The Odyssey (Penguin Classics)

Editorial Reviews:

There is no better way to encounter an epic that derives from an oral tradition than to hear it narrated by a fine Shakespearean actor. This requires a great translation, and this shining new verse translation by Robert Fagles?who also translated The Iliad (Audio Reviews, LJ 7/92)?has been rightly hailed as a masterpiece. It captures, in swift rhythms and flawless utterance, the tone, the temper, the very life of Homer’s antic world without once sounding antiquated. The tale of Odysseus’s long-awaited return from the Trojan Wars is majestically realized by Ian McKellan (seen most recently on film in Cold Comfort Farm and Richard III). Resisting every temptation to ham Homer’s bardic lines, the sonorous-voiced McKellan hits home with truthful simplicity throughout, as if he were spinning out a heartfelt story during a long night in a pub. A fine introduction by Bernard Knox is included, but Penguin has reached new heights in bad presentation values, insuring instant destruction of the plastic containers within, while the music sounds like a petrified chicken on an infant’s keyboard. But the words, like Homer’s gods, are deathless. What more can a listener ask for? Highly recommended for all collections. – Peter Josyph, New York

Product Description:

The epic tale of Odysseus and his 10 year journey home after the Trojan War forms one of the earliest and greatest works of Western literature. Confronted by natural and supernatural threats, Odysseus must test his bravery and native cunning to the full if he is to reach his homeland safely and overcome the obstacles that, even there, await him.

Reviews:
“Homer’s Odyssey was not written to be read on a page. In fact, it was not written on a page at all over much of its career. The Odyssey was designed for telling aloud. The accompanying booklet is useful and interesting, and I found the fold-up packaging to be secure and convenient.”

“No more Penguin audiobooks for me until I’m sure that they’ve rid themselves of some so-so reading and horrible between-canto sound effects. Fagles’s translation is justly praised and needs no more encomiums from me. McKellen is a good, solid reader. His slightly growly voice as recorded here is no liability and he paces and expresses the reading well.”

“I am a big fan of the new series from Penguin Classics. The hardcover bindings , the high-quality pages, and the ribbon bookmark all make these books attractive collectibles. But I also really enjoyed the content of this book. I felt like I was reading a novel. ”

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OVERALL RATING: 4.6 out of 5 stars.

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Source of Buyer Reviews and Description: Amazon.com

Odyssey Paperback

“Lombardo has created a Homeric voice for his contemporaries: fresh, quick, and verbally engaging to the modern ear, as the original was to the ancient. His characters come alive as real people expressing real feelings with urgency and verve. I very much like the language and the pace of this version, and would welcome it for classroom use.” — Joseph Russo, Haverford College

“He has brought his laconic wit and love of the ribald, as well as his clever use of idiomatic American slang, to his version of the Odyssey.” –The New York Times Book Review, Chris Hedges

Product Description:

Lombardo’s Odyssey offers the distinctive speed, clarity, and boldness that so distinguished his 1997 Iliad.

Product Details:

Paperback: 414 pages
Publisher: Hackett Publishing Co. (March 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0872204847
ISBN-13: 978-0872204843
Product Dimensions: 8.3″ x 5.4″ x 1.2″
Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces

Reviews:

“An interesting touch by Lombardo is whenever Homer goes into one of his celebrated similes or metaphors Lombardo puts them into italics and sets them apart in the text. Lombardo’s translation of the Iliad and the Odyssey are somewhat unusual in that they are both verse and very clear and easy to read. ”

“It has the benefit for this age of being a very quick and easy read. Maybe that’s sufficient virtue for some to award it five stars. But as a fair representation of the story Homer told in the language he told it, go for Lattimore, or Fitzgerald, or if you must Fagles, and leave Lombardo to those readers who don’t want to be challenged to think.”

“Now that I feel the story in my heart, I am ready to tackle some of the more complex versions. There is nothing unsatisfying about this edition. I hope that potential readers won’t feel as though this is simplified or dumbed down. Not at all. I read Austen, Scott and Conrad with ease, but tackling the Odyssey left me cold. Don’t miss out on this beautifully rendered version.”

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OVERALL RATING: 4.8 out of 5 stars.

For full details or to buy the Odyssey book  now, click here. Most orders are eligible free shipping.

Source of Buyer Reviews and Description: Amazon.com

The Odyssey Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition

Robert Fagles’s modern-verse translation of The Odyssey.

The Odyssey is literature’s greatest evocation of every man’s journey through life. In the myths and legends that are retold here, renowned translator Robert Fagles has captured the energy and poetry of Homer’s original in a bold, contemporary idiom and given us an Odyssey to read aloud, to savor, and to treasure for its sheer lyrical mastery. This is an Odyssey to delight both the classicist and the general reader, and to captivate a new generation of Homer’s students.

