Author Description

When Ennis Rees's monumental modern-verse translation of Homer's Iliad first appeared in 1963, the New York Times Book Review hailed it as "smoothly and pleasantly controlled" and Library Journal quite simply called it "excellent." Long out of print, this lively, eminently readable edition is at last available in a paperback.Unlike many prose translations, Rees's version captures the true poetry of the Iliad, transforming the dactylic hexameters into a loose pentameter that is both familiar and accessible to modern readers. The result is natural, free-flowing language that brings to life the compelling tale of the heroes and gods who fought the Trojan War. As with the best translations of poetry, Rees's Iliad is a poem in its own right without losing the spirit and meaning of the the original work. With a brief yet insightful introduction, a text unencumbered with scholarly notes or line numbers, and an extremely helpful index to names and places, this is an Iliad for all readers, and one that will provide a lifetime of enjoyment.