The Odyssey

by Geraldine McCaughrean

After ten years of war, Odysseus turns his back on Troy and sets sail for home. But his voyage takes another ten years and he must face many dangers -- including Polyphemus the greedy one-eyed giant, Scylla the six-headed sea monster and even the wrath of the gods themselves -- before he is reunited with his wife and son.

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Mythology, Ancient History, Childrens, Middle Grade, Greek Mythology

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Geraldine McCaughrean is a British children's novelist. She has written more than 170 books, including Peter Pan in Scarlet (2004), the official sequel to Peter Pan commissioned by Great Ormond Street Hospital, the holder of Peter Pan's copyright. Her work has been translated into 44 languages worldwide. She has received the Carnegie Medal twice and the Michael L. Printz Award among others.

Reviews

[ellie · Rating 2 out of 5]

ehh wasn't my favorite, the cover is stunning, but no, idk maybe i just need to pay attention more...


aside from that, at least i got another book read, yuhhhhh 😀

[Ruth Patience · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a great book and it was easy to understand which is great because I always wanted to read the odyssey but it was so hard to understand but now I could understand it! I finished it in two days!

[Sarah Wahl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know that the target audience for this retelling is middle schoolers; however, with the movie that just came out, I've been dying to read any translation or retelling available. It wasn't bad, I just thought some parts were simplified, maybe a bit too much.

[chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️s

listen it was the only copy of the odyssey I could find.

although I did find this retelling to be a good base for my understanding of the story.

[Daniyal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ordered this under the pretense of "The Odyssey by Homier" and instead got "Odyssey Retold". Still an interesting read, if you want to read the original this is not an exact thing, it cuts out a lot of the scenes, I've read the original from beginning and this one starts from way off and tells more about Odysseus from the very beginning whereas the original begins focused on Odysseus' son Telemachus and his Wife Penelope and their struggles.

[Olive · Rating 3 out of 5]

"'Yes! Choose, Mother!' cried Telemachus, jumping to his feet. 'It's time you did. Obviously my father is dead. How could anyone spend ten years coming home? Choose, Mother. I was once heir to Ithaca, but I don't care any more…”

Don’t judge me, but Homer’s The Illiad and Odyssey has always been on my to-read list, yet have always struggled to finish it. Thanks to this retelling, managed to finish it in two days. It was easy to understand, although I believe many parts were cut, and most probably missed a lot of the drama and thrill from the original. It was nice to read Odysseus’ journey after reading Madeline Miller’s Circe and seeing all the drama surrounding them. The ending was truly heartwarming. I’m looking forward to finish the original one, one day.

⭐️3.5/5

[Meera A.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very light and fun-to-read edition of The Odyssey!
It felt good to read through the adventures of Odysseus and revisit these events and characters again.

Highly recommended for those who are on the go, and want to enjoy a short Mythology story.

[Bapppu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first tried reading a prose translation of The Odyssey, but it felt so complicated that I literally needed a pen and paper just to keep track of everything. I’m so glad I looked through the other versions and found this adaptation, because it made the whole story so much easier to follow.

I loved reading about the world of Greek gods, mythical creatures and strange places, and I ended up learning so much.

I would definitely recommend this version to anyone who is new to The Odyssey and wants to understand the journeys, the gods, the creatures and everything that happens before watching the movie.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read aloud with our boys (10 and 7) and we all absolutely loved this rendition of Odysseus's adventures in getting home to Ithaca and Penelope. Beautiful language and approachable characters.

[Elyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction/overview of The Odyssey with some really good prose! I fear I will be wanting to read the original.

[Inga Becker-Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect quick read before planning to go see the movie next week would recommend and a great story!

Managed to read this within my daily commute on one day so about a 2 hour read or so

[kaite · Rating 4 out of 5]

a nice quick overview of the story to help prepare me for the movie! I eventually do want to read the original poem, but this was great for what I needed for now

[Mar Espejo Romero · Rating 4 out of 5]

The easiest book to read surprisingly! Amo esta historia y quise leerme una adaptación antes de verme la película para ver que cosas me iba a perder.

