The Iliad

Robert Fagles's vigorous, celebrated translation of THE ILIAD receives a lively and engaging reading from renowned actor Derek Jacobi in this abridged production of Homer's classic. Set near the end of the Trojan War, the story is less a battlefield drama than a grand-scale, ancient soap opera in which a trifling contest among the gods has wrought the devastating ten-year siege of Troy and stirred all of the most familiar and primal human passions--love, jealousy, hatred, honor, loyalty, betrayal--among a large and convincingly human cast. Jacobi's characterizations are superb; the main players are distinct and clearly drawn--from Achilles, in his famous snit, to diffident Paris, heroic Hector, and the meddlesome gods themselves. M.G. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine


To listen to a good translation of Homer's works artfully rendered by a skilled oral interpreter is always a delight to a spoken-word audiophile. The spirit of the original rhapsodes (literally, stitchers of tales), who were able to "sing" the stories of Achilles, Odysseus, and the battle of Troy while accompanying themselves with a lyre, is now being reborn with wonderful recorded versions. IN Audio's production of Homer's complete work is a very acceptable choice. Using Samuel Butler's nineteenth-century translation, John Lescault's narration is polished and clear, with subdued vocal characterizations. At times Lescault does sound a bit liturgical, as if he were intoning a sacred text in a cathedral instead of entertaining a relaxed company of imbibing guests in a marble palace. Still, the story is so strong that listeners can easily lose themselves in a time when gods and men fought for the beautiful Helen. P.W. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine