Cold Calls is the penultimate volume in Logue’s reworking of Homer’s Iliad, which he collectively calls War Music. This is a very slim volume which, unlike the previous instalments does not map to a specific book or books.
Again, there is a strangeness to Logue’s writing, and a wonderful fusion of the ancient myth with the modern. There is a delightful irony underlying the entire thing, as if Logue constantly has a mischievous twist at the corner of his mouth.
The Greeks are still suffering from Agamemnon’s disastrous insult to Achilles, and they are driven back to their ships in headlong retreat before Hector’s fury. The highlight of Cold Calls is the embassy to Achilles; it bristles with arrogance, hubris and machismo.
Anyone who has read the rest of Logue’s Homer will want this volume. For those who haven’t, don’t delay!
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