The Odessy of Homer

by Homer Translated by Samuel Butler, Louise Ropes Loomis (Editor)

This is a Classic Club Edition 1944.Closed pages have yellow spots. Pages are pristine and tight.

Genres: Classics

306 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1944

Reviews

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Star review is for this translation, the odyssey as a story itself gets 5 stars from me every time. Translation was done 125 years ago so some outdated terminology is used. As with any form of this poem done in prose, it’s far from an exact translation but still a good telling of the tale.

[Ivan nadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't like it much but it was still fun

[Samantha Redd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mean it's a classic

[Lilli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, I loved the ending!

[Estee Hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: Odysseus goes out to a war and he is very far from home. The book is about his journey home and his bravery from all the obstacles he faces. Odysseus has many obstacles in his way but he overcomes them with his pride. His personality changes significantly throughout the story through the troubles of getting home.
Themes: The themes are getting back home, hospitality, honor, and not stopping when situations get difficult. The theme of the story is that not everyone is who people say they are. People’s morals and character change through different experiences. Honor is earned not given.
Structure: The structure of the Odyssey is that Odysseus is the hero returning from war, goes on a quest (Monomyth) and Poseidon, a shadow, tries to prevent Odysseus from returning home. Odysseus faces trials on his way home and has supernatural aid, Athena, to help him home. The structure of the Odyssey contains a lot of flashbacks and jumping back and forth in the timeline. The narration also switches between Odysseus and Penelope, Odysseus’s wife.
Connections: The story of the Odyssey is similar to the story of Hercules. Both stories are Greek myths where the hero is on a journey home, facing warrior-like problems they have to overcome.
Personal Reflection: Its not my style of book and not my preferred genre but the plot and characters are definitely intriguing.

[Valerie Penney · Rating 3 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT:
The Odyssey is about a dude (Odysseus) wants to go home after a ten-year war and meets a lot of troubles on his way back. The gods are very angry with him and cause most of the troubles he meets, but some gods are on his side. When he gets back home, he finds out that his castle is swarming with suitors for his beautiful wife Penelope. Penelope is about to give up hope, but Odysseus finds his son and is like "let's do this with a bang!" and goes to his house disguised as a beggar. His wife holds a competition between the suitors with Odysseus' bow and only Odysseus would ever be able to win; therefore Odysseus reveals himself with a bang, slaughters all the suitors (with the help of his son), and they all live happily ever after!
A few themes of this book are loyalty, respect for the Greek gods, and hospitality.
The perspective in The Odyssey is third person, all-knowing.
It was an interesting book, I guess, although long and slow moving. It's an old classic which makes me glad that I've read it for future reference. I have a feeling I would've enjoyed it more if I'd chosen to read it instead of having to read it for summer reading.
The Odyssey is very significant for all modern day writers because of the Hero's Journey format it follows. It is also a classic piece of literature used in many English classes across the U.S.

[Tonio (midnightutensil) Franco · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s the original “guy leaves home and everything goes to shit” story ... pisses off gods, fights monsters, loses half his crew, and still somehow makes it back just to find out time’s been doing its own damage. It’s ancient, sure, but it weirdly feels like déjà vu ... like every “hero’s journey” since has just been a remix of this one.

The gods are dramatic as fuck, the humans aren’t much better, and Odysseus? He’s basically the first messy main character ... part genius, part dumbass, loyal only when convenient. You get why he’s still around though; he’s the blueprint for every flawed hero we pretend to admire.

Yeah, it drags ... the speeches, the repetition, the divine interventions every five damn minutes. But when it lands, it lands. That final stretch home hits hard ... pride, guilt, exhaustion ... all baked into one long hangover of a journey. It’s not about adventure anymore; it’s about realizing you can’t really go back, not as the same fucking person.

Why you’ll love it: Timeless structure, layered themes, poetic vengeance.
Why you’ll hate it: Formal tone, slow pacing, gods doing too much lmfao.
Verdict: Classic for a reason. Not something you “love,” something you respect ... like shaking hands with the ghost that invented stories.

[Oscar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really this book because it was very interesting and had a great plot. Another reason I liked it was because it talked a lot about the past and how everything was different back then. It also had a great hook at the start which kept me interested on the book. The Odessy is also very interesting because it also was very action packed. The final reason I consider it a five star book is because I always looked forward to reading it.

[Anna Røsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was gonna give it 4 stars because of good writing and story. But I don't accept cheating, you can argue that Odessy was forced because when a god/goddess summon a mortal, it's considered a devine command. But he enjoyed it, so I see this as willingly cheating

[Alfah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This well-known classic is an engaging read. It highlights themes of loyalty, respect for the Greek gods, and hospitality. The use of metaphors adds depth to the storytelling, and the emotions are expressed beautifully. Overall, it is an interesting and well-written book.

[Serenity Losee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was good, though at times I did get slightly confused but the more I read the less confused I got. I definitely would recommend this it is a good read and it has lots of good interesting themes involved in the book.

[Toby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book

[Emma Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time favourite books, it’s the one I go back to consistently

[Bekki Flesner · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was different than anything else I've read ans helpful for general Greek mythology. But also not my absolute favorite.
Definitely a classic.

[Sara Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's definitely interesting and a classic, but it wasn't my all time favorite. The pattern of eyes and the use of female characters are the most fascinating part of it.

[adele · Rating 3 out of 5]

high key felt constantly reminded that Odysseus is supposed to be the brave one (I never forgot.) but it was a fun adventure to read

[Evie Lane · Rating 1 out of 5]

HATED IT!!!!!! Do not read this if you don't like slow boring poem ughh

[underscorealex]

so boring

[allysa · Rating 4 out of 5]

i was so invested. you would not believe my rage on the plane where i was so close to being done and it wouldn’t let me keep going for whatever reason. i see why it’s a classic

[Philip Mull · Rating 4 out of 5]

You have to love a Greek classic. It is a bit repetitive. Like if I have to hear about dawn’s red fingers shining once more I am going to throw something.