The New Iliad Translation

Do people have any thoughts on the new translation of the Iliad:

The Iliad: A New Translation by Peter Green Hardcover – May 14, 2015
by Homer

Thanks.

And this:

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v37/n12/colin-burrow/the-empty-bath

>3 Urquhart:

That's the kind of review that really annoys me. I scanned it at something over four thousand words, and I had to read practically all of them before I got to anything informative - bar a couple of little details - about Green's translation. To be fair, the last paragraph was informative - in a fleeting and slightly oblique way - but I could only judge that by comparing it to what the review at >2 JerryMmm: had said - and backed up with explanation and example.

There's an interesting review on Amazon by James Liu.

>4 alaudacorax:: I subscribe to LRB intermittently when they have special offers as I wouldn't pay their normal rates. I have the issue which contains this review but haven't yet had time to read it so I can't comment about the specifics. But I have to say the title of this journal is hugely misleading. Many articles are not reviews at all. And many of the so-called "reviews" merely seem a vehicle to show off the knowledge of the reviewer at some length and actual references to the book seem just a side issue. IMHO not a journal for those interested in buying/not buying the book in question.

As someone who just read the Odyssey last year, and not yet read the Iliad, that LRB piece did contain a lot of interesting information and observations. I agree you have to read to the end for any real review, although there are snippets here and there.

My next read would be Fagles Iliad, basically because I have his Odyssey, maybe I'll get his boxset with Aeneid as well.

Some day I hope to have a shelf with Odysseys and Iliads, having read them all to compare.

>7 JerryMmm:: "that LRB piece did contain a lot of interesting information and observations"
Yes I can see my post (6) could be misunderstood. And more negative than is perhaps justified. Many of the articles are indeed interesting and informative. Review articles often deal with the topic in depth and bring up all kinds of stuff that would not be in a "normal" press review. But as alaudacorax said references to the book itself often just seem to be a side matter. Obviously that is not always the case. Reviews which cover and compare two (or more) books on the same subject can be very useful.

I think that's you're being a little unfair to LRB: the style of an LRB review is precisely an essay informed by and informing the reader about the reviewed book or books and the topic. This means they are not simple reviews but generally rather useful to a general reader who may or may not be likely to read the book reviewed.