The Iliad by Homer [THE FRANKLIN LIBRARY / 1983]

The Iliad by Homer [THE OXFORD LIBRARY OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST BOOKS]

LEATHER BOUND COLLECTOR'S EDITION [1983] THE FRANKLIN LIBRARY / OXFORD LIBRARY

A Franklin Library collaboration with the Oxford Library's World's Greatest Books collection.   

1983.  Gorgeous black leather bound hardcover accented with 22 kt gold.  With gold gilt cover and edges, raised bands, sewn in silk bookmark, illustrated sides and marbled end papers. 

Book is in excellent condition; almost like new with some edge wear to cover.  

Dating to the ninth century B.C., Homer’s timeless poem still vividly conveys the horror and heroism of men and gods wrestling with towering emotions and battling amidst devastation and destruction, as it moves inexorably to the wrenching, tragic conclusion of the Trojan War. Renowned classicist Bernard Knox observes in his superb introduction that although the violence of the Iliad is grim and relentless, it coexists with both images of civilized life and a poignant yearning for peace.

Combining the skills of a poet and scholar, Robert Fagles, winner of the PEN/Ralph Manheim Medal for Translation and a 1996 Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, brings the energy of contemporary language to this enduring heroic epic. He maintains the drive and metric music of Homer’s poetry, and evokes the impact and nuance of the Iliad’s mesmerizing repeated phrases in what Peter Levi calls “an astonishing performance.”