The Odyssey of Homer (Bantam Classics)

I read this in a high school literature class about 50 years ago; so now it's just a review. It's a reminder that the Gods and Goddesses on Mount Olympus were there before Rome conquered the area and relegated them to "myths," and they're still there: Pallas Athena, Goddess of Truth, Zeus, Hierarch of the Elements,-- the whole group. And now the power of the Church is loosening its grip on the hearts & minds of ordinary folks. I enjoy the rhythm of the writing; there's an interesting kind of poetry in it wherein there are rhyming words but they're not necessarily at the end of the lines! As you may remember, if you've read this before, Odysseus is on his way back from "sacking" Troy with his crew; but it takes him a total of 20 years to get home to Ithaca from the time he goes to the war. He has all these unbelievable encounters with gods and goddesses, the Sirens, the Cyclops, etc. and almost every time, Odysseus is the only one or one of the few who escapes with his life! I noticed that whenever someone who knows him addresses him, they do it thusly: "Odysseus, man of many wiles, divine son of Laertes . . ." So I looked up the word "wiles" -- it means deceit or treachery! I was wondering what Homer was trying to show us by writing it this way. Could it be that he was talking about karma? The Cyclops eats four of the crew members, they get blown off course and stuck on islands or have their ship smashed to pieces, etc., Meanwhile, his wife Penelope is at home besieged by the town's men who want her to choose one of them to marry as they butcher his cattle and feast on it and drink his wine every day. Yet he's always making sacrifices to the gods and he does have a sweet way of speaking to everyone. Pallas Athena, the Goddess of Truth, keeps showing up to rescue him. Well, I'm just in the middle of it, but I can say it's very entertaining!

It is a rip-roaring tale. I see now how we came about having the form of literature we have. This book is a series of obstacles faced by the hero, Odysseus, in his struggle to get back home. Home, the place to fight for but then to which to return, at all costs!

The market hardly lacks translations of the Odyssey - it almost seems a rite of passage for a Classicist to tackle Homer in this way; however, some translations are better than others (however you may judge them). My own perspective is that I want a translation that allows me to enter into the work easily, that flows poetically and is as accurate as reasonably possible. Yet, despite the huge number of translations available and the understanding that there is not, and never will be, a "perfect" translation, I am continually struck at just how hard it is to balance such "wants" (among otherwise laudable major alternatives: Lattimore, to me, comes off as much too stiff, Fagles too verbose, and Lombardo too colloquial). Nevertheless, I find Mandelbaum's version to be extremely enjoyable, its poetic flow actually propels me to the next line through its own power - literally carrying me away, immersing me in its poetic sea and all its "wine-dark" glory. No other translation has done this for me, and that's why I recommend Mandelbaum. To be sure, there are times I was disappointed that the Greek was not as carefully followed as it seemed reasonable to expect (keeping in mind that this is a problem for every translator) - but, in my opinion, if you're going to read a foundational piece of literature like this, you should really have a good commentary near by anyway (e.g.  Homer: Odyssey: A Companion to the Translation of Richmond Lattimore (Classics Companions) ) - so it really comes down to the coherence and power of the poetry. With all that in mind, I highly recommend Mandelbaum's version of the Odyssey and, should you decide to pick it up, I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

The books durability is amazing, and of course the book itself is awesome

A stiff straightforward translation in twenty-first century language. Not a bad translation at all. It is very clear and understandable if that’s what you want.

I haven't read any other translation of the Odyssey so I can't evaluate the quality of this one. It seems to be top notch though. In any case, I was riveted. The Odyssey remains a gripping story even after 1300 years.

A bit hard to read, and it was originally a poem I think. I bought it for school and didn't expect it to grab me like it did! One of my favorite books now, and my sister's as well.

This book was required for my daughters English class and Homer came in great condition. We are going to keep this one for our bookshelf.

This is an excellent translation. The verse flows naturally and it is a joy to read either to oneself or aloud.

It's cheaper and easierAnd verse translation too it does not have couplet rhyme