--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's hard to write a war story without…" description: "\"It's hard to write a war story without thinking about the 'Iliad.' Because the 'Iliad' knows everything about war.\" — Chang-Rae Lee" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b54/chang-rae-lee-3318_about_it-s-hard-to-write-a-war-story-without-t_1011920.png" --- # It's hard to write a war story without thinking about the… ![“It's hard to write a war story without thinking about the 'Iliad.' Because the 'Iliad' knows everything about war.” quote by Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b54/chang-rae-lee-3318_about_it-s-hard-to-write-a-war-story-without-t_1011920.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b54/chang-rae-lee-3318_about_it-s-hard-to-write-a-war-story-without-t_1011920.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b54/chang-rae-lee-3318_about_it-s-hard-to-write-a-war-story-without-t_1011920.png) > “It's hard to write a war story without thinking about the 'Iliad.' Because the 'Iliad' knows everything about war.” [Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The Iliad serves as a comprehensive reference on war, shaping how modern war narratives are crafted. **In simple terms:** The Iliad informs modern war storytelling. Key Takeaway Study classic war literature to enrich contemporary narratives. Themes war literature writing history Mood reflective inspirational Type literary educational When to use this quote - author workshops - creative writing classes - historical analysis Key Concepts mythology literary influence narrative technique Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance classic influences with original ideas? - What modern conflicts could inspire new war stories? A Different Perspective Relying solely on ancient texts may limit fresh perspectives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Because](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/) [Everything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everything/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homer/) [Iliad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iliad/) [Iliad Iliad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iliad-iliad-2202667/) [Iliad Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iliad-knows-2202665/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Thinking Iliad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking-iliad-2202666/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-story-422620/) [Without](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/without/) [Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write/) ## Related quotes > [“The greatest war story ever told commemorates a war that established no boundaries, won no territory, and furthered no cause.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-alexander/the-greatest-war-story-ever-told-commemorates-a-war-that-established/) [Caroline Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-alexander/) > [“we're looking for a planeet on the strength of a song. it's crazy I know, but its the only chance we have to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-kagan/we-re-looking-for-a-planeet-on-the-strength-of-a-song-it-s-crazy-i/) [Janet Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-kagan/) > [Go over to Greece with the Iliad and Odyssey. These have elements of history, and they have non-historical elements. It's very difficult to pull…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/go-over-to-greece-with-the-iliad-and-odyssey-these-have-elements-of/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [“Alexander the Great slept with 'The Iliad' beneath his pillow. During the waning moon, I cradle Homer’s 'Odyssey' as if it were the sweet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/alexander-the-great-slept-with-the-iliad-beneath-his-pillow-during/) [Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) > [“Homer, in the second book of the Iliad says with fine enthusiasm, "Give me masturbation or give me death." Caesar, in his Commentaries, says,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/homer-in-the-second-book-of-the-iliad-says-with-fine-enthusiasm-give/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Iliad by Homer is one of the great stories in literature. 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But the Iliad is not a conventional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-alexander/surely-by-all-convention-the-iliad-will-end-here-with-the-triumphant/) [Caroline Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-alexander/) > [The basic story of "The Iliad" seems not even very servicable, for it has few parallels anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-h-whitman/the-basic-story-of-the-iliad-seems-not-even-very-servicable-for-it/) [Cedric H Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-h-whitman/) > [“Thetis knew this woman had conquered the unconquerable, without knowing she had done so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janell-rhiannon/thetis-knew-this-woman-had-conquered-the-unconquerable-without/) [Janell Rhiannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janell-rhiannon/) > [Stripped of its plot, the 'Iliad' is a scattering of names and biographies of ordinary soldiers: men who trip over their shields, lose their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-oswald/stripped-of-its-plot-the-iliad-is-a-scattering-of-names-and/) [Alice Oswald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-oswald/) > [“so evenly was strained their war and battle, till the moment when Zeus gave the greater renown to Hector, son of Priam, who was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/so-evenly-was-strained-their-war-and-battle-till-the-moment-when-zeus/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [Something greater than the Iliad now springs to birth -Nescio quid maius nascitur Iliade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/propertius/something-greater-than-the-iliad-now-springs-to-birth-nescio-quid/) [Propertius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/propertius/) > [The Iliad is the private lives of people thrown into disorder by history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-queneau/the-iliad-is-the-private-lives-of-people-thrown-into-disorder-by/) [Raymond Queneau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-queneau/) > [The Iliad is only great because all life is a battle, The Odyssey because all life is a journey, The Book of Job because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-iliad-is-only-great-because-all-life-is-a-battle-the-odyssey/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you put a real leaf and a silk leaf side by side, you'll see something of the difference between Homer's poetry and anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-oswald/if-you-put-a-real-leaf-and-a-silk-leaf-side-by-side-you-ll-see/) [Alice Oswald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-oswald/) ## More by Chang-Rae Lee > [The truth, finally, is who can tell it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chang-rae-lee/the-truth-finally-is-who-can-tell-it/) [Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) > [I think my parents recognised that I'd always wanted to be a writer, and so they didn't think that this was some idle, faddish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chang-rae-lee/i-think-my-parents-recognised-that-i-d-always-wanted-to-be-a-writer/) [Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) > [Some writers are writing one great, big book and just taking all these different avenues towards it. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chang-rae-lee/i-would-give-most-anything-to-hear-my-father-s-talk-again-the-crash/) [Chang-rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) > [We have hopes and make plans, and if they are dashed or waylaid, we naturally rationalize and redraw the map to locate ourselves anew.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chang-rae-lee/we-have-hopes-and-make-plans-and-if-they-are-dashed-or-waylaid-we/) [Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) > [I remember when I was in art classes, I hated following the assignments. And I would get in trouble for doing something totally different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chang-rae-lee/i-remember-when-i-was-in-art-classes-i-hated-following-the/) [Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) > [The past, as you suggest, is absolutely present at all times and the present is born from the past. I wouldn't want to suggest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chang-rae-lee/the-past-as-you-suggest-is-absolutely-present-at-all-times-and-the/) [Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) > [Most people don't think about race as much as I do. They don't have to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chang-rae-lee/most-people-don-t-think-about-race-as-much-as-i-do-they-don-t-have-to/) [Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) > [Not to any really influential effect, but certainly there have been comments that have surprised me. It's surprising sometimes to get particular perspectives on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chang-rae-lee/not-to-any-really-influential-effect-but-certainly-there-have-been/) [Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) > [My family immigrated when I was 3, and our predecessors inhabited the Korean Peninsula for as long as can be recalled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chang-rae-lee/my-family-immigrated-when-i-was-3-and-our-predecessors-inhabited-the/) [Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) > [After college, I was living in New York and wrote furiously, a huge novel that I knew was a failure. 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As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' 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