Gareth Hinds' Epic Adaptation of Homer's The Iliad

Daniel Aguilar: Illiad is over 2,500 years old. This version made it more understandable (and palatable) for my middle schooler!

United States on Aug 24, 2023

Deane Rynerson: Having never actually read the Illiad, I was intrigued by the prospect of a graphic novel adaptation and I found this to be a very engaging read. The art style maintains the right amount of realism to maintain the weight of the original work and the novel captures the drama and emotions extremely well. It makes the Illiad feel like a war story, which is arguably what it always was, showing the valor of those who fight, but also emphasizing the loss and tragedy of such brutal conflict, making sure to name every warrior lost in the fighting for example. Definitely recommended if you're a graphic novel fan or are interested in a unique version of the Illiad.

United States on Jun 03, 2023

Lydia C. Janning: The graphics are wonderful. I would have liked all the plates in color

United States on Mar 01, 2023

M. Blevins: My 9-year-old son read this as part of his required summer reading for school. He devoured the book and ended up reading it twice. This book, along with the Odyssey, sparked an interest in mythology and now he is reading and re-reading anything he can get his hands on by Rick Riordan.

United States on Jan 01, 2023

Computer Man: inspired granddaughter to read original

Canada on Jan 16, 2022

Edward: My son loves it. A good way to draw his interest out of Marvel comics.

Canada on Dec 22, 2021

LOBO SOLITARIO: I wanted my Grandkids to be familiar with these (...the ODYSSEY also) classics. They are still very young...eleven years old and under...but have read the 'Picture Books' on these stories, so they are aware of these stories. When they are more mature, they can read through the translations of these two epics. They will learn many life skills and personal development from these books.
The Iliad is well written and does not require a dictionary to be nearby!

Australia on Sep 30, 2021

J. Rankin: This graphic novel is an excellent introduction for all readers, adults and children alike, to classical literature. Gareth Hinds' adaptation of Homer's 'The Iliad' is thorough but does not overcomplicate the story for young readers. Another review criticized Hinds' work as being "word heavy", but although there is indeed alot of writing on most pages, the words compliment the illustrations, they do not detract from them. The drawings and the prose fit together like a hand in a glove. It is great value for money at approximately 250 fully illustrated pages, with the illustrations capturing the drama of the story very accurately. It takes great skill to retell the story for it to be both engaging for younger readers but detailed enough for teens or adults to enjoy.

Overall, I highly recommend this graphic novel as Hinds' has made both 'The Iliad', and his other adaptation of Homer's work, 'The Odyssey', very accessible to a wide range of reading abilities.

United Kingdom on May 07, 2019

Jeronimo Caballero: 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...

United Kingdom on Apr 12, 2019

Mrs. Wang: 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...

United States on Mar 12, 2019