THE ODYSSY

by Homer

Genres: Classics, Mythology

Mass Market Paperback

Published January 1, 1958

About the author

Homer (Greek: Όμηρος born c. 8th century BC) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the most revered and influential authors in history.
Homer's Iliad centers on a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles during the last year of the Trojan War. The Odyssey chronicles the ten-year journey of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, back to his home after the fall of Troy. The poems are in Homeric Greek, also known as Epic Greek, a literary language which shows a mixture of features of the Ionic and Aeolic dialects from different centuries; the predominant influence is Eastern Ionic. Most researchers believe that the poems were originally transmitted orally. Despite being predominantly known for its tragic and serious themes, the Homeric poems also contain instances of comedy and laughter.
Homer's epic poems shaped aspects of ancient Greek culture and education, fostering ideals of heroism, glory, and honor. To Plato, Homer was simply the one who "has taught Greece" (τὴν Ἑλλάδα πεπαίδευκεν). In Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, Virgil refers to Homer as "Poet sovereign", king of all poets; in the preface to his translation of the Iliad, Alexander Pope acknowledges that Homer has always been considered the "greatest of poets". From antiquity to the present day, Homeric epics have inspired many famous works of literature, music, art, and film.
The question of by whom, when, where and under what circumstances the Iliad and Odyssey were composed continues to be debated. Scholars remain divided as to whether the two works are the product of a single author. It is thought that the poems were composed at some point around the late eighth or early seventh century BC. Many accounts of Homer's life circulated in classical antiquity; the most widespread account was that he was a blind bard from Ionia, a region of central coastal Anatolia in present-day Turkey. Modern scholars consider these accounts legendary.

French: Homère, Italian: Omero, Portuguese, Spanish: Homero.

Reviews

[Jonty White · Rating 2 out of 5]

should be 2.5 stars. mid + boring, but still cool sometimes.

virgil better

[Charlottemyers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Odyssey by Homer.
This book is about a war hero named Odysseus, who, after the Trojan war, was stranded out at sea by the wrath of the Greek god Posiden. Odysseus left for home about twenty years before the real story starts, leaving behind a grief-stricken wife, and an infant son, Telemachus. Odysseus was the brilliant mind behind the wooden horse trick that won the Trojan war. After winning the war and sailing off for home, the island he was king of, Ithaca, Odysseus fell of course, becoming lost in the huge ocean filled with monsters from Greek mythology. He was stranded in the sea for 10 years. He met everyone from the beautiful nymph Calypso to the horrifying shepard and cyclops Polyphemus, who ate a number of his men.

In Ithaca, his wife Penelope was being courted by men from every land nearby, hoping for her hand in marriage, and believing that Odysseus would not come home, that he was dead. Meanwhile, his son Telemachus grew up, and decided to search for his long lost father. The book shifts between the Prince’s journey to find Odysseus, and Odysseuses own journey to return home.

This book has changed me in a major way by teaching me more about ancient Greek mythology, and it showed me a different style of writing, and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in Greek mythology. This book would probably be appropriate, and easier to understand for grades six and up, and I would rate it a five out of five.


The author of this book was Homer, a man from thousands of years ago. The Odyssey was a story from mythology, and was originally spoken, for entertainment purposes for the people who lived back then. Homer didn’t make the story, he just copied it down. Since the book was written in ancient Greek, countless people have interpreted The Odyssey, and each version of the book is different. The Odyssey was copied down into scrolls by the monks in the roman empire , so it is split into 24 different books, since the monks had scrolls to copy down on, each of them about 24 pages.


Homer also copied down the story the Iliad, a story that takes place before Oydsseus. The Iliad is about the Trojan war. One of the main characters in this book is Oydsseus, but there are also characters like Acheils, the war hero who was invincible other than his ankle. Menelaus, a king who was originally married to Helen, and when she was abducted by Paris, it brought about the whole war in the first place

The Odyssey is a little complicated to understand, but it is a must read for anyone interested in ancient history, and mythology. If I had to pick a favorite character from this book, I would probably choose Argos, Odysseus’s dog. Although Argos was only in one paragraph in this book he is symbolic as he waited twenty years for his master to return.

[Denise Strilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the kind of book you almost feel guilty giving three stars because you know there’s so much depth to it, and there’s a reason it’s considered a classic. It probably deserves five stars from a literary standpoint… just not from my personal reading experience. 😂

I listened to the audiobook, and my interest came and went throughout. I think this is probably a story that’s better experienced in print, but honestly, if I’d been reading it, I’m not sure I would have found it any easier to push through.

That said, I really enjoyed all the mythology woven throughout the story. Hearing the connections to Troy, Circe, and other familiar figures made it a fun and interesting experience.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's OK. There's a lot of "son of so-and-so" that I could care less about. And the amount of times and the length at which Odysseus went into detail about his made up past was just unnecessary. So many unnecessary parts to this story, in fact. It could have be abbreviated significantly and would have made for a much better read. I get it, it was written in BCE times and translated in the early 20th century. So I guess I do appreciate the style of storytelling for that initial time period, but it's certainly exhaustive. Homer, I pat you on the back, but I don't think I'll be picking up the Iliad next.

[Abdulelah Sawadi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read it for a course. Enjoyed most of it. I dont remember much to say the true rating but i would guess its 3 stars. Also maybe i will revisit

[chloe ejtehadi · Rating 1 out of 5]

👎

[Victoria Bridenbecker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this story for my English class during my junior year in high school. For those who are interested in ancient Greek mythology and like gods and heroes, it is a must-read.

[Deena Scintilla · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this decades ago and although I know I should have liked it, I felt it was much too long. I recently saw the movie and still feel that way. I know I'm in the minority.

[Robin]

This is an audiobook, read by Sir Ian McKellen.