The Iliad: A Graphic Novel

First of all, I am biased: I believe that The Iliad is both the pinnacle and the foundation for all Western literature, and one of life's great joys for me was learning to read the immortal words of Homer in ancient Greek when I was a teenager. So imagine the thrill of seeing those immortal words translated into a graphic format! This is a complex tale, told in complex language, with an impossibly wide cast of characters in a culture that seems far away from our modern world, and yet it all comes alive on the pages of this graphic novel, just as relevant to our current events now as it was almost 3000 years ago. I am the parent of two students with learning challenges, and I am using this book to make the classics accessible to them. There is nothing simple or easy about the Iliad. The author streamlines the story somewhat, and uses different types of visual cues and reader guides to facilitate reading comprehension. At the same time, the author uses many of Homer's narrative tricks to bring specific moments to life. This book does contain plenty of violence, human trafficking and references to rape (it's about a war), so parents should exercise their judgement about appropriateness for children or young teens. It's approximately a 7th grade reading level. But it's ideal for getting young adventure-lovers hooked on heavy-hitting literature - definitely not for the Charlotte's Web crowd. As soon as the book arrived on my doorstep, I went straight to the scene of Priam clasping the knees of Achilles, and it was exactly as I'd hoped, exactly as Homer describes it. That scene answers some of life's big questions: How do you forgive the unforgivable? What does it mean to be human? What does anything mean? The author's artwork includes some archaeological touches from the time period of the Trojan War, very nice to see. The overall effect is stunning, and captures the spirit of Homer's epic poem. I didn't think the author could possibly top his editions of Beowulf, King Lear or The Odyssey, but here it is: the cornerstone of Western literature. Highly recommended for adults, teens and tweens who are curious about this ancient tale.

Let's start by stating that I first read Homer's epic around the age of 12 and it truly was epic - but the translation was less than smooth and the poem had lost some of its magnificence. Over the years I read it twice more, enamored by the story so much that I longed to share the joy with my daughter. But facing the clunkiness of the translated versions, I decided to see if I can find something else. I found this graphic novel. It's excellent in that it misses none of the major details. There's some gore (I would call it PG-13 level) but that's part of Homer's original story and I'm glad they didn't omit those details. Great way to introduce a child or an adult to the Iliad. Very recommended

What a masterpiece! Superb art which captures subtle concepts that words miss. My grands age 7&9 were spellbound. This ageless story lives again for our children, opening the door for timeless storytelling. Adults also will be thrilled with this rendering of a great classic. Beautifully done.

This is the BEST way to teach the Iliad to high school students. I have been teaching the Iliad for twenty years and have used Fagles’ translation until this year. The response of students to this masterful graphic version (both Hinds translation and incredible illustrations) has been incredible. This is a work of scholarship as well as a work of art. Stunning visually and intellectually!

Great book. Cover arrived quite bent. Should have been shipped in a box, not an envelope.

Our students love graphic novels for English class. Beautifully done and easy to follow!

So I was trying out two different versions of the Iliad before I settled on this one one was the Elliot illustrated by marvel and then this one here personally I prefer this Iliad It seemed to focus less on the battles and really talked about what was going on at the camps and the politics and the human aspects of war not just the battle and really enjoyed the betrayal they had the gods and their mix and twist within the war. And I read this to my dog and he really enjoyed the pictures and the battle scenes. Those kept his attention the most.

This graphic novel adaptation of The Iliad brings the ancient epic to life with powerful visuals and a fast-paced retelling. While it skips some depth from the original, it captures the heart of the story—honor, rage, and fate—beautifully.

A picture is worth a thousand words, and this version of the classic tale is full of detailed images, drawn with love. Hinds doesn't limit himself to merely telling the story, he also shows us maps of the ancient locations, and provides a detalied explanation of the context of this famed trojan war. He provides a near exhaustive list of all the characters involved, and their respective feats (or defeats) in the plains of ancient Troy. Some consider this attention to detail as detrimental, but I consider it entirely positive. This is not necessarily a children's book (though it is rather child friendly) as it is full of blood and violence, and some sexual references, though never in a distasteful manner. In conclusion, this new adaptation by Gareth Hinds a great, innovative version of the classic tale. Filled with both words and images, it captures the depth of The Iliad while also captivating our minds with wonderful illustrations. Do not pay attention to the bad reviews, this is a very enjoyable version, well worth the price. Even as an 8 year old, I believe I would have greatly enjoyed this book. Reccommended for all lovers of history, greeks (or achaeans as Homer called them) and ancient battles.

Love it! It was a present for my boys and they loved it.

My boys (11 & 8), who are not yet avid readers, have devoured this book, as well as the Odyssey. What a great way to introduce classics.

Çok iyi hazırlanmış, nitelikli bir kitap. 251+10 sayfa açıklamalı. Çizimler başarılı, kuşe kâğıda baskılı. İlyada’yı İngilizce okumak isteyen gençler için tavsiye ederim, zira çekici ve okumayı özendiriyor Fiyatını hak ediyor.

Two Greek classics in one volume for younger readers. !Outstanding