Iliad
>Mopey Achilles
>A million names
>That book/chapter that's just a list of more names and places
>Which Ajax is which?
> No Trojan Horse
Odyssey
>Nuanced protagonist
>Mythical creatures and mystery
>Underworld Scene
>Intricate plot spanning time and place
>Hero's Journey
and yet, Veeky Forums, why is it that I liked the Iliad more?
Because you didn't understand it.
>tfw I still imagine Odysseus as my high school english teacher
Because the Iliad appeals more the contemporary notion of the shunned, ostracized (anti-)hero. And you probably don't have a family so you have no idea what the yearning for home would feel like after a long absence.
For me personally, Iliad was far more appealing because of the topic of death and the human condition. It also yielded more insight in a society so distant from our own, not merely because of the shame society which is so different from our own guilt society. But also because of the inherent futility of life and how we try and give meaning to this brief time on earth that we have before we descend into obscurity.
Best translation of Homer, lads?
Fagles is great because it is very comprehensive. Also the introduction is great, regardless of whatever translator you wish to read make sure you have read Fagles introduction (easily accessible on bookzz)
Lattimore is the more literal translation and most commonly read within academics
Personally read Fitzgerald which is great, more of a prose translation.
Also have Pope and others which I can't remember right now which all seem to be great as well if we're going by the opinion of Fagles etc.
I would advice to start with Fagles or otherwise just read the first few pages of each translator and see which you like best. Can't really go wrong with any of the ones I listed though
Because the Iliad deals with the highest themes: war, life and death, nihilism, how one should live. Whereas the Odyssey is essentially domestic in scope (most of it about hospitality and proper and improper family life)
>reading for plot
That is basically it, Odyssey is let down by having a plot arc. It seems very unoriginal in that sense as guy struggles to get something done and then does it lives happily ever after etc.
The illiad is a slice of life, even if it is an unusual life. It isn't burdened by a plotted out story, more like just a bunch of related things that happens. And it ends pretty much where it starts: no resolution, no simple moral conclusion. It is a window into an imperfect bit of life, more like staring at a paining than watching a film.
Wrong. The Iliad has the most perfect plot ever created, ending with the funeral of Hector symbolising that of the still-living Achilles. Whereas the Odyssey ends weirdly abruptly so some later poet tacked on a final chapter to tie up the loose ends.
A perfect plot is a stupid plot, fit only for formulaic murder mysteries. Life has loose ends, and so should plots. Odyssey is specifically used to address loose ends of Illiad.