I was a Greek and Roman mythology since I was a kid, like most people I think but this book didn't do it for me. I disliked the art style and storytelling, I find it quite boring if I may say. Too much information. I don't know who was the target audience but if it's kids then I'm not sure they would appreciate it.

'The Iliad' by Homer with adaptation and art by Gareth Hinds is an ambitious, sprawling graphic novel adaptation of of the great books of Western Civilization.

The nine year conflict known as the Trojan War is covered here. The fates of men are toyed with by the gods, who give aid to who whom they will. There are epic characters and speeches here, but the underlying message is that war and death are still terrible.

The book includes casts of characters and maps as well as a short afterword explaining that the Iliad has a pretty abrupt ending. The illustrations were ok, but the adaptation is solid, and the cast of characters is mostly easy to follow. I really liked this epic adaptation.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Candlewick Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

A beautiful way to introduce anyone to a classic, as well as an easy way to refresh your memory of the Iliad. I could see this used as a great teaching tool as well!

A beautiful adaptation of the legendary and ancient story of the Iliad, originally written by Homer. The 9 year ordeal was the greatest war story of all time and now accessible to younger readers. The artwork is beautiful, the whole story was so well researched and adapted for a younger audience. Garath Hinds is talented and did this story justice!

The Iliad by Gareth Hinds was a beautifully adaptation of the classic story that I recently read. Highly recommend, especially for those that struggle reading classic novel like myself.

This is a great revisit to Homer's The Iliad. This graphic novel gives a different perspective on this classic. This is read for reluctant readers and fans of classical greek dramas. This graphic novel also gives content to the Iliad, including maps, notes, and character profiles.

This I was reading a long time ago and I forgot about feedback. So here it is - it was bad.. I don't want to say it but I had to. I had really huge problem to finish this thing, the narration was written very badly, the artwork unlikeable to me. I love Greek mythology and this totally ruined my taste to read anything about it in the next months. The artwork was kind of textbook one.

I love Gareth Hinds. Personally, I'm a fan of his artwork and his adaptations. However, what I love the most is that he makes my students curious about the classics he has illustrated. The Iliad is no exception. Such a complex work, such a brilliant adaptation!

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 2.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

I haven't read the original, but after reading this version, I'm hooked. Hinds' managed to tell the story in such a short time through simplicity and visuals, and his own spin on the classic. Well done.

Hinds' latest graphic novel is an ambitious and compelling adaptation of Homer's The Illiad, an epic poem that covers the tenth year of the Trojan War. Though the story of the whole Trojan War is complex and long, Hinds reminds faithful to the large plot points of the war in particular the internal conflict between two Greek leaders (Achilles and King Agamemnon) as they seek to conquer the city of Troy, the rage of Achilles, and the death of Trojan prince Hector. There is a lot to cover in this graphic novel adaptation, but Hinds does a great job in highlighting the main events without dragging down the pace of the graphic novel. I also really liked how he included the Zeus and the other gods and goddesses's involvement as fickle and meddlesome war agents, regularly resorting to acts of trickery, mischief, and deadly interference as they played with mortal lives.

Of course the book is mainly focused on the battle scenes since it's covering a war, but it surprisingly does not rely on gore for their dramatic effect even though there is plenty of blood and violence. Instead, the artwork consisted of pencil, watercolor, and digital illustrations propel readers from scene to scene, shifting from neatly organized panels during moments of peace to angular layouts during times of physical and emotional strife.

The graphic novel does capture the story's "war is glory" attitude and hypermasculinity but it also shows the emotions involved in the war. The themes of glory, pride, hubris, as well as the harrowing sorrow and desolation of women and children of the conquered. Even Hinds' Helen is aware of the destruction brought by her arrival (though Hinds notes that the reasons for the Trojan War is possibly many). I appreciated the purposeful color palette assigns each god his or her own vivid, monochrome hue, while a subtle red and blue color scheme helps differentiate between the Greeks and Trojans. Due to the sheer size of characters it was a bit confusing at times to identity who is who. Some panels have large text panels, but the text was necessary to understand the plot. There is extensive back matter which includes an author’s note, a map, extensive notes, and a selected bibliography for further reading. Hinds has succeeded in creating an accessible adaptation of a great epic poem for those who are encountering Homer for the first time as well as those who are already familiar with the original work.