[Jorge Nanclares · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lectura muy grata. Probablemente tenga que leerme algún libro interpretativo y explicativo de la obra de Homero para ir más allá de la superficie.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautiful adaptation; I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

[Serene · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good, but it was a 5th grade version and I definitely could’ve read a longer version.

[Namratha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simplified, easy-on-the-senses retelling of "The Odyssey". The original is tucked away somewhere at the back of my book-shelf. It had me quaking in my boots.This, I get....and enjoy.

My interest was actually piqued by the **Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan. Constant references to Odysseus's epic trip had me curious about the original.

Odysseus, the brave (although, slightly pompous) warrior is sailing back home after the epic battle of Troy. A lovely wife,Penelope and Telemachus, a son he hasn't seen in eleven years await him in his kingdom of Ithaca.

As he sets sail with his fleet of ships, he encounters mythical creatures, love-struck nymphs, grumpy cyclopses, the odd cannibal or two and a couple of other seriously depraved characters. Adding to his woes are the fury of the sea-god Poseidon.....a crew which doubts their captain....and a route that seems to have been put together by a sadistic travel-agent!

The end of the journey throws another nasty surprise : unruly suitors for the hand of Penelope and the riches of Ithaca.I tell you....a Greek Hero's work is never done!!

In all, an engaging read....lots of mayhem, chaos, and what-have-you.

**Reference :

[elena dahae · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.8/5 stars

Not my favourite book, and it wasn't a bad one.

But I wanted to read it, which is worth reading. It definitely gives adventure and historical vibes all in one. I don't know what other things to say.

[Natalie Ngodara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Odysseus has groupies

[Aurum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I did NOT expect to enjoy The Odyssey this much.

Odysseus travels from one place to another, encounters monsters, gods, witches, temptations, and all kinds of chaos, while desperately trying to get home. And somehow, this ancient story still feels surprisingly entertaining.

What hit me the hardest, though, was realizing how much Odysseus actually lost along the way. He started the journey with hundreds of men, and in the end, he was the only one who made it home. That made his reunion with Telemachus and Penelope so much more emotional. After everything he had been through, he finally got the one thing he'd been fighting for the entire time: going home.

I also loved how the story isn't really about wanting adventure. Odysseus just wants to go home. Every monster, god, island, and disaster is basically another obstacle between him and Ithaca.

I went in expecting a classic that I'd have to force myself through, but I ended up genuinely invested in the journey. Ancient, dramatic, occasionally ridiculous, surprisingly emotional, and still a damn good adventure story.

5 stars. I finally understand why this one survived for thousands of years

[Hwee Goh · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Greek myths are like a great patchwork bedspread of stories, stitched together over centuries, growing and growing as the Greek Empire flung itself across more and more of the ancient world.”

“The Odyssey is the greatest of stories and one near the very centre of the bedspread.”

Prolific British author Geraldine McCaughrean makes pithy work out of her version of this epic, organising chapters into a linear journey for young readers. She pitches this for tweens and early teens in this Puffin Classics edition.

“When has one little mortal ever caused such excitement among the Immortals? In a few years he’ll be nothing but a heap of dust and drifting spirit.”

But not before Odysseus tricks his way out a trap with a Cyclops, stands his ground with Circe who turns men into pigs…or pines for his wife Penelope, while in Calypso’s hold.

The story arcs are accessible, dialogue is pacy, and all in — something worthy of revisiting in light of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, a richly thematic masterpiece well worth watching.

[Richard Angelus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many years ago, I try to finish reading Homer’s original English translations of Iliad and Odyssey (found 1 volume in the library), but I failed. Probably I wasn’t that interested in mythology before or my English wasn’t that good, or I thought it was a boring long poem. Maybe, all. But perhaps what I need was not to know the whole story behind the poem but a retold that keeps the essentials and yet fun to read (and that may include reading children’s books). That is exactly what McCaughrean did to Homer’s Odyssey.

Homer (presumably) was the first Greek writer whose works survive – perhaps the first Greek writer there was. In the Iliad, considered to be the earliest of the two, he wrote about the last few weeks of war between the Greeks and the Trojans, the imminent death of Achilles and the fall of Troy, the drama between mortal men and the gods. To read further my review, CLICK HERE: https://legasitv.blogspot.com/2020/09...

