The Iliad: A Graphic Novel Adaption

I was expecting this to be a light read, but was surprised by the richness of this graphic novel. The author does not dumb down the story for the readers, and does his best qto retain beautiful images and articulate speeches. i can see it being a gateway for a young person to be introduced to beautiful writing.

For readers new to the story of the Iliad, Hinds provides a lot of help. In the back of the book there is a map and page-by-page notes, as well as an author's note explaining why we still read the Iliad today. There is no getting past the fact that keeping track of the characters can be difficult, but Hinds has a handy list at the front of the book of the important Aechaeans, Trojans and Greek gods.

I would say this would be a show more challenging read for younger readers. The battle scenes are graphic, and there are some pictures that make me a little woozy as an adult. The print is small and words are plentiful, so it may surprise readers looking for a light graphic novel. Mature tweens and teens would be a better target audience.

The copy I received was in black and white, but the final book promises to be in colour. show less

There have been many novels that chose the greatest war story of all time as their setting. Trilogies, plays, you name it. This graphic novel by Gareth Hinds is probably the best adaptation I’ve ever encountered.

Narrating the rhapsodies of Homer’s immortal epic is no easy task. However, Hinds succeeds in transferring the Trojan War in the contemporary art of the Graphic novel and retaining the beauty of the Homeric language and the violent atmosphere of the bloody dispute between the Achaeans and the Trojans. I was impressed by the style of the illustrations, the way the Greek deities were depicted, the clothes, the weaponry, the architecture. Every characteristic of the Bronze Age is brilliantly portrayed. The impressive moments show more are many. The fury of Achilles, the interventions of the Olympians, Helen’s guilt, Agamemnon’s arrogance, Hector’s despair. The futility of a war for power and greed, the sacrilege, the dubious glory. Brilliant translation, extraordinary artwork.

Imagine a universe where Homer returns to life, in our world, and decides to become a Graphic Novel artist. This would be his ‘’new’’ Iliad. Thank you, Gareth Hinds.

Many thanks to Candlewick Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com show less

I don't know how many of you out there went to Sunday School as children, but I remember having to read these god-awful children's books with truly ugly art depicting bible tales. Watercolor, with bland-as-hell poses and expressions for everyone... all so worthless that I wished they had just done without the pictures altogether. Maybe the bland tales, too.

"But wait," you say, "This is supposed to be the Iliad! It's exciting and tragic and it has gods and heroes and that damn horse!"

Yeah, well, this is the book where even great tales go to die.

If you want to read the original, READ THE ORIGINAL. Or as in my case, the translation to the original. Go for the poetry one or the prose one. I don't care. It's better than this. Even the text show more manages to draw out the dull. And if you wanted a great comic portrayal, go watch that horse-dung of a movie that came out in the oughts. It really was comic. And at least it didn't have ALL THESE FOOTNOTES.

You know the old adage, a picture paints a thousand words? Well, the author ignores the great thousands of words and leaves them in the comic and ignores the possible brilliance of the art that could have replaced certain scenes. And then, instead of focusing on the really iconic scenes to great benefit, he gives a lot of space to the random dead that we can list for hours in the original text. I can kinda appreciate that in a "oh, cool, I can't believe he did that," kind of way, but in actuality, I was thinking, "oh, damn, that really, really could have been left out."

My boredom got bored.

Do not read. This is a public service announcement.

*apologies to the artist* show less

This is a beauty! In his words and especially his gorgeous drawings, the author manages to create yet another epic interpretation of the timeless Trojan War tale. The coloring is just splendid. Hinds is judicious in what he leaves out, which may displease some readers. There's plenty of battle action and gore for fans of such, but also very well -rendered tender moments between Hector and Andromache and between Achilles and Priam. Using unique helmets and shields are a fine tool to help the reader to distinguish each hero, and each god and goddess is granted a unique, shadowy color. Helpful footnotes and a section at the end of page-by-page notes includes background and history of the geography and of the Homeric tradition. A true asset show more to the Iliad canon. show less

As someone who only had a very casual familiarity with “The Iliad,” I found Gareth Hinds’s graphic adaptation to be an approachable entry point into the story. While Homer’s epic poem can be daunting, the visuals and text work together to help readers not just comprehend the story but also appreciate its action and tension. In addition to depicting the conflict between the Achaeans and Trojans as well as the in-fighting happening within the camps, Hinds does a particularly good job of emphasizing themes such as fate versus free will and the causes and costs of war.

One challenge I encountered was differentiating between the characters on the different sides. While Hinds includes signals like differences in the style of helmets, show more these were hard for me to detect, and I found myself flipping back to the character list helpfully included at the start of the book. Given Hinds’s aptitude for using visuals, I suspect that the final version, which will be in full color, might be less problematic.

The backmatter includes an author’s note, map, bibliography, and page-by-page notes, and this material gives us a peek into Hinds’s process as well as the story’s complexity. I particularly enjoyed the page-by-page notes, where Hinds describes his decisions and provides more context to the story.

Overall, this provides an engaging and enjoyable introduction to “The Iliad,” and I look forward to seeing the final version. show less

I received a reviewer's copy of this book from the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.

Admittedly, I was a little disappointed to receive a black and white reviewer's copy of this book rather than the full-colored finished article. That said, even the absence of color did not detract from the artistry and clarity of this superb graphic novel.

Graphic novel adaptions of classic literature often have two major problems which lessen the enjoyment of one familiar with the original work. The first is that the story and dialogue are often greatly abridged or altered, an occasionally necessary evil. The second, particularly when black and white illustrations are implemented, is that often the characters are not show more differentiated enough, thus resulting in confusion as the reader mistakes one character for another.

I am happy to say that this particular adaption has neither of these common problems. Using a classic translation of the original work, the abridgement (if abridgement there has been) has been done so judiciously as make the reader feel as if they have indeed read the entire, unabridged work, and Mr. Hinds' ability to make each and every character visually distinct and unique leaves no room for confusion.

Though I was initially hesitant about reviewing a graphic novel adaption of one of my favorite works of classic literature, I can now say that this particular version has been very well done indeed, and I highly recommend it. show less

Hinds put in a lot of effort and it shows: not only the visual renderings, but the editing of the story. The Trojan War is literally a cast of tens of thousands, multiple armies against armies over years and years. Already Homer's Iliad cuts this down to just the last year of the conflict, and still his poem is full of names and allegiances, suspicions and feints, sorties and retreats. From this material, Hinds elects to hone the story further to battles between champions on either side, and just as importantly, to the internecine squabbling among the Achaeans (Greeks): Agememnon and Achilles. No wonder the war lasted 10 years.

Alongside this plays out another dimension to the war: the influence of immortals using these champions as show more pawns in their own quarrels. The machinations of the gods can be taken literally or as allegory, perhaps both. Hinds offers up a thoughtful distillation, allowing us to reflect upon these key dynamics: armies, squabbles, extra-rational dynamics at play, instead of (only) getting lost in the detail.

The result, whatever fidelity to Homer's original, however rich in its abbreviation, never grabbed me. I think of it now as a sophisticated precis, similar to Charles Lamb's various treatments of Shakespeare plays. That said, it's the summary I want on my shelves (well, this one and Shanower's).

//

The full supplement of maps and diagrams, notes and essays are welcome but need not be read to enjoy the work.

My ARC presented with a greyscale interior / colour cover; the final product includes a full-colour interior. (I learned recently that Shanower's multi-part graphic adaptation of the Iliad, interiors originally in greyscale, is recently reissued in full colour.) Several reviewers suggest Hinds's use of colour is not merely decorative but key to the sense of the book, characters readily identified, dramatic effect heightened. show less