THE ILIAD

This audio presentation does a good job of making Homer's text accessible to contemporary listeners and giving a sense of what hearing this epic poem might have been like for ancient Greeks. Susan Sarandon's introductions to each book of the poem are a large part of the production's accessibility. Her delivery is balanced and engaged, but somewhat distant; the summaries of the action will help keep listeners from getting lost. By contrast, Stanley Lombardo's narration is more of a performance as he enters into the drama of the Trojan War. Lombardo clearly relishes the intense imagery of the poem, nearly chanting the metaphors Homer piles up to evoke this mythic battle. G.T.B. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/ MAY 07]