![]() Two of the mighty Greek warriors are named Aias. The main character, for example, is Akhilleus. Fitzgerald used transliterations of many of the names that are closer to the Greek but are odd-looking or -sounding to many people. ![]() In his hands, and with the sturdy foundation of Fitzgerald’s translation, the Homeric heroes in this audiobook LIVE. They express anger and sorrow, helplessness and despair, joy and excitement and overweening pride. ![]() His Homeric heroes don't just declaim, and their speeches are not just a continuation of the narrative by other means. It's full of what Fitzgerald himself calls "the ruck of war." The Iliad is largely dialogue, and it's in the back-and-forth speeches that Stevens really shines. And that's not right, because Fitzgerald’s verse is also rough and craggy like a mountain, and it cascades down cliffs like a waterfall. ![]() But that makes it sound static and over-engineered. I would call it crystalline, because the language has many sharply-edged facets. I don't read Greek, so I can only base my assessment on how it works as an English poem. ![]() It's hard to say what's so awe-inspiring about Fitzgerald’s verse. The result here is one of the finest versions of The Iliad available. Dan Stevens is a wonderful narrator, and Robert Fitzgerald is a wonderful translator. ![]()
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