The Odyssey (Wordsworth Classics) by Homer, Adam Roberts Unabridged Edition

by Homer

The Odyssey, besides being one of the world's first and best adventure stories, is a poem of great subtlety, rich in irony and sophisticated characterisation. The poet's art is amply illustrated by books 19 and 20, in which Odysseus, disguised as a beggar, spends the night in his own palace and lays plans for his awesome revenge. Particularly memorable is the episode in which Penelope converses with her husband without suspecting his identity. In this edition, Richard Rutherford provides not only detailed comment on the action, characterisation and style of the books in question, but also, in an extensive introduction, a general survey of the Odyssey as a whole, laying special emphasis on the qualities of the second half of the poem. He also attempts to contribute to the literary criticism of the poem on a verbal level, by considering the poet's use of formulae, rhetorical technique, and similes. This volume is intended for readers of the Odyssey at all stages. The commentary gives extensive linguistic guidance for beginners; the introduction, in which all Greek is translated, is intended to be accessible to any readers interested in Homer as a poet, whether or not they know Greek.

Genres: Classics, Mythology, Poetry

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1992

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

[Penny Harvey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the easiest of reads but T.E. Lawrence made it accessible with his translation. A book I've always wanted to read, a story retold many times (easier to watch on film maybe!). Amongst all the violence and gluttony the real story of love and loyalty endures.

[Wyatt Bucey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started this with the intention of finishing it before the movie came out. Ended up seeing the movie with about two chapters to go, but honestly didn't matter much. Not much to say about the Odyssey that hasn't already been said. It's a timeless story for a reason; I find the way the gods and their motivations and the way they're woven into the events for the mortals fascinating. I wonder how fully the people at the time believed their fortunes were truly the whims of the gods. It all makes sense in a way, even modern science mirrors the worldview of the ancients when you break it down to a granular level. Things happen, we have theories as to why, and then we try to live in such a way that obeys and takes into account those theories. Easy to write them off as dim and superstitious but I believe that would be an injustice.

It was cool to be reading this at a time of such cultural relevance, also was funny to see bold proclamations about Christopher Nolan's "butchering" or disrespect to the story by people who clearly had not read the story for themselves. Not really surprising nowadays though sadly. I think the movie did the story justice, though clearly geared itself for consumption by modern audiences, which if done while still respecting the essence of the original, it 100% should in my opinion. The feeling of being bound by an order older and bigger than any one person shines through in every part of the story, and it's qualities like that which make the story timeless and relatable across time and space.

Final note, this was Samuel Butler's translation, (who believed the original was written by a woman from Sicily) so the gods are referred to in their roman names and odysseus is instead ulysses. I found his prose modern enough so it flowed easily to understand, though it was still a bit rough to get through at times.

[Reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank goodness for this free, prose version in the public domain.
I started an audiobook of Alexander Pope's verse translation and was way out of my depth.
I found this one and began reading the two concurrently and I could actually understand the story of this prose translation. That made listening to the verse translation immensely more enjoyable.

In the past I've heard professors and friends refer to Greek hospitality like it's something everyone knows about. I didn't. After reading this, and noting the emphasis placed on "presents" (as translated in this text), I better understand the importance of greeting, housing, feeding, and generally taking care of visitors and travelers and strangers is/was in Greece.
The translation as "presents" makes Odysseus seem a little like Dudley Dursley, however, when his companions urge him to steal Polyphemus' goats and cheese before he returns to the cave but Odysseus is like "No, I want to see what kind of presents he'll give me" and then 6 of his companions get brutally eaten and belched up by the giant monster.

Other than that, what a fascinating story. I want to read the new Emily Wilson translation next.

[Sonia socool · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was very good. I listened to an audiobook for most of it (Samuel Butler translation) but I kind of wish I read it as a poem. I like Greek mythology so it was nice that this epic pieced together all of the myths I had known over the years (including Percy Jackson) into something more cohesive. I began reading it as part of my Classics unit (which I dropped) but the insights from the lectures were very interesting. Here are just a few off the top of my of my head:
- An Ancient Greek hero is someone who is not necessarily perfect but has one extraordinary trait, in Odi’s case it’s his cunning.
- “The Odyssey…is the fountainhead of Greek romance.” - I forgot who said it but basically describing Penelope and Odi’s relationship that somehow stayed over being separated for 20 years.
- Odysseus is a guy who is constantly in action even after having fought in the Battle of Troy; he is fighting monsters and running away from angered gods and deities —> while Penelope’s role seems to be to wait…

[Adam Dalgleish · Rating 3 out of 5]

A classic tale that sometimes feels a little boring!

I listened to an audiobook version of this and found that on occasion I really got into the book but often would tune out as the narrative dragged on.

It got better towards the end but ends very abruptly which leaves you wishing there was a little more detail

[Callum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this because it was in public domain and free.

Butler translated in partly to support his argument that the Odyssey was written by a woman.

Lots of good farming metaphors.

To be compared with other translations soon. I always forget so much of the story occurs after his return to Ithica...

[Jonny Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable to read this and identify the parts embedded in popular culture today. I found some parts difficult to follow, but on the whole very readable. Some passages are truly elegant and flow like water.

People sure knew how to feast back then.

[Carson Vanek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really looking forward to Nolan's film adaptation where inevitably so much of the slow pacing and dragged out dialogue is removed and the actual cool parts of the story blend together more satisfyingly. Still a crazy story and a classic though so who am I to give less than four stars?

[Vershneim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Star rating is of the edition/commentary, not of the poem itself

[Jonathan Hinckley · Rating 4 out of 5]

How would you even review something like this? An epic epic.
Odysseus is a dickhead.
Highly recommend Philoctetes by Sophocles to drive that point home.

[Luci · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow

[Curtis K · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clear prose translation. It skips over a lot of the poetry, but the sentences are simpler and more readable as English prose. Butler's translations are great for a first-time reader of Homer.

[Victoria Bridenbecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!! What a wonderful epic story!

[Nolan McGinnity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story. The only reason it loses stars is because it’s repetitive and a little drawn out. It’s understandable since it was originally and oral story

Looking forward to the movie

[Farhana Sufi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was interesting to revise the story so many years after I had read it, and then with the original Greek names too.

[Janet Wertman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better than the movie (and I did enjoy the movie!) ;) I will never be able to refer to the dawn without adding the words “rosy-fingered” ever again!

[PB · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm writing this per the Butler translation - I would definitely recommend the Butler if you're reading this for the first time and looking for an accessible prose translation.

It's a good starting point for more modern prose and poetic translations (including the Fagles). Some might say that it's a bit bland, but it sublimates itself well to the story, being very true to its essential fiber. The same can be said for Butler's "Iliad" translation.

The 'story' is long and episodic (of course) but quite compelling as you 'ingratiate' yourself to it...

[Emily Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was challenging, but was also a very interesting book.