This was an interesting take on The Illiad. With that being said, the illustrations were not my favorite, and the story itself did not feel full. It is worth a reread though, especially since it is a quick read.

The Iliad is one of my favorite stories ever told. I don't know what it is about Helen, Paris, and the rest of them that fascinates me so. For someone who is so familiar with the tale, I jumped at the chance to read this graphic novel.
It was okay, but it didn't really enthrall me. I found that there was too much text, and the illustrations too simple and few.
I would recommend this to people who are perhaps unfamiliar with the Iliad and want to be introduced to it with illustrations to accompany!

It took me far longer than it should have to get through this book, but once I sat down with it, it was a quick read. The fast pacing means my students, mostly my reluctant male readers with an interest in mythology or battles, will devour this book. The dialogue and descriptions help the reader keep track of which names are important and which aren't, as well as remind the reader who is related to whom and who is on which side of the battle. The author/illustrator employs a masterful use of color (red for the Greeks and blue for the Trojans as well as pastels for the gods and other immortals).
As a teacher, I like that this graphic novel follows the "books" of The Iliad as written by Homer. That makes it much easier to use this novel in lessons or to assign certain sections as follow up for studying the text. If I had students of a high enough grade level, we would certainly study this graphic novel in class. As it is, I'll be purchasing a copy to put in my classroom library and will book talk it for students to read for their own pleasure. I'm sure I'll have some takers. Aside from a couple of odd turns of phrase, such as "Briseis, fairest of cheeks" (uh, which cheeks, dude?) the dialogue is well translated and keeps the original flavor of Homer's work.
My only true complaint with this graphic novel version is that it only dances around Achilles and his relationship with Patroclus. They were not simply "dearest of friends". They were lovers. They had been lovers since their youth. There are some hints to the depth of Achilles' love for Patroclus, but I feel that a more faithful approach would have been to simply state the truth of their relationship alongside the information Hinds did give readers. I will go down with the Achilles and Patroclus ship, especially after reading The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, so this bothers me much more than it would my unsuspecting students.

Over all, an excellent book. 4.5 stars from me.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic Advance Reader's Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I was given this copy of THE ILIAD by the publisher from NetGalley for an honest review.

This graphic novel is truly a graphic novel. It's not so much a panel by panel story, but a book with some pictures. I like it, but not for someone who is looking for a GN of the Iliad.

The art is a done well. I really think it's a great piece of art for kids (and adults) of all ages.

Thank you Candlewick Press for letting me read this fantastic work!

I typically love mythology, especially Greek mythology, but this gets bogged down by too many details. I don't need to know the 50 people each character killed in battle and who each of those people's dads were. I often found myself skimming through the book to finish. After dragging through 272 pages, the story of the Trojan war isn't finished either. It ends where the Iliad ends, after Achilles and Hector's final battle. It drags on for too long after that, giving the book an unsatisfying ending. The art reminds me of textbook art.

My Review: I first read The Iliad in my college Epic Poetry class and it quickly became one of my favorites, so when I saw this available I knew I had to read it. It has been years since I last read the Iliad but based on what I remember this does follow the original work closely, but it still does a great job of simplifying it and bringing the language to a modern and approachable form. The illustration style is fantastic, it suits the story and is so beautiful. Hinds also includes a great illustrated character guide at the beginning to help readers. While it isn't quite the original work and a bit is lost but this is a very approachable interpretation of the original. I think it would also be great for the younger readers. I am thrilled that I not only found this but the author has several other graphic novels of my favorite epic poems.

My Rating: I really enjoyed this adaptation of The Iliad, it simplified a lot of it into something all readers could follow and enjoy. The art style really suited the story and setting as well, detailed when it needed to be and clear distinguishing between the characters. I give it a rating of Four Paws!

