Simone Weil's The <I>Iliad</I> or the Poem of Force: A Critical Edition
«The ‘Iliad’ is arguably the most influential work in the whole of Western literature. No discussion of it is more precious than the passionate, profound, and penetrating essay of Simone Weil, who uses the Greek epic to illuminate the human condition and the tragic theme of destruction and war. Its appearance in this book is welcome and important.» (Jasper Griffin, Professor of Classical Literature, Balliol College, Oxford University; Author of ‘Homer on Life and Death’)«This new edition of Weil’s well-known essay on the ‘Iliad’ is welcome on several counts. James P. Holoka’s commentary and notes draw richly yet judiciously from scholarship on both Weil and her beloved Homer, and his translation fairly matches the limpid French of the original. In an age feverish with wars and their rumor, it is hard to imagine that any reader will be unaffected by Weil’s vigorously argued perceptions in what must be rated one of the most effective briefs ever written against the inhuman nature of violence. This book will benefit students and teachers in French, classical studies, philosophy, psychology, and anthropology.» (Thomas R. Nevin, Professor of Classical Studies, John Carroll University; Author of ‘Simone Weil: Portrait of a Self-Exiled Jew’)