Rating: 
Summary: very readable
Review: This was my first foray into Homer; Fagles certainly makes it easy. I can't speak to the fidelity of his translation or how this version compares to Lattimore's or Fitzgerald's or Pope's. (Who has time to read six different translations when there are so many book I haven't read?) But I can say that Fagles does a fantastic job at making The Iliad feel like something that would sound exciting if recited aloud in a pub, which I gather is more or less how it was originally done.Yes, this is poetry but it isn't the overwrought flowery words in contorted sentences you might associate with poetry. At times you forget what you are reading is technically a poem and not merely a novel. Nearly every word seems perfectly placed to convey the feeling of power and breakneck pace that imbue the events Homer wrote about. If you are afraid of tackling The Iliad you needn't be. It is a hefty read, at over 600 pages, and while there are times when it drags -- long catalogues of troops, for instance -- for the most part the book feels almost contemporary. The complaints that I did have -- what kept me from giving this five stars -- aren't about the text itself. I didn't like the format of the book: the uneven edges of the pages make it difficult to flip to precisely the page you want. I wish the text had some indication of when there was an endnote. As a workaround you need to check the endnotes constantly to see if you've passed up a section they comment on, then go back and reread it, then read the endnote. Finally, I thought the endnotes a little too sparse at times. Early on they do a pretty good job of adding extra information and analysis but later on that seemed to fade out, almost like the person writing the end notes started the job full of excitement but somewhere around Book 9 decided it was an awful lot of work and not worth it.
Rating: 
Summary: Rage--Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus' son Achilles.
Review: I long ago determined that the world of those interested in the Classical Literature of the Ancient Greeks that when it comes to Homer's epic poems there are those who prefer the "Iliad" and those who prefer the "Odyssey." My choice is for the story of the rage of Achilles. From Achilles fateful confrontation with Agamemnon over Briseis of the lovely arms to the magnificently emotional ending where King Priam comes to beg for the body of his slain son, Hector, from Achilles, I find this story has greater resonance than the tale of Odysseus. The epic story also seems to me to be more classically Greek, with the great hero who acts out of anger, comes to regret his folly, and seeks to make amends with a great deed. Achilles is similar to Hercules in this regard, and although they are both strictly considered demi-gods, the Achaean hero ultimately seems more human. Plus, Achilles stature is enhanced by his opposition to the noble Hector. Add to this the fact that all the gods and goddesses of Olympus are actively involved in the proceedings and I am convinced the "Iliad" is the more worthy book for inclusion into most classes dealing with Classical Mythology or the Ancient Greeks. This leads us then to the question of which edition to use, and in this regard I have found this translation by Robert Fagles to be vastly superior to anything else out there. Other reviewers have commented on the fantastic audio version read by Derek Jacobi and while I would endorse being able to listen to the "Iliad" being told as reflecting the oral tradition in which the epic poem was created, I would not advise having a class listen to the tapes in their entirety. But letting them listen to a book, probably the first one, would give them a sense for how it was done way back when. The supporting material is also more than adequate: The introduction covers both Homer's use of language and the various players involved in the Trojan War. In the notes at the end of the volume Fagles details some interesting points dealing with the translation and Pronouncing Glossary that also tells you the first book:line where each character appears. Final Note: If you teach Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex," see what Homer had to saw about the king of Thebes in the "Iliad." You might find that to be of more than passing interest.
Rating:
Summary: Exceptionally wrought translation
Review: Fagles' translation gracefully avoids three common pitfalls in translating the Iliad: overly literal (Lattimore), excessively poetic (Pope), and irritatingly colloquial (Lombardo). Fagles' version is lyrically written and imbued with compassion. I recommend it highly to anyone frustrated with older, antiquated translations. Fagles has also published excellent translations of Sophocles and Aeschylus. Knox's introduction is cogent and readable, and helpful for the general reader.
