The Odyssey Paperback – Deckle Edge, November 6, 2018

Despite being classic literature, which I once thought was only enjoyed by elitist academics, I found it to be really interesting even exciting. Wilson's translation doesn't rely on using 18th-century language in a misguided attempt to capture a feeling of antiquity, which really helps. The book starts with a lenghty but interesting discussion of the how and why of her translation as well as sharing many insights into the nature and characteristics of the gods and people portrayed.If you were expecting a dull and boring story think again.

Fantastic translation. I enjoyed it and it went by quickly very easy to read and understand.

Perfect!

This book is so good! I've never read any Greek literature and with this one, there will be many titles to read. And thanks to the author who made the best of this translation from Greek to English!

Beautiful translation and very easy to read.I enjoyed Emily Wilson’s writing of The Odyssey, the Introduction being the most informative.Four stars because I thought the language and use of certain phrases and words were too contemporary for the time of the epic

" Poets are not to blame for how things are; Zeus is; he gives to each as his will."And so it begins: the finest piece of historical fiction ever written. Was it truth? Was a blind poet/singer/tale spinner named Homer the author of the tale? Or was it strung together from many sources? Does it even matter? All we know is that something kept this story alive from the times of the "Hellens" [the Greeks' name for themselves] and the "barbarians"[ anyone else] to the 21st century. It is often the introduction to poetry and Ancient History in First World classrooms, where students are confused and terrorized by the images it spins.The story of Odysseus, his bravery, his stupidity, his cunning, his vulnerability; of Telemachus, a sin grown up without a father, simply trying to salvage any kind of life out of the shreds of his fortune the suitors haven't eaten, stolen or used- in any way you want to take it; of Penelope, a wise but vulnerable woman in a world were voth aren't to be trusted. Add the gods and goddesses who use them all in a huge game of chance, and that's the daytime serial called "The Odyssey of Homer". And thanks is a large part to a woman professor who spent years pouring over other translations, this is the most accessible translation out there.I can't remember when I first read/heard The Odyssey; but I do remember when it first captured me. In a class called "The Bible as Literature" in college we read both the Iliad and the Odyssey in a much more accessible form: a prose version which until probably 5 years ago was still available through Barnes and Noble publishing/ I became enamoured with the soap opera feel of the story and the morality it supported (or didn't). That class gave me my still favorite book, and I have collected/read many riffs on it since in books like Katenzakas' version, Fagles'translation, "Cold Mountain", "Life of Pi", "Graffiti Bridge ", "Ithaca", and others including the book "Circe" from 2019.This is a much longer review, and more personal than I am wont to right. I hope it reflects both my love of the poetry and story, and my respect for Emily Wilson. I am so glad to finally get this book to add to my collection, for the introduction and maps alone. Highly Recommended 5/5

The five stars are for the lovely rhythmic English in Emily Wilson's fluent translation. I read it twice, once for the content, and again for the poetry. It's all about style, hers is simple on the surface, a clear window that reveals the multiple layers of meaning in the text...starting with line one: "Tell me about a complicated man." "Complicated" is a simple word in itself, but warns the reader that Odysseus will not be one dimensional like Paul Bunyan. Odysseus is called "the lord of lies" just before he tells the truth of his story to strangers in Book 9"I am Odysseus, Laerte's son." Then in book 14, in disguise, he claims to hate liars, but goes on to tell the biggest whoppers to his slave who may or may not recognize him after 20 years absence: "Proudly I say, I come from spacious Crete." We may be dealing with a bronze age joke here. Since people from Crete, like Epimenides, are known to have said honestly or not that all Cretans are liars, leaving the paradox open. Thankfully, Wilson's introduction is helpful but succinct, given the oceans of Homer scholarship that has accumulated over the past couple thousand years, starting with scholars in ancient Alexandria. She makes it clear we do not know who the author or authors were, nor when it was composed, nor when it was first written down, nor how the text became standardized. She does point out, usefully, that there is no mention of reading or writing anywhere in the entire epic. The references to bards have them singing from memory. (The Old Testament in contrast does have many mentions of reading and writing, including by women.) She points out that her translation tries to be literal. If the Greek word is for a female slave, it's a female slave, not a "servant." And she avoids high flying rhetoric, since the Greek used is apparently a concise rhythmic narrative style, definitely not the style ever employed in ordinary speech, but not ornate or grandiose either. There is such simple joy in story telling, even or especially the tragic stories: "But let us, you and I, sit in my cottage over food and wine, and take some joy in hearing how much pain we each have suffered." The central emotion is longing for home: "the worst thing humans suffer is homelessness." When Odysseus and Penelope are finally reunited after 20 years they probably recognize each other, but she makes him prove who he is and win her all over again. He tells her "my homeland is Crete." But "His lies were like the truth." After they test each other, and each passes every test, and after they have enjoyed making love in bed he built for them decades earlier, then they "shared another pleasure - telling stories."