The Odyssey

The Odyssey is said to be written by Homer, who we know little about and even his very existence is in question. It is set in the late Bronze Age, a time of great interest in Greek history but one shrouded in much darkness. It is a sequel to the Iliad, although not a direct one, since much has transpired since the events which was either lost or not recorded by Homer. Many of these events are described in flashbacks, such as the deaths of Agamemnon and Achilles, and the storming of Troy through the ingenuity of Odysseus and his famous Trojan Horse.

The English word odyssey is taken directly from Odysseus, hero of this book, and has come to mean a great and eventful journey, although Odysseus's name is more associated by Homer with pain and wrath, which refers to his misfortune in being waylaid for ten years on his way home to Ithaca despite many heroic exploits at Troy. The book is indeed about a journey, much of which is told in hypnotic fashion by Odysseus, whose great talent as a storyteller is one of his greatest assets. The second half is an account of Odysseus reclaiming his rightful throne from aggressive suitors seeking to court his faithful wife. This part too is primarily a testament to the hero’s ingenuity and self-control, and only book (in the chapter sense) showcases his martial prowess, as the suitors meet their doom.

The journey of Odysseus contains many characters which have become well known in Western culture: the sirens who seduce and shipwreck sailors, the one-eyed cyclops Polyphemus, the witch Circe, and the nymph Calypso, who holds Odysseus as a sexual hostage through much of the time that elapses between his leaving troy and reaching home. The gods too are present in this book, most prominently Athena, goddess of wisdom, who guides and assists Odysseus in his journey and Poseidon, whose wrath waylays Odysseus on his way home. Given the wily nature of the hero and his time spent on the sea, it is appropriate that these gods are the most prevalent. Zeus is present too, but mostly as final arbiter; he leaves much of the decision making to the other gods.

Unlike the Iliad, the Odyssey is not a book about war. As mentioned before, there is one only book devoted to wanton bloodshed. Odysseus solves his problems through deception and tact more often than the tip of his spear. There is a great deal of time spent describing the pastoral activities of common people, the great feasts of the nobility, and the exploits not just of men but of women as well, who play a great role in the book as seductresses, loyal wives, villains, and servants. Homer fleshes out these characters a great deal and each has his or her own motivations and story. Penelope is ambivalent at best toward the suitors but often ponders marrying one of them out of practicality and is cautious when Odysseus reveals himself instead of jumping straight into his arms. Odysseus himself is not always moral or wise, and his pride creates great obstacles that work against him, such as revealing his name to the cyclops, beloved of Poseidon. If anything, the Odyssey is about hospitality, expected by the gods, as the best characters are shown to extend it and the worst to abuse it.

The translation by Robert Fagles is excellent, and while the book does not have the thrilling pace of the Iliad, it is far more subtle and an interesting look at Homer’s portrayal of a culture and its values. Odysseus himself is a fascinating character who acts in a very individualistic fashion, eschewing simple straightforward honesty while still having heroic pride in his reputation as a warrior and host, which perhaps explains his lasting appeal in Western culture to this day.

Wonderful performance of a timeless classic.

Excellent reading. Compelling story. Rich and instructive. A helpful preparation for the Nolan movie.

This book may not be for everyone, but if you are interested in venturing into something different (and ancient!) this translation makes it a very readable version.

Twenty years after reading this translation in college, I recently read it again (both times in print). It’s an amazing translation!

After finishing, I decided to get the Kindle version, so I could revisit my favorite sections while traveling. My only complaint is that that Kindle version is flawed: each line of verse seems to be terminated by a paragraph ending, which means there’s a minimum line space that’s much greater than it needs to be. End result: reading is awkward. (Compare with Fagles’ Iliad & Aeneid, both of which are formatted correctly).

Although I have little hope of Penguin or Amazon ever addressing this, I figured it’s worth a try…

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

Just what you need to fully understand the movie. Timeless book. Thank you, Homer

Liked reading it

Very good translation. One of the best versions in my humble opinion. Foreword was good also.

Great deluxe edition if you love the cover and translation. But for any other reason do not buy this edition. Eventhough it is penguin deluxe, they are just paperbacks at the end of the day and the price is quite steep.

The pages are a bit thin but other than that perfect edition of Odyssey.

Le produit est arrivé plus vite que ce qui m'avait été annoncé ! Quelle rapidité ! Emballage très sécurisé, produit de qualité.

J'avais essayé de commander ce produit dans différentes librairies parisiennes spécialisées, mais toutes m'ont répondu qui'l fallait attendre un délai minimum de trois semaines ! Amazon me l'a envoyé en moins de quatre jours ! Et pour le même prix.

Printing error, we received a copy from a bad batch with ribbed pages. Rest of the quality was good but this was unfortunate and i hope Amazon removes the bad books from the batch. Buyers beware!

Una obra excelente, traducida a un inglés accesible, no solo para poetas griegos. El papel resulta un tanto peculiar; no sé cuánto durará, pero para entonces yo ya no estaré aquí...

Great book and story about hardships of men. As someone getting back into reading, this book was different and interesting enough to rekindle the flame for reading