abridged) language, and plenty of the same epic violence. If your children are not ready for reading about spears through heads, bloody battles, and the like, then hold off on this. But if they're just about ready for Homer, try this first--it is much easier to keep track of which characters are which and how the events unfold with the visuals provided by illustration. And then find the audiobook of the original narrated by Dan Stevens so they can experience the language of Homer as generations have before them: recited by a great storyteller!
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