Homer: A Beginner's Guide

Beginner's Guide (Oneworld Publications)

by Elton T.E. Barker, Joel P. Christensen

Widely revered as the father of Western literature, Homer was the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey , the epic poems which immortalised such names as Achilles, Cyclops, Menelaus, and Helen of Troy. In this vivid introduction, Elton Barker and Joel Christensen celebrate the complexity, innovation, and sheer excitement of Homer’s two great works. Investigating the controversy surrounding the man behind the myths, they ask who Homer was and whether he even existed.

Making parallels between Homeric hexameter and rap, and between his battle scenes and The Lord of the Rings , the authors highlight how his hugely influential epics deal with ageless questions that still confront us today. Perfect for new readers of the great poet and full of insights that will delight Homeric experts, this book will inspire you to discover – or rediscover – his masterpieces first-hand.

Genres: Classics, Nonfiction

248 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2013

Reviews

[David Kowalski]

This is a magnificent introduction and analysis of Homer's work that covers much of the recent studies and takes a meta approach to Homer's enduring influence of modern culture. I found it engaging, witty and profound. Excellent for new readers as well as those returning to the works of Homer. Highly recommended.

[Banbury]

This book's straightforward and organized language will make Homer more accessible to readers, and yet itself is subtle and sophisticated. It highlights many of the literary threads that run throughout the Iliad and the Odyssey; demonstrating each book's internal cohesiveness, and also how the Odyssey often responds to the Iliad. This book points out interesting word play that exists in the original Greek, and discusses the important (and timeless) themes of these great works by Homer.

[Derek]

Very informative. A great supplemental text to Homer's work.

[Samrat]

A wonderful introduction, full of contextual and cross-textual references between the two Homeric epics and projections of the narrative world they were operating in, finished with an instructive further reading section I'll probably never get to but shall hope to reach.

Christensen's Painful Signs substack is also phenomenal, and I look forward to seeing how it stacks up to this guide once it's finished.

[Omri Flicker]

Fantastic guide to read along with the Iliad and the Odyssey. Highly recommended!