Product Description

This text contains the first three volumes of Christopher Logue's recomposition of Homer's "Iliad - Kings", "The Husbands" and "War Music".

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #70559 in Books
• Published on: 2001-12-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Review
'Less a translation than an adaptation. Less an adaptation, in fact, than an original poem of considerable power... The language of War Music is applied with such a barbaric certainty of touch that, even at its most gorgeous or most ferocious, we are hardly aware of it. This is a work of a highly literary quality in which everything is vividly imagined, every image freshly minted.' Derek Mahon, Observer; 'The best translation of Homer since Pope's...' Gary Wills, New York Review of Books; 'Homer is re-experienced, is given the mystery of creative echo... Translation of genius.' George Steiner, Sunday Times; 'A work of great virtuosity, something completely original in style and stance... It is tremendously graphic, full of felicities as well as stark colloquialisms pointing up the drama. It is the perfect introduction to Homer, faithful in tone and spirit to the essential Greekness of the old poem.' Lawrence Durrell, London Magazine

From the Publisher
We are pleased to announce the publication of eleven more titles into the new typographic look. The specifications for the books are high -beautifully produced, they all have flaps and are sewn and printed in Italy. The latest batch represents some of the core titles of the backlist (Philip Larkin's Collected Poems, Ted Hughes's New Selected Poems, James Joyce's Poems and Shorter Writings) along with key, single volumes that should be part of any poetry lover's library (and whose reissue, in the form in which they were first published, will give a whole new generation the pleasure of coming to the books as original readers).

Customer Reviews

Finest poetry, finest writing I've come across this year.
Astounding. I bought this volume this morning for thirty pence from a charity shop in West Norwood - never having heard of Christopher Logue - and consumed it in the space of one afternoon and evening. Great to feel again - after too long - the quickening that great writing can put into your step, your imagination and your heart. Bought me to tears as I finished the first section at Two O'clock in Brockwell Park. Nine O'clock now and I have (for the first time) finished the whole thing and - with gratitude - discovered that there is MORE of this guys 'translation' of Homer to read. A great day; thank you Christopher Logue...

Wonderful poetic rendering of the Iliad
A wonderful, cinematic versiion of parts of the Iliad, which I have been reading and re-reading for years. The clash of arms, the jealousies- all come vividly to life in these books, which are not translations, but poetic reconstructions. When can Mr Logue write another book? Please?

War Music
I was aware of Christopher Logue long before I became aware of War Music from his contributions to Private Eye and strangely I first became aware of War Music in [I assume] a BBC radio production. I'm not sure of the date but I think it was early in '79 but I could be totally mistaken. It was not a full cast production - I think I remember only a single narrator with impressive sound effects.
It was brilliant and made a big impression so much so that I listened to it again when it was rebroadcast some time later. I've never been able to track down details of this production.

When I saw War Music in print for I immediately obtained it and I've re-read regularly since then - a period of over 25 years.
Each time it produces the same feelings that others have described. I've read various "translations" of Homer's "original" and this while never a strict translation in the usually accepted term outshines them all in it's use of language. Logue's descriptive ability is amazing. It's has been and always will be one of my very favourite books