Luttwak on the Iliad

       Edward Luttwak's review of Stephen Mitchell's translation of The Iliad, Homer Inc, in the current London Review of Books offers some fun Homer-in-translation observations -- along with a nice take-down of Mitchell's efforts.
       Among the problems with this particular version:

Mitchell took it on himself to produce and circulate an Iliad that is improperly abridged, indeed mutilated.

       Unfortunately, of course, such mutilation is -- in the name of 'editing' -- a far too common occurrence with translations (and generally it's the publisher who is responsible, not, as here, the translator).