Product Details:

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 1994 KB
Print Length: 560 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0140268863
Publisher: Penguin Classic (November 1, 1997)
Sold by: Penguin Publishing
Language: English
ASIN: B000OCXGRS

Reviews:

“Robert Fagles’ translation of The Odyssey puts text into modern language that makes this book ideal for teaching in a high school English class. I read this in my high school English class enjoyed it immensely. He keeps the flow of Homer’s prose while making the text easy to understand. ”

“As a Kindle owner, I was happy to see it available. I would also like to see The Iliad as translated by Fagles available for the Kindle”

“I have just purchased the Kindle version and this version is great!  He translates it in a way that is easy to understand, and makes you want to read on. I would recommend this to everyone.  ”

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OVERALL RATING: 4.8 out of 5 stars.

For full details or to buy the Odyssey book  now, click here. Most orders are eligible free shipping.

Source of Buyer Reviews and Description: Amazon.com

The Odyssey Paperback

Editorial Reviews:

“Robert Fagles’s 1990 translation of The Iliad was highly praised; here, he moves to The Odyssey. With his previous work, he mixes contemporary language with the driving rhythms of the original. Hellenic scholar Bernard Knox contributes extensive introductory commentary, providing both historical and literary perspective. Notes, a pronouncing glossary, genealogies, a bibliography and maps of Homer’s world are included.”

Product Details:

Paperback: 560 pages
Publisher: Penguin Classics; Reprint edition (November 29, 1999)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0140268863
ISBN-13: 978-0140268867
Product Dimensions: 8.4″ x 5.8″ x 1.5″
Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds

“Robert Fagles has produced a translation worthy of the original sense of Homer’s great poem. It captures well the suffering and tragedy Odysseus went through in his journey full of trials and tribulations from the great ogre, the Cyclops, to the beautiful Calypso and finally one of his greatest tests, the suitors seeking his wife’s approval after 20 years absence from his homeland.”

“Most reviewers love this translation, but after reading it, and comparing it to others (and to the Greek), I don’t see why. It claims to be modern and energetic, but in fact its language is quite odd and hard to read.”

“Firstly, some of the reviews have given poor ratings to this epic poem because they did not like the story of the Odyssey and not because it was a bad translation. In fact it is the best I’ve ever read. At the back of the book are notes and a short glossary so that if you are not familiar with any of the references to Gods for example you can look it up and learn more about Greek mythology. Finally Fagles has a great introduction (with maps) that gives you background into the world of Homer.”

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OVERALL RATING: 4.2 out of 5 stars.

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Source of Buyer Reviews and Description: Amazon.com

The Odyssey The Fitzgerald Translation Paperback

Product Description: 

The classic translation of The Odyssey is now in paperback.

Robert Fitzgerald’s translation of Homer’s Odyssey is the best loved modern translation of one of the greatest epic poems of all. The Odyssey has sold more than 2 million copies since 1961 and is the standard translation for 3 generations of students and poets. Fitzgerald’s supple verse is ideally suited to the story of Odysseus’ long journey back to his wife and home after the Trojan War.

Of the many translations published since World War II, only Fitzgerald’s has won admiration as a great poem in English.

Product Details:

Paperback: 515 pages
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (November 5, 1998)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0374525749
ISBN-13: 978-0374525743
Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 1 inches
Shipping Weight: 1 pound

Editorial Reviews:

“A masterpiece . . . An Odyssey worthy of the original.”–William Arrowsmith, The Nation

“Here there is no anxious straining after mighty effects, but rather a constant readiness for what the occasion demands, a kind of Odyssean adequacy to the task in hand.”–Seamus Heaney

Reviews:

“Fitzgerald’s translations are one of my favorites. Fitzgerald still captures much of the power and majesty of Homer in his translation even if it’s virtually impossible to translate Dactylic Hexameter into English.  The Odyssey is one of the great cornerstones of all western literature and I am certain that people will still be reading Homer 3,000 years from now.”

“It really is a great novel, following the tale of Odysseus as he returns from the Trojan war, but somehow gets lost at sea in strange and mystic lands. It’s so long and baffling at times that it’s frustrating to read. There must be easier ways to know the story of Odysseus.”

“The Odyssey is one of the most readable ancient works around because so many of the stories. The Iliad is harder because it’s more of a war book, while the Odyssey is much more of an adventure poem. You won’t find the same technical level of poetry in the Odyssey as you do in the Iliad. I like Fitzgerald’s translation, but I”m still partial to the Lattimore because it’s the closest you can come to hearing the poem in Greek.”

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OVERALL RATING: 4.5 out of 5 stars.

For full details or to buy the Odyssey book  now, click here. Most orders are eligible free shipping.

Source of Buyer Reviews and Description: Amazon.com