The Odyssey (Penguin Classics)

I first read the Odyssey almost 50 years ago as a freshman in college. Back then, I struggled so much reading and understanding the text I don't think I grasped any of the larger issues the instructor was trying to teach. This edition, masterfully translated by Robert Fagles, was truly a pleasure to read. I found myself reading many passages (and even long sections) out loud and really felt I was hearing something like a performance with oral cadences and lively movement. And this time I was totally caught up in the dramatic unfolding of events. Don't be mislead by TV, movie and graphic novel versions of this classic story. Odysseus is not an ancient version of Mad Max careening from one bloody encounter to another. In fact the reader does not even meet Odysseus until Book Five, almost one-fourth of the way through the book. All of the famous exploits are told as a series of long "flashbacks." Odysseus actually reaches his home island of Ithaca in the middle of Book Thirteen. So almost one-half of the book is not Odysseus' seafaring adventures but his coping with his complex homecoming situation and subsequent plotting and maneuvering. So put the cartoon versions out of your mind and settle in for a story of high drama and suspense full of well-crafted characters including perceptive portraits of the women Odysseus encounters. Kindle readers will really appreciate that this Kindle edition is a complete duplicate of the print edition. It contains the extensive introduction by Bernard Knox. And, in a Kindle bonus, the authoritative line notes are "hyper-linked" in the text; just click on the underlined line number to jump to that line's note. And, yes, it does have relatively unobtrusive line numbering so you can use this version in a class where everyone else has the print edition. (I just did!) You get all the maps, genealogies, textual variants, and spelling and pronunciation guides of the print edition. And, I encountered no typos, transcribing errors or blunders in the text. This Kindle edition is a respectable version of the Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition of one of the greatest stories ever told and well worth the moderate price.

Reviewing and rating The Iliad and The Odyssey, both being among the oldest existing written works from Europe, and which continue to hold influence on Western literature, makes it almost unfair to judge with a contemporary mindset. The embraced ideologies, i.e. philosophies, religions, principles, and aesthetics that have influenced any given literary period, including any accepted or required structures or styles for a story, have evolved over thousands of years. Estimates indicate these two epics were written sometime between 1200 BC and 850 BC. Many contemporary readers will simply dismiss The Iliad or The Odyssey after reading only a few lines, finding them too complicated or confusing to embark upon. The differentiation of mortals from gods and goddesses is not immediately made clear in some translations—just names given. Redundant descriptions like “winged fowls” or a reference to Hades, Zeus, Calypso or a Muse can quickly lose the interest of an average contemporary reader. The repetition of words and phrases, where the author or authors (Homeric question considered) tried to duplicate the telling of these epics as they were originally sung by bards hundreds of years before into written epics, can also be off-putting, especially among the many translated interpretations over the years. How I might have rated either of these two epics had I lived and read them when they were first written is impossible to say. Having read a 20th century English translation of them within the current literary period of the 21st century, I give five stars without hesitation. After a little research, I chose Robert Fagles’ translation written in unrhymed iambic pentameter or blank verse, a style originating in the 16th century, for the best balance of accuracy and readability. I didn’t care for the popular translations by Alexander Pope, who translated both epics into heroic couplets—a form of rhyming poetry that came about in the 17th century—eloquent as they may be written. Richmond Lattimore’s translations are perhaps the most accurate English translations, attempting to maintain the dactylic hexameter in which the original epics were written. Homer’s epics were simply his written retelling of stories that minstrel poets had been singing for centuries before his time. I suppose translators are simply doing the same thing in their own writing style. When you hear someone detail an event that took place and then hear the same event recounted by someone else, one person’s version may appeal to you more than the other, right? In any case, The Odyssey was my favorite between the two, though both were exciting—sometimes emotional—great stories.

I had to read this for my Language Arts class, and this version was recommended by our teacher. I've read some reviews talking about its accuracy, but I'm not an expert on Homer's writings, so I wouldn't know too much about that. Let me start off by saying that this book shipped very quickly, despite the fact that I chose standard shipping (5-8 days). It shipped in two. Also, this book is light and compact, so it's easy to carry around if you plan on bringing it someplace with you. The only complaint about this I have is that I like to keep my book in pristine condition, and the cover and pages are very thin. There is another version with the exact same translation but with thicker pages and a more rigid cover, which I would have got if I knew there was one. It's all based on preference, though. Now on to the book. I am usually terrible at reading, but I will say this translation makes it easy and even pleasurable to read the story of Odysseus. Fagles does a superb job of translating the story into modern English so that it can be read with ease. Although it is a translation, it still keeps the structure of the Greek original, using a consistent meter. Fagles also adds other poetic elements such as alliteration to make reading this book more interesting and enjoyable. All in all, if you need the Odyssey for a class, or you are just an avid reader hoping to find a readable translation of the Odyssey, this is for you. Translated so poetically and with vocabulary that in understandable, this is probably one of the best translations of the Odyssey you can get. (I still would recommend getting the harder paperback version though.)

Classic at a great price. But man the paper is thin. Not exactly a complaint but the tactile experience is a major part of the reading experience. Reading in advance of the film coming out.

