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The iliad sparknotes5/25/2023 ![]() ![]() "Baricco's text lingers on the futility of an unending war, and casts the arrival of the thousand-odd ships as an invasion by an overwhelmingly superior force, met by young recruits throwing stones." - The New Yorker. But Baricco describes such actions superbly, and creates a persuasive atmosphere of character-driven impending doom." - Kirkus Reviews. "Obviously, something is lost in omitting the gods' intercessions, which vary the content and pace of Homer's immortal original, making it far more than a catalogue of battlefield exploits. "Unfortunately, these many voices sound alike, so Baricco missed an opportunity to truly reimagine The Iliad the passages he's added - which are noted in italics - are some of the most powerful moments in this book and make the reader wish he'd been a little less reverent with Homer's masterpiece." - Library Journal. ![]() ![]() "Familiarity with the original text is not essential for successfully experiencing this elegant depiction of warfare-yes, purely it is the story of war, with all the destruction concomitant to that situation however, the characters achieve a remarkable individuality." - Booklist. It is a variation, and a very moving one, on timeless Homeric themes." - PW. In an afterword, Baricco states that "this is not an ordinary time to read the Iliad," and his book is more than a pasteurized version of a great poem. ![]()
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