Homer

Beginner's Guide (Oneworld Publications)

by Elton T.E. Barker, Joel Christensen

An excellent introduction to the works of Homer that posits and ongoing dialogue between Homer and the world on the strength of his two works that dramatize war and home-coming and set the stage for the end of the Age of heroes and the rise of the Age of man

Genres: Classics, Nonfiction

233 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2013

Reviews

[David Kowalski · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Samrat · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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