Reviews for Tradition and Design in the Iliad

The average rating for Tradition and Design in the Iliad based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2020-11-14 00:00:00 Marco Morana This is a fairly old book (1930), and some of it was outdated. But I found C. Maurice Bowra's judgments and arguments to be extremely sound, even though he did not have the benefit of Milman Parry's insights into how Homeric verse was composed. What Bowra did better than any other author I've read on these topics was draw the Iliad into the wider context of epic heroic poetry. He quotes with familiarity from the Song of Roland, Beowulf, Italian Renaissance poets like Tasso, and even oral verse from far-flung regions of the globe. I look forward to reading more of Bowra's books, including his monograph on heroic poetry.

Review # 2 was written on 2011-08-23 00:00:00 Carol Mckissick I haven't finished The Hobbit and The Silmarillion sections yet because I was looking specifically for information on LOTR, but this book is SO COOL and very informative if you're interested in Tolkien and Medieval literature, or if you're just interested in Tolkien's influences in general!! I originally bought it to use as a source for a paper, but I think it's really essential for any Tolkien lover. It provides all the information necessary to understand all references, given you have access to the full text of LOTR, The Hobbit, and The Silmarillion. It even gives the original and translated text of sources, which is a huge bonus for me. Really digestible and a great starting point for studying Tolkien's medieval influences!!