Book: The War that Killed Achilles

The War that Killed Achilles
by Caroline Alexander

Length: 320

Format: Hardback
Price: Free - checked out from the public library

How I heard about it: Searched "The Illiad" at the public library

Basic Premise: This is a scholarly retelling of Homer's classic The Illiad which sheds new light not only on the story, but on its history and significance, both in its own time and in ours.

My Take: 9 out of 10 (scale here)

I really, really love this story. There is something about Ancient Greek, and later, Roman culture that I find completely fascinating. In my Arthur class, there were many references to Aneas and the founding of Rome, and once the class wrapped up, I found myself short on the old-style reading I'd been living and breathing for the past three weeks. Not having read The Illiad in its entirety and aware I was starting back at work and my reading time would be limited, I opted for this commentary rather than the story itself, feeling that it would both help keep my skills sharp and provide a thorough literary analysis. It did both. So many different versions of this story exist, and Alexander did a fantastic job of sticking to the original but addressing how this story served as a root for many other legends and myths of the time. What I appreciated most, however, was how it dug into the character. Achilles is widely perceived as pompous and conceited, certainly irreverent and possibly even without honor. However, as Alexander notes, there is far more to this character than simply the way he conducts himself in battle. One thing I didn't realize is that The Illiad ends with Hector's defeat, not with the death of Achilles. For that, we must read The Odyssey, which I think is on my horizon in the next few years.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. It made me wish there was a class on Homer like my class on Arthur!