Fagle's translation of the Odyssey is excellent as is Knox' knowledgeable foreward. During my life, I've read both the Iliad and Odyssey half a dozen times or more, by various translators, and regard Fagle's version as the best. I don't read Greek, ancient or modern, so, like most of us, I am unable to read the subtleties, glory and poetry of the original tales. I rather suspect, however, the Fagle's interpretation gets us close, indeed. Every time I read the story...at different stages of my life...I read different things into the tale. This times, perhaps, I am more aware of the duplicity that is the very substance of the hero, Odysseus. Lies...complex, detailed lies...flow from his lips as easily and quickly as water poured from a flask. True, his lies usually serve a 'greater' purpose, but they are still lies...a fact of which gives Odysseus no problem. Since reading the 'Iliad' and 'Odyssey' as a teenager, I've always been partial to the directness and overall simplicity of the 'Iliad.' Believability is also a factor. The Trojan War, some of the characters in it and some of the action details are almost certainly based in reality. The 'Odyssey', far lesss so. It seems to be a collection of out-and-out fables in which Odysseus is the primary player. Still....even fables may have echoes of the truth. Could Odysseus have been away from Ithaca for twenty years and would his wife have remained faithful all this time? Quite possibly. The story of Odysseus' experiences with the goddesses, Circe and Calypso, are fascinating but, of course, fabulous. They also account for most of the time Odysseus spends on his long path home. This might be a fanciful way of dealing with reality. Odysseus may have been captured on his way home and held as a slave. This reality could definitely 'eat up' years of time but the Circe/Calypso stories are far more interesting and add to Odysseus' reputation as a very accomplished ladies man. Later, although, Odysseus has spent so much time as a virtual sexual slave to the goddesses, he happily recounts the adventures to his wife, Penelope. Penelope isn't offended. Afterall, her husband turned down goddesses and eternal blissful life, in favor of return to his wife of many years. It's one heck of a compliment. There are a couple of other features that I noted that, again, may be rooted in reality. Twice, Odysseus lies that he is from Crete and that he led an unsuccessful attack on the peoples of the Nile Delta. A number of Egyptian accounts report accounts of attacks by 'The Peoples of the Sea'. Could the Achaean Greeks, in their black ships, have been some, or most, of the Sea Peoples? Also, the death of Agammemnon, should also be noted. This may also be based on reality. Agammemnon, commander of all Achaean Greek forces against Troy, and King of Achaea's most powerful city, Mycenae, is slain by his wife and her lover. The motive is given as sexual infidelity and greed...greed for the throne of Mycenae. In the Odyssey we learn a fascinating 'detail'. Clytemnestra, Agammemnon's murderous wife, slaughters the slave-captive, Cassandra, on Agammemnon's just-killed body. Hmmmmmm? Why would Clytemnestra kill a valuable slave? Cassandra, of course, was a Princess of demolished Troy and had been violently raped during the destruction of the city. Nevertheless, it would appear that Clytemnestra hated or feared Cassandra. Why? Probably the oldest reason of all...sexual jealousy. Cassandra's murder suggests that the REAL motive for Agammemnon's killing is quite different than usually represented. He may have preferred the company of Cassandra to that of his queen. Clytemnestra reacted with her well-known violence...a woman jilted. Also, is it conceivable that the Queen, Penelope, could be held virtual prisoner in her own palace...for years...by 100 or so rampaging suitors? The answer must be 'No' but there are some interesting things to note. Odysseus' father, Laertes, would logically be King, but his son, Odysseus, IS King, which leaves a 20 year vacancy to the throne. We learn that Laertes, mourning over his lost son, lives in rags and poverty as a barely surviving farmer. Possible. Depression and/or mental illness. But why not Odysseus' son, Telemachus? At the time the first suitors might have 'settled in' to pay court to Penolope and to eat up her wealth, Telemachus would have been underaged. The suitors, who would have become more arrogant and confident, would scarecely have Telemachus the opportunity to claim the throne. Still......it's a far-fetched tale. Ron Braithwaite, author of novels...'Skull Rack' and 'Hummingbird God'...on the Spanish Conquest of Mexico

I purchased this book as a gift, and it arrived in excellent condition. The print quality, layout, and overall presentation are very good, and it’s exactly what I was looking for in a history-focused book. It made a solid gift choice and feels well made.

A modern and enjoyable translation that is a must-read for anyone interested in world and historic literature. The translator is the best of our generation.

This is an absolutely fabulous product, but if you are not used to listening to audio books, I should give you a warning. This product is 11 CD's of one person speaking for about 13 hours. Can you imagine sitting down in the morning at home and staring at the wall for 13 hours while same voice goes on and on, all day and into the night? No, that won't work. So you at least have to break up the experience into chunks. Also, you might need to be doing something else as well, like walking or driving, so you don't drift off. What I did was listen while driving and intermingle other disks so I would not tire of the same voice. I would listen to one disk of the Odyssey, then I'd listen to a disk of music or a non-fiction lecture, then I'd put in another disk of the Odyssey. However, the last 4 disks were so gripping I listened to them one after the other and could hardly wait for the next disk. Part of this was Ian McKellen's excellent, nay, masterful, enunciation and inflection. Part of the excitement is the climatic end when Odysseus returns home. Can you imagine a gripping 3 hour long buildup to the climatic moment when he reveals his return? Nothing else can compare! I probably identified with the climax more now that I am middle-aged, with a home, a wife, and children approaching adulthood than I could have if I was a teenager listening to this or reading the book. There is little as primal to a mature man as the defense of his home and family. It is astounding to experience a story this exciting and know it is about 2,800 years old. I listened to this story on audio CD because I realized that I would never read this story because I have gone so far into my life without reading it yet. I'm very glad I listened to it instead of trying to read it. For one thing, how could I begin to pronounce so many Greek names? If you have started reading the book and put it down, try reading it by following along with this audio book. The audio book is abridged, but it is 13 hours long so I'm sure you would have a lot of text to follow along with. If you think you know the story of the Odyssey because you've seen a movie based on the story, I will say the story by Homer is much grander and more full bodied than what has been depicted in movies. I'd go so far as to say the movies miss the real point of the Odyssey. Robert Fagles has also translated the Aeneid and the Iliad. I've listened to those on audio CD as well and liked them all. I am a big fan of Derek Jacobi, who narrated the Iliad. I liked the Odyssey best of all.