Rating:
Summary: A Story of War; A Labor of Love
Review: It's easy to see why Homer's work inspired so many authors that followed - for centuries to come. This is an epic, brutal portrayal of war and warriors. The interplay of the warriors with various gods is an interesting way of looking at destiny and the inexplicable turns that life takes. My only quibble with Homer (for all the good it'll do at this point) is the death of Hector. Imagine Achilles chasing "man-killing Hector" around the walls of Troy several times before he stands and fights! No matter what you think of The Iliad, you will notice immediately the quality of this version by Fagles. The introduction, notes on translation, and the text itself are both scholarly and readable. It must have been a labor of love for Fagles to produce this gem.
Rating:
Summary: This IS the translation for this generation
Review: Found the Iliad ponderous or difficult in the past? It's because of the translation. Even the best of the past translations are now dated and the archaic vernacular presents an obstacle to the enjoyment of one of the greatest works or Western literature. (I've read at least 5 version of this work so I know of what I speak.) Fagles brings this timeless epic back to life with his extraordinary work.
Rating:
Summary: "Like somthing superhuman"
Review: The Iliad by Homer and translated by Robert Fagles was a clear and vivid version of Homer's epic war poem. Unlike other translations that lack description in favor of simplicity Fagles' version keeps us involved without having to waterdown the story line. Point blank this is not going to be an easy book for the average reader, but if you know ur gods and want a excellent poem to spend a week or so on pick it up and PLEASE READ THE INTRODUCTION, IT'S THERE FOR A REASON!
Rating:
Summary: The Timeless Art of Storytelling
Review: The Iliad was my first foray into Homer. I expected beautiful poetry and soaring rhetoric and was not disappointed. What I didn't expect was to be so thoroughly entertained and held in suspense by the story. There were times I would shout and pound my car's steering wheel in disbelief over something Achilles said or did. (I had the cassette version.) Listening to it, as opposed to reading it, helped make the story and characters come alive for me. But I'm eager to own the book so I can revisit favorite passages from time to time.
Rating:
Summary: Combat
Review: The Illiad is a war story and Fagles gets that core concept across in this very modern translation. He pays tribute to the conventions and structures of the early Greeks, but, above all, he shows us that homo sapiens in combat is much the same animal from the Trojan plain of archaic Greece to the jungle valleys of Vietnam. If there is one translation to introduce modern English speaking students to the Illiad, this is it.
Rating:
Summary: Best translation for first-time readers?
Review: I taught the "Iliad" (in translation) many times, very successfully, at both the high school and college levels. I am delighted to find here so many deeply engaged young people arguing so passionately the merits of one translation over another, usually the verse translations of Fagles and Lattimore. I would like to suggest that these arguments are both needless and misleading (especially to new readers seeking help). No translation of any work gets it all or gets it all right, especially in a poem like the "Iliad," which is so comprehensive that the translator must find ways to render every emotion from tenderness to savagery to high comedy to deep tragedy and still seem to be writing one language! We should be grateful that we have in Fagles and Lattimore two extraordinary pieces of work (I omit Fitzgerald and Ennis Rees only because they seem not to be in the running, as it were). By consensus, Fagles's "Iliad" is the more accessible, dramatic and colorful and relentless in its sweep. These qualities are achieved at a price, however. Fagles does not attempt the line-for line rendering Lattimore sets for himself, with the result that he can (and does) omit some of the repetitions that are characteristic of Homeric style, and thus has greater freedom to manage his meter and write more straightforward narrative verse. But as Lattimore notes in his introduction, though the poem is fast-moving in its unfolding, Homer's poetry is leisurely because of its repetitions, and these repetitions are an essential part of the texture of the poem. Since the world of the poem is a world built of words, the texture of Homer's world (its "feel") is dependent on the texture of the style itself. Here Lattimore scores, at the price of the drama and color Fagles achieves. It is as if they were two quite different, equally distinguished movie directors working from the same basic script but end up with different shooting scripts: different actors, camera angles, colors, shadings, and timings, but we still see the "same" movie. Or: