The Iliad (Penguin Classics)

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Helen, queen of Sparta and the most beautiful woman in the world, is kidnapped by Paris, a Trojan prince. Hungry for revenge, the Greek Army lays siege on Troy. For nine long years they are unsuccessful -- until they come up with a plan for their greatest-ever attack on the city. For victory or death the two armies will collide for the final time ...

FROM THE CRITICS

Children's Literature - Ravay Snow-Renner, Ph. D.

This work uses fast-paced prose to tell the epic tale of the ten-year siege of Troy by the Greeks after Paris' abduction of the beautiful Helen, wife of King Menelaus of Greece. True to the original by Homer, the role of the gods is emphasized throughout, from the prologue, which describes Paris' encounter with Athene, Hera and Aphrodite, through the epilogue, in which Athene is credited with the idea for the Trojan Horse. This version emphasizes the epic's high adventure aspect—focusing on battles, heroes and the role of the gods. The author demonstrates considerable familiarity with the original and achieves an admirable fluency in combining the original's formal poetic language patterns and imagery and an engaging, swift narrative style. Victor Ambrus' distinctive style and active illustrations do credit to the story, although, in some instances, the transition from full-color (in previous editions) to black and white has resulted in unclear images: the value ranges in some illustrations are too close for clear distinction among figures. Although it does not address the Iliad's entire scope (leaving out some characters in the interest of brevity and cohesiveness), the work is extremely valuable for teaching young people the basic plot of the Iliad and for providing them with a good approximation of its poetic devices. 2004, Kingfisher/Houghton Mifflin, Ages 8 to 14.

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