[legitnessz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished reading The Odyssey by Homer (translated by Geraldine McCaughrean). I can see why this story has survived for thousands of years. At its core, it’s actually a pretty simple journey home, but the obstacles along the way are so unique that they made me want to dive deeper into Greek mythology. I might’ve just talked myself into finally starting Percy Jackson after this 😭

Back to the book, the Circe section was easily my favorite. I was completely hooked. I also loved how the Greek gods constantly meddled in human affairs (it made the adventure feel so much bigger than just Odysseus’ journey)

RIP Odysseus, he would’ve loved Google Maps or Waze

And that ending… man, it was so satisfying. Odysseus really is the main character.

Also, huge props to Geraldine McCaughrean’s adaptation. It was easy to follow, surprisingly short compared to other versions, and a great introduction to one of the most influential stories ever told.

[Ethan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The introduction where the author shared their passion for the story made it sound like it was going to be a really exciting read but I just found the whole thing quite dull. Odysseus was mostly just irritating to me and I thought for a junior translation the language would be more engaging but I was left quite dissapointed.
I decided to read this, not beacuse Christopher Nolan has an adaptation on the way, but beause I recently rewatched O Brother Where Art Thou and was feeling curious to see how much of a connection there is between the film and the supposed inspiration. I'm still not entirely sure but the film was a lot more fun than this was. I can definitely see George Clooney's character in Odysseus though.

[Megan Blase · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this puffin classics edition of the odyssey, per Devin’s suggestion, to prepare myself for eventually reading Homer’s real works. Overall, this was a fun, easy read, I was surprised at how many greek myths I remembered from my Percy Jackson youth days. Like I remember in Percy Jackson the cyclops and the story of how Odysseus blinded the cyclops, posiden cursing Odysseus, sea nymphs, the sirens, riding underneath the sheep, men turning into pigs, I remember reading all about these myths in Percy Jackson. Gotta hand it to Rick rioridan, he made a generation of children super invested in Greek mythology by making them accessible; too bad he’s a Zionist though :/

[paperbackfruit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really enjoyed this retold version. Many of the laughable and shocking parts are still there. However, since it isn’t the original version, many nuances and details are lost.

I wanted to see more of Athena and Penelope and Telemachus. I wanted to see more of the themes presented in the original version. But this retold version is great for younger readers to understand the odyssey.

I especially loved the ending! Ahhhh. I squeal every time I read it!

Still, the original one is still the best :)

[Defne Ayaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy mythology and this version of Odysseus’ and his crew’s adventures were told in a light language. That was really good of this book because you can understand easily and you don’t need to put much effort to read it. Even though it was easy to read, I sometimes needed a harder language to enjoy it better. I was sometimes bored but in the end, it was a great book. I would like to read the original version of the book some day.

[Kevin Norton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just re-reading this before tackling ‘The Iliad’ in its entirety. They are completely different stories of course, I just wanted to remind myself of ‘The Odyssey’ and the world of Ancient Greece before returning to Homer.

My plan is to read The zooids and then turn to ‘Circe’ and ‘The Silence of the Girls’. This was a nice introduction to Odysseus’s journey - staying faithful to Honer’s original.

[James Horsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a retelling of the Odyssey that is easy to follow and would be suitable for teens to help them access a classic text.

This retelling by Geraldine McCaughrean covers all the key moments and plot lines from the original text and describes encounters with the lotus eaters, Circe and the Charibdis in a simple yet effective style.

For anyone who is unfamiliar with Greek mythology or the story of Odysseus this is a great starting place.

[JAEYVE · Rating 5 out of 5]

“What use would it be to row if we had forgotten where we were going?”

I liked it, how in the end, Odysseus had to prove he was indeed who he says he was. Like, after so many years at war and sea! It was nice.

I am fascinated by the concept of the River Ocean. I shall explore it further more.

I should like to read the original version of Odyssey some time in the future.
I would like to visit the three islands of Odysseus’ kingdom. Maybe go on holiday there and read some Greek tales?