Richmond Lattimore graduated from Dartmouth in 1926 and received an A.B. from Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar at Christ Church in 1932. He took his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois in 1934.
He was an American poet and classicist known for his translations of the Greek classics, especially his versions of the Iliad and Odyssey, which are generally considered as among the best English translations available
every time ive read this or thought about it i think about the fact the dog bit was not needed but homer really said let me twist the knife just slightly more into your heart
Most typical man with a high IQ in history gets payback for having an ego problem and decides to complain about it enough until he gets what he wants, in poetry form. It is so bad I want to give it a zero, but that's not possible, so I give it a one.
It’s a great story, and it’s a wonderful way to attempt to understand an ancient culture, and to compare it with ours.
I listened to the The Odyssey of Homer, one of the Great Courses, by professor Elizabeth Vandiver before I read this book. She gives the listener essential information. For example she explains how xenia , the “guest-host relationship” is important for understanding Odysseus’ relationship with the many characters in the book.
It seems a bit arrogant to have the nerve to review something like the Odyssey. A work like this judges you and not the other way around. But I’ll say this - it is a rip-roaring good story. Every single time, I am holding my breath in the last books. This time I read aloud to kids age 9-17 and everyone was completely engaged. A story for all time.
Lattimore’s translation is excellent, readable, clear.
Best translation for accuracy. You will discover Cyclops never had one eye. There is no Medusa in Odyssey that has snake hair or freezes people to stone from looking at them. that is from Ovid 700 years later in the Roman Empire. Of course they minimized the feminist, anti war, and anti elite messaging in most translations of this book. This one has it all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I don't know how many times I've read this, it's always a great story. The translation is very readable and, in this edition, there is not an excess of introductory material or notes. So, probably not a good edition if you are studying it, but quite good if reading for entertainment.
One of the most striking things in the Odyssey is how rural and agrarian it all is. Rich young aristocrats do their own washing for instance and skin their own meat. They are truly in touch with what John Senior calls elemental things.
What a profound book. It shaped my imagination in ways that I wasn't anticipating. Homer is a wise student of human nature. I loved the story and this edition, and will re-read it soon.
Mmmmmm good translation again. Really like Lattimore’s style. Also forgot how good the Odyssey is in general. I love Penelope and Telemachos and Odysseus so much GOD and the parts in Hades!!! Absolute bangers