The IliadThe Iliad
What it's about
In the tenth year of the Greek siege of Troy, the great warrior Achilles quarrels with the commander, Agamemnon, who takes a captive woman from him. In fury, Achilles refuses to fight, and the Greeks begin to lose. When his dearest friend Patroclus is killed by the Trojan prince Hector, Achilles returns to battle in a terrible rage.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Bokklubben list of the 100 greatest books and is one of the oldest and greatest stories in Western literature. Its scenes of grief and battle still hit hard.
You'll love it if you liked
The Metamorphoses
The Divine Comedy
The Children of HurinGood to know
It's a long poem, and the battle scenes and lists of ships are long. Emily Wilson's and Robert Fagles's translations are the most readable.
By the numbers
- Readers26 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics55 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller34 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #267 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #311 of the 481 new books we rank
- #1801 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Epic
More by Homer
If you like this, read next
The Lord of the Rings
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Godfather
The Pillars of the Earth
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
FoundationExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Iliad worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Bokklubben list of the 100 greatest books and is one of the oldest and greatest stories in Western literature. It ranks #1,801 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 65.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Iliad about?
In the tenth year of the Greek siege of Troy, the great warrior Achilles quarrels with the commander, Agamemnon, who takes a captive woman from him. In fury, Achilles refuses to fight, and the Greeks begin to lose. When his dearest friend Patroclus is killed by the Trojan prince Hector, Achilles returns to battle in a terrible rage.
How long does it take to read The Iliad?
About 7 hours (267 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Iliad?
If you liked it, try The Metamorphoses by Ovid, The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri or The Children of Hurin by J. R. R. Tolkien.