If The Iliad is the world's greatest war epic, then The Odyssey is literature's grandest evocation of everyman's journey though life. Odysseus's reliance on his wit and wiliness for survival in his encounters with divine and natural forces during his ten-year voyage home to Ithaca after the Trojan War is at once a timeless human story and an individual test of moral endurance. Translated by Robert Fagles Introduction and Notes by Bernard Knox
Robert Fagles's translation is a jaw-droppingly beautiful rendering of Homer's Odyssey, the most accessible and enthralling epic of classical Greece. Fagles captures the rapid and direct language of the original Greek, while telling the story of Odysseus in lyrics that ring with a clear, energetic voice. The story itself has never seemed more dynamic, the action more compelling, nor the descriptions so brilliant in detail. It is often said that every age demands its own translation of the classics. Fagles's work is a triumph because he has not merely provided a contemporary version of Homer's classic poem, but has located the right language for the timeless character of this great tale. Fagles brings the Odyssey so near, one wonders if the Hollywood adaption can be far behind. This is a terrific book.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Some thoughts about The Odyssey:
I am not going to join in the debate on translation. I read the Fitzgerald a long time ago and enjoyed it very much. I just finished reading Fagles' translation and was completely enthralled. Do not listen to anyone who tells you that one translation is closer to Homer (in some way which they rarely explain). Just find the one that grabs you by your reader's neck and pulls you in.
The Odyssey is essential, charming and occassionally astounding. It's main characters are people who we recognize, who we... more info
Readable rendition of the Odyssey.:
It seems that the biggest problem with many Homer readers is boredom. That's a pity, since the Odyssey was written a very long time ago, and is still widely considered a pretty ingenious congee of the ancient mind. It has been translated many a number of times. This particular translation is very readable, and doesn't bore you, well it didn't bore me. So you can get to know the Odyssey without any unnecesary/hard-to-understand Victorian era florishes that were peculiar for some of the earlier translations.... more info
don't be fooled:
The kindle edition is linked to the Fagles translation, but that is not what you will get. The Pope translation is what you will get for kindle -- not at all the same thing!
Patricia
Great Look at a Soldier's Mindset in the Ancient World:
I personally preferred The Iliad, but this still gives in invaluable look into the mindset of a soldier in the Ancient World. Odysseus is not all that heroic when viewed through a modern lense, and that's part of what makes the work so interesting. Nevertheless, I think the story lags for about a hundred pages after Odysseus returns home -- although it might be too much to expect what was originally an oral story to get to the point. However, when the plot does pick up again, it really picks up -- with an... more info
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