Descrizione

'After an introduction (pp.11-41) it proceeds to a book-by-book discussion of the composition of the poem - unfortunately, owing to the conditions in which the book was produced, this discussion is not complete, Books iii, iv, vi, vii, and xxiii finding not place at all in the series, and some other books (xiii-xv, xvi-xvii, xx-xx1) being grouped together. (.) Reinhardt's whole analysis of the 'Iliad' seems to me (.) a very strong argument in favour of its author's (.) employment of writing; there is a very powerful suggestion of persistent revision over a long period. (.) The introduction contains sections on 'The Homeric Riddle' (including a subsection on 'Repetitions'), on the relations of the 'Patrocleia' and 'Achilleid' (.) and on the importance of 'Episodes' in the composition of the 'Iliad'; Reinhardt lays great stress on Homer's mastery of the constructive use of episodes. (.) Important as this book obviously is, and enormously valuable as we shall find Reinhardt's statements of principle and many of his discussions of individual passages and their relation to Homer's plan, I cannot persuade myself that it really resembles (.) the book which Reinhardt himself might have written, had he been spared.' (J.A. DAVISON in The Classical Review (New Series), 1963, pp.136-138).