I might have misunderstood, but I thought this was a comic based on the Trojan war, and it's not, it's an abridged and simplified translation of the Iliad with a few not very elaborate illustrations. It could be a first step into the Greek mythology for an 8-years old kid, but it's definitely a poor read for an adult, and I'm honestly not sure a kid would want to read anything like this on their tablet. A good idea not very well executed.

4.5★
“This is not the story of the Trojan War. Or at least not the whole story.
. . .
The war was fought over a woman. Or possibly an apple, or a lot of gold, or control of trade routes. Here’s what supposedly happened: the two mightiest gods, Zeus and Poseidon, were both attracted to a sea-nymph named Thetis.”

This is a long, full-on graphic novel, not a short comic book. I have not compared it to official versions – I can’t say original, because this was written around the 12th century BCE (before common/current era) – but there is poetry quoted and the language used by the characters is written in a manner that suggests historic rather than modern times.

I make no attempt to summarise the story, other than to say it includes all the elements of a good dramatic action adventure: romance, jealousy, heroes, kings, gods and goddesses, magic and weakness. Oh yes, and war, not to forget the Trojan War. I’ve captured a few of the illustrations, which are done as coloured drawings, some very detailed and some more sketchy, particularly those of the mythical gods and goddesses and Dream.

[My Goodreads review includes an illustration captioned: Picture of some important Trojans (note the warriors with and without their helmets) and some gods.]

The introduction tells us why Agamemnon and Achilles are quarrelling and shows what happens next.

“Chryses prayed to Apollo for retribution, and the god heard him. Down he came from the heights of Mount Olympus, the arrows of disease and death rattling in his quiver like thunder, and darkness following in his footsteps.”

[My Goodreads review includes an illustration captioned: Picture of Agamemnon and Achilles, head-to-head, Chryses praying, and Apollo striding down to mix things up some more.]

Achilles is the son of Thetis, a beautiful sea goddess. and he begs her to go to Zeus and ask him to intervene. He’s the chief/king of the gods, after all, and he has always had a soft spot for Thetis (to put it politely). Hera, Zeus’s wife, is well aware of his weaknesses.

[My Goodreads review includes an illustration captioned: Pictures of Hera (pink) jealous of Thetis (aqua) who is begging Zeus.]

“I saw you bow your head to that sea-trollop just now.* What have you promised her?”

At the bottom of that page is this footnote:
“* If Zeus bowed his head when making a promise, it was said to be an unbreakable vow.”

There are similar notations here and there, as needed, plus extensive notes at the end of the book. You can see even from these small examples, the difference between the illustrations of the gods and the mortals, which helps keep them straight.

I haven’t read each panel thoroughly, but I can see how much attention to detail there is, and how easy it would be to encourage otherwise less-interested readers to engage with reading some of these old tales. (I suppose Brad Pitt and Eric Bana and the film probably attracted some interest too.)

There are plenty of graphic bloody battles.

[My Goodreads review includes an illustration captioned: Battle illustration. Note the gods each cheering for their own sides in the background on the top right! ]

Here’s a bit more of what’s available in this publication. A map.

[My Goodreads review includes an illustration captioned: Map of the armies and where they came from.]

I realise you can’t see this here, but this will give you an idea of the details included.

[My Goodreads review includes an illustration captioned: The first of several page-by-page notes to accompany the illustrated text.]

The lengthy author's note adds history and context. There is also a good bibliography, which includes this interesting link, if you’re interested.
http://age-of-bronze.com/CartoonistinTroy.shtml

Thanks to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the preview from which I’ve copied a few illustrations.

I hadn't read The Iliad in a long time before starting this one. Maybe I should have, because there is a lot going on in this book. I had to go back a lot of time just to reread everything as I went. I don't know if there are people that like it.. but I don't.. Nevertheless, if you know the story of The Iliad and have read it maybe a few weeks ago, it'd be a better fit.