The Iliad

By: Homer, Emily Wilson - translator

Narrated by: Audra McDonald

Length: 20 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

2024 Audie Award Winner for Literary Fiction & Classics

When Emily Wilson’s translation of The Odyssey appeared in 2017―rendering the ancient poem in contemporary language that was “fresh, unpretentious and lean” (Madeline Miller, Washington Post)―critics lauded it as “a revelation” (Susan Chira, New York Times) and “a cultural landmark” (Charlotte Higgins, Guardian) that would forever change how Homer is read in English. Now Wilson has returned with an equally revelatory translation of Homer’s other great epic―the most revered war poem of all time.

Brought to life in vivid audio form, this crisp verse translation of The Iliad roars with the clamor of arms, the bellowing boasts of victors, the fury and grief of loss, and the anguished cries of dying men. It sings, too, of the sublime magnitude of the world―the fierce beauty of nature and deities’ grand schemes beyond the ken of mortals.

Wilson’s musical iambic pentameter verse is brought to life in the evocative voice of narrator and Broadway legend Audra McDonald. In her thrilling reading, this magical and often horrifying tale gallops at a pace befitting its legendary battle scenes. The culmination of a decade of intense engagement with antiquity’s most surpassingly beautiful and emotionally complex poetry, Wilson’s Iliad now gives us a complete Homer for our generation.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 Emily Wilson (Translation) (P)2023 Audible, Inc.

Great translation and pdf

Great work on the translation and opening explanations! PDF was also very useful. I tried other versions and did not like them as much

Great Work of Scholarship Accessible to All

I am just getting started on this classic work, but already I am engaged and intrigued. I read the ILIAD in Greek 50+ years ago in college, but the professor gave little insight into the universal themes that made the story relevant. I suffered through the classic boxed set two decades ago (also in my Audible library). This work is different, however. I appreciate the pdf with the plot summaries and explanations. Maybe it's just that I've matured to be able to appreciate the work. I'm a fan of the narrator Audra McDonald. The author's insights given as an introduction help make the story relevant to today's world. Alas, we see how ego, vengeance , and patriarchy motivate conflict, which reeks vast devastating consequences. I bought this because my yoga teacher mentioned it as a new translation meant to be orally performed. I'm glad I did.

Must Have

The translation was impeccable. The narrator was perfect. I’ve taught this work for nearly 50 years, and this book is a must have for any lover of the classics. I would recommend it for the curriculum in all high schools and universities. Will buy in hardcover.

Very well done

10/10 on all fronts. A wonderful translation and stellar performance filled with joy and sorrow.

Wow Wow Wow!

Even though I love the Odyssey more than the Iliad, and even though Emily Wilson’s translations of both are superior, listening to Claire Danes’ tired and dry, crackly voice was such a slog. Such an exciting story made an absolute bore read aloud. I didn’t have much hope for the aural Iliad, not knowing Audra McDonald; however, I was blown away! Not only because of Wilson’s meticulous translation, so modern and rich in imagery and detail, but McDonald’s stellar performance just made the listen so much better! McDonald was so passionate that it made the narrative come alive. I felt like I was on that battlefield. I wanted more at the end! Please read aloud all of the books, ever. Thank you.

Best version of the Iliad

Great narration and neat history lesson if you are interested in the background of the literature

Homer!

Such beautiful descriptions and epic story. Beautifully translated and read. This is a great masterpiece!

stellar reading breathing life into a classic piece of work

the story is what it is classic literature written long time ago. (putting it simply I love ancient Greek stories more than the average person) but Emily Wilson breaths life into a piece of literature history that I feel most people have trouble getting into

Emily Wilson’s Time Machine

I’m not an academic, and I only have a glancing exposure to classical Greek literature. That said, I found listening to this work to be a remarkable life experience that I am grateful I didn’t bypass. Each time I started to listen I was transported to the time when this and other stories like it were created. I found Emily Wilson‘s translation approachable, and simultaneously instructive. Her translation feels like an authentic retelling of a story transmitted across millennia. Audra McDonald’s reading helped me become like the people who heard this story during its creation. While listening, I believed every word as if it were gospel instead of a blending of historical fiction and mythology. Until I listened to this version I didn’t realize how false everything else I’d ever read, watched, or heard about The Iliad felt.

Listen carefully to the lengthy introduction. That alone will add a couple of points to your IQ. When it’s finished, you’ll be ready to step into Emily Wilson‘s time machine.

Accessible, Beautiful Translation and Performance

This has been a book that I have had trouble reading. This new translation and the wonderful audio performance made it so entertaining. I highly recommend you give this a try.