The Iliad

By: Homer, Robert Fagles - translator

Narrated by: Derek Jacobi, Maria Tucci

Dating to the ninth century BC, Homer’s timeless poem still vividly conveys the horror and heroism of men and gods wrestling with towering emotions and battling amidst devastation and destruction, as it moves inexorably to the wrenching, tragic conclusion of the Trojan War.

Renowned classicist Bernard Knox observes in his superb Introduction that although the violence of the Iliad is grim and relentless, it coexists with both images of civilized life and a poignant yearning for peace.

Combining the skills of a poet and scholar, Robert Fagles brings the energy of contemporary language to this enduring heroic epic. He maintains the drive and metric music of Homer’s poetry and evokes the impact and nuance of the Iliad’s mesmerizing repeated phrases in what Peter Levi calls “an astonishing performance”.

©1990 Robert Fagles (translation) (P)1992 Penguin-HighBridge Audio; 1992 Penguin-HighBridge Audio, Packaging ©

Critic reviews

“Fitzgerald has solved virtually every problem that has plagued translators of Homer. The narrative runs, the dialogue speaks, the military action is clear, and the repetitive epithets become useful text rather than exotic relics.” (Atlantic Monthly)

“Fitzgerald’s swift rhythms, bright images, and superb English make Homer live as never before…This is for every reader in our time and possibly for all time.” (Library Journal)

“[Fitzgerald’s Odyssey and Iliad] open up once more the unique greatness of Homer’s art at the level above the formula; yet at the same time they do not neglect the brilliant texture of Homeric verse at the level of the line and the phrase.” (The Yale Review)

Two narrators: he was epic, she was not

Derek Jacobi was amazing in the performance. I say performance because it was that masterfully done. Maria Tucci’s reading was stiff and flat. I couldn’t see the point of her being interleaved into the story. Mostly I just tolerated her until Derek came back. Fortunately the didn’t use her all that much.

VERY GOOD, BUT...ABRIDGED, COLLEGE STUDENTS BEWARE

Very well done, but it is abridged, and should be marked as such. If you want the good parts of the Iliad, highly recommend. If you need it for a class, I recommend the WHD Rouse version that comes bundled with this and the Odyssey Somewhat different from the Fagles translation, but unabridged and slightly different will still be more useful.

beautiful rendition

loved it, couldn't stop listening. Derek Jacoby is a wonderful narrator. sad to have it end. now, on to the odessy

Abridged

Derek Jacobi’s performance was top notch. Unfortunately, they skipped many books (and parts of books) and replaced it with a summary. As I was reading along with the audiobook these skips really disrupted the flow and trying to find where the recording picked up again as annoying. I truly wish they would make an unabridged version narrated by a Shakespearean actor.

Abridged, but still very good

Yes, this is an abridged version of the Fagles translation, but it’s still well made. It's great for initial exposure to the story or for those who just want to enjoy listening to it (not for read-along or serious study). Of course it doesn't include the account of the Trojan horse and the death of Achilles because those events were never part of The Iliad. We get them from other ancient Greek and Roman writings.

The reader, Derek Jacobi, really brings this story to life. I listened at 0.85 speed, which I’m sure sounds too slow for many listeners, but it made the characters' dialogue sound more natural (to me) and gave me time to visualize the people, surroundings, and events as they’re being described.

I just took off one star because the chapter formatting is odd for this audiobook. Sometimes they begin and end in the middle of speeches or moments that feel like an unnatural break. But it won't make much of a difference if you just let it autoplay into the next chapter.

Great performance by Jacobi!

No dislikes it was fun. Good good good good more good and and ad the only thing that makes

The original hero story

Because we are expected to know a bit more about the GODs, the first few hours are tough to grip. Once the story moves forward, there’s amazing story telling form a quarter in to the end. Overall, loved it.

NOT FAGLES TRANSLATION

I should have read the reviews. This audio is not useable with the Robert Fagles translation. Wasted credit.

ABRIDGED

As several other reviewers note: very well done but beware ‘it’s abridged….not obvious when I purchased

Why the bad reviews?

I simply can’t understand any of these reviewers that give this version of the Iliad on Audible such a bad name. It’s clearly marked as an abridged rendition of the poem, with Tucci doing brief summary of the cut parts and Jacobi’s excellent acting as Homer. The Fagles translation is by far my favorite, and this was a joy to listen to. I’ll be picking up the companion piece with Ian MacKellen in the future.