THE ODYSSEY GRAPHIC NOVEL

by Russell Punter

The timeless Greek legend of Gods and monsters comes to life in this action-packed comic strip adaptation. Join Odysseus on his quest to return to his island home, as a host of strange creatures and scheming characters try to stop him. Fabiano Fiorin’s distinctive illustrations draw the reader into the dramatic world of�Ancient Greece. Part of a new series of graphic novels from Usborne, bringing classic stories to life in an exciting, modern way. Simple, engaging dialogue make these books perfect for reluctant readers. Comic book illustrations sure to appeal to fans of the incredibly popular Marvel and DC franchises.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Mythology, Classics, Greek Mythology, Young Adult, Fantasy, Middle Grade

Paperback

Published November 25, 2021

About the author

Russell Punter was born in Bedfordshire, England. From an early age he enjoyed writing and illustrating his own stories. He trained as a graphic designer at art college in West Sussex before entering the world of publishing. He has written over one hundred books for children of all ages, ranging from original stories to adaptations of classic novels.

Reviews

[Nivedita]

Thank god for this graphic novel.

Ready for the real shit now!

[Christina Sedillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super fun illustrations and always a great story.

[Traci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pop Sugar Challenge 2021: book in a different format than what you normally read
I have a growing appreciation for graphic novels - especially when students show an interest in them. Don’t ever say they aren’t real books - they bring to life a story that could otherwise be boring to a student (no offense but the original Odyssey would probably do that for a middle schooler!).
I love that I had this on my desk and a student saw it and wanted to read it. We made a connection, he’s reading, and now we have something to discuss too. Teacher win!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Admittedly, I have not read a full-length translation of The Odyssey. However, as I read this graphic adaptation, I was pleasantly surprised about much I knew of Odysseus’ journey. I found the combination of illustrations and modern-day wording helpful in consuming the story. I enjoyed it enough that I’m less fearful {Is that the correct word? Hmmmm.} of attempting the full epic poem.

[Jessie Crosby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic and approachable version of the odyssey. My 8 year old loved it!

[ola ✌✌ · Rating 4 out of 5]

czytanie tego a dodatkowo słuchanie 'epic' to whole new experience!!

fajnie, przyjemnie zilustrowana

[Constantinos Spyrou · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5 ⭐️💙

[Beckynetc (Clark) · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 12 year old son read this in a day. He loved the classic story and gave it a four for the drawings.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Schon für meinen interessierten Neunjährigen geeignet und eine gute und spannende Umsetzung!

[Scott Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Homer’s Odyssey requires no introduction for hard-core fans of literature, but reading this great work in its original translation can be daunting to older kids and young adults. Fortunately, Punter and Fiorin retold this classic in a graphic novel. They maintain the basic storyline and illustrate the action with imagination.

Fans of Dog Man and other graphic novels will appreciate this form of one of the best stories ever told in human language. It’s action-packed (as its original recipients would have heard it), but as recast, it’s also imaginative and playful. Graphic novels done well bring to life creative storylines to intermediate readers in ways that mere words-on-a-page cannot.

This adaptation uses several devices to make it accessible. First, the story is retold in a modern style with plain word-choices. Vivid pictures bring the words to life. A map of the Mediterranean at book’s front explains Odysseus’ travels in space. The authors summarize the Odyssey’s action in brief form, which makes it readable in short time.

The plot, classically retold, reflects a storyline appreciated by the West for millennia. Odysseus travels home from Troy to Greece, only to be blown off course. He upsets Poseidon, the sea god, and his seamen and ship encounters a series of otherworldly travails. Will Odysseus ever get home? And what kind of home awaits him? These questions haunt this book as the reader ponders the world’s richness. We ask ourselves, “In light of earth’s diversity and trappings, will we ever get home to peace?” Punter and Fiorin effectively cultivate these very human themes in older children and young adults. We should thank them for their contribution to English-reading civilization.

[sukhroopreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this as a birthday gift from my best friend, and really enjoyed it! It's a great adaptation of The Odyssey, which I read as a part of my Humanities class in fall term. I love the illustrations and how meta the novel is in calling attention to the fact that is of graphic novel proportions, with the layering of the blocks over others, and I also love the use of shadows, full page illustrations, and black space. It did remove one really important subplot of the book toward the end, which is why I'm docking off an entire star (I feel like that scene, although short, captures a lot of what this book is about, and is also really emotional), but overall, I thought it did a great job of sticking to the original book. I also loved the "Story of the Odyssey" piece at the end, especially the section that talked about various other adaptations of this timeless story, from Ulysses to Cold Mountain to Cyclops, I am most definitely interested in consuming these stories someday! All in all, I highly recommend this to someone who liked The Odyssey, and wants to have a quick and fast read adapting a story they like!

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve tried to read the original, but this will have to count for now. As a story it’s ok, this adaptation is way easier to understand that the original and I think anyone who is interested in knowing the story would be well-suited to this one. The imagery is clear. The story is easy to follow. Homer really put Odysseus through the wringer to get him back home. It’s nice that it worked out so well for him - not so nice for all of his shipmates who were eaten by the Cyclops, Giants, multi-headed sea monster, etc. An epic amount of death happens in this story, but this adaptation is lacking much more than a tiny drop of blood with each passing. It wasn’t groundbreaking or moving but I’m glad I finally really know all the trials that Odysseus went through. It’s Ancient Greek Literature Lite.

[Stephen Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s impressive how they could condense The Odyssey into this graphic novel and still have everything flow and make sense. The art work is great and this serves as a wonderful introduction to this classic. It also has an illustrated map to help track the story.
⚠️Parental Warning ⚠️
There is some sword fighting and killing portrayed in line with the story but it is not portrayed graphically.
The Sirens are portrayed as topless mermaids, but they are shown from the back or with long hair covering them. (It’s an easy fix with some similar colored sharpies. 😉)

[J'Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like how the gods were in the book and its a good book report if u need a essay or rough draft because me and my class are doing it and its a very good book and all the fantastic stuff that was in the book like some of the thing in the book could be in real life related like when he took his eye one eyed Willie and when his friend did it they all had to work together as a team to get the job done and it worked?

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

The artwork isn't too impressive, but I appreciated this book's commitment to accuracy and integrity: the story is presented in the original non-chronological order and the historical notes are briefly illuminating. The language translation is the best part here, and the story is clearly and smoothly told for a broad audience.

[Alisha Helton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This graphic novel gets 5 stars because of how beautiful its illustrations are and because of how
succinctly it tells Odysseus’ story.

It simplifies the narrative to make it easily digestible while Mai ring the story’s integrity. I loved it!

This would be great for readers that are new to this story. I’d definitely recommend it!

[Emmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never been into graphic novels because I like some plot in a book but this is quite good. I'm into Greek myths and I know most of them but I couldn't find the right book. I mean the original is just a huge poem where as this takes a half hour two read and tells me everything I need to know.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this adaptation in preparation for reading the epic poem with my daughter. It was another good way to get familiar with the stories, and this version stayed true to the structure of the original, I think. It was easy and fun to read.

[Rebecca Klingaman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read. I found this book at the thrift store and wanted to compare it to Gareth Hinds's retelling. There are a lot of similarities, but this is definitely a lower-level retelling. Some nuance is lost in this version, and a lot of episodes are cut short.

[Eve Suki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book because there were lots of adventures.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son loved this book! He has really enjoyed all of the books in this series. They are great books to read together.

[Nicole Bieri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kids and I both loved the retelling of this classic in graphic novel form.

[Rimjhim · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars - interesting graphics - meant for a young audience

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

My kids loved this! I picked it up and read through the whole thing in about an hour. It's well told, the art is clear and colorful, and I appreciate that the violence is g rated.

[Liam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good

[Shaundel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice quick read of The Odyssey. Easy-to-read and just hits the main points of the story. Definitely would recommend to students!

[Edward Doyle-gillespie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great cross-over rendering!

[Matthew Sherin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of the three Usborne Graphic Novels I've read(Dracula, Thor, and this), this one is my favorite.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

An approachable and bite-size way to read the odyssey.

[Annabelle Kocher]

👍