we have two great conductors, Klemperer and Toscanini, e.g., who record the same score, Beethoven's "Eroica," perhaps; with Klemperer the result is an imposing granite monument to a hero; with Toscanini we get Promethean fire. But both give us the "Eroica." Why not "listen" as the mood strikes us? I usually prefer Promethean fire, but I still like to experience that gigantic statue occasionally; just as I often chose Fagles for a rereading, but I couldn't do without Lattimore. The Fagles translation is unfortunately stuck with a plodding and pedestrian introduction by Bernard Knox, which has occasional insights. Writing for the general reader, Knox wastes some 30 pages on historical matters of no interest to most readers and then skimps on his discussion of what every reader is interested in: the characters. Lattimore discusses all the important characters and does not make the Knox mistake of turning Hector into a bourgeois domestic hero at the expense of Achilles: he correctly sees Achilles as the most interesting character in the poem, one of the greatest characters in literature, and the true hero of the work. And shows why he is so. It's a trade-off again. The best translation for the first-time reader? None of the above. Save them for the second, or seventeenth reading! In teaching, I experimented with many translations. First-readers of all ages, I discovered, need vivid, straight-out, plain English prose to follow the story and grasp the characters. The winner: the W. H. D Rouse translation, still available here as a mass-market paperback. For clarity and drama and narrative sweep, it remains unsurpassed.
Rating:
Summary: I am looking forward to his "Odyssey".
Review: Almost my first experience of the Iliad by Homer, here translated by Robert Fagles with a simply superb introduction by Robert Knox who lays the groundwork for the plot and illuminates the characters of the story. The translation itself is excellent although at times some colloquial terms have been used to express the feeling of the original Greek to a modern reader. This did detract but overall it was a translation which held you in all its heat of battle or sorrow for dying men. We see that even though there are many lines of the poem repeated so as to give a sense of the character involved it never becomes boring or lacking creativity. The battle scenes are brutal as they would be in reality with little held back, especially the fighting of Achilles which is merciless. Somehow the poem expresses both the violence in the battles and the pain of loss by the death of any of the individuals involved. It's the first time I have met this way of storytelling without a solid development of character beforehand. Homer was truly adept at this. I am looking forward to his "Odyssey" all the more. Something I did notice which stood out strongly and that was the bias inherent in Homer's favouring the Achaeans over the Trojans. Many times we see him speaking of the Achaeans as great in all they did, their stalwartness and courage whereas Trojans were often portrayed as cowardly or when they achieved some feat as lucky or as given the advantage by the Gods. Strangely even though Homer finds something good to say for most of the participants he seems reluctant in the case of Helen who is seen as a prostitute at best, it doesn't seem that there is any attempt at expressing the feelings between Paris and Helen rather their "romance" seems to be a sideline to the real story which is that of Achilles, the beloved of the Gods, his pride, strength and love of war. These criticisms would be irrelevant if one did not get the feeling that the Iliad was written as a kind of historical narrative since of course Troy did exist and its destruction did occur. I found this feeling hard to avoid although I'm sure others do not have this problem. Many points come across as to the lifestyle and ways of thought of the ancient Greeks: (1) Nothing happens without the Gods intervention or influence in everyday life. The Gods are ever-present sometimes even appearing to people in person, most of the times in disguise. (2) Women themselves were looked on as prizes, eg literally as a prize when Achilles captured Briseis. Their beauty and handicrafts were recognised but that's about it. (3) A man's worth was measured through courage, bravery in war and skills if in peacetime. Riches are secondary. Athletic prowess is essential. Older men are looked on with respect especially for their achievements in the past eg Nestor. (4) Men don't have freedom in their lives, everything is dictated by the Gods or fate. Choices don't seem to exist like they do today. But then even the Gods are under te yoke of fate, it is often noted that it is not a God's fate to die since they are immortal but by saying this they must be under the sway of fate as well. An excellent story, told I think, as it was intended.
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