An Iliad - Alessandro Baricco, Ann Goldstein (Translator)

I read a full-length translation of The Iliad roughly 20 years ago and so was eager to refresh my knowledge of this Homeric epic with a shorter version. An Iliad, by Alessandro Baricco and translated from Italian by Ann Goldstein, was actually more enjoyable and ultimately will be more memorable than the original.

Baricco's novel provides all the plot points, characters, and flavor of the original but at a fraction of the length and with a couple of variations that enhance the overall story. He has eliminated the Greek Gods as characters--mortals may invoke them or attribute actions to them--but they are not actual characters. Each chapter is told from the point-of-view of a specific character. Sometimes Achilles is telling his side of the story, sometimes Agammemnon, Hector, Cassandra, Patroclus, etc. My favorite was when the River talked about its view of this blip upon its historical presence in the region. These two changes, in addition to the much shorter length, are effective because they make the story more realistic and relatable. Without the Greek Gods as characters constantly interfering and acting out their own petty rivalries and serving as an excuse for bad or good luck, and with the perspective of the different characters explaining their motivation, desires, and fears, I felt closer to the story and felt it was closer to me.

In the introduction, Baricco outlines the origin of the project--it began as an attempt to read Homer's Iliad aloud to a live audience and it quickly became apparent that it needed to be edited and the result is a retelling that is more accessible for most modern readers.

I am not quibbling with the point that reading the "original" version is valuable--understanding that four millenia and language separate us from the original in whatever form it was--but not everyone has the time, motivation, or interest to do so. I think An Iliad is a wonderful way for modern readers to experience one of the stories that has served as a foundation for western literature.

Final note--in his afterword, Baricco waxed poetic about how The Iliad is a paean to war. I ended up skimming this section because I just didn't buy it. As the author of An Iliad, I guess I need to respect his thoughts on the source material, but reading An Iliad simply cemented in my mind the frustration I feel at the utter waste represented by the Trojan War, and most wars for that matter, on both sides. I will always be Team Hector and An Iliad didn't change my stance on that.