The Odyssey

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Synopsis

The first great adventure story in the Western canon, The Odyssey is a poem about violence and the aftermath of war; about wealth, poverty, and power; about marriage and family; about travelers, hospitality, and the yearning for home.

In this fresh, authoritative version–the first English translation of The Odyssey by a woman–this stirring tale of shipwrecks, monsters, and magic comes alive in an entirely new way. Written in iambic pentameter verse and a vivid, contemporary idiom, this engrossing translation matches the number of lines in the Greek original, thus striding at Homer’s sprightly pace and singing with a voice that echoes Homer’s music.

Wilson’s Odyssey captures the beauty and enchantment of this ancient poem as well as the suspense and drama of its narrative. Its characters are unforgettable, from the cunning goddess Athena, whose interventions guide and protect the hero, to the awkward teenage son, Telemachus, who struggles to achieve adulthood and find his father; from the cautious, clever, and miserable Penelope, who somehow keeps clamoring suitors at bay during her husband’s long absence, to the “complicated” hero himself, a man of many disguises, many tricks, and many moods, who emerges in this translation as a more fully rounded human being than ever before.

A fascinating introduction provides an informative overview of the Bronze Age milieu that produced the epic, the major themes of the poem, the controversies about its origins, and the unparalleled scope of its impact and influence. Maps drawn especially for this volume, a pronunciation glossary, and extensive notes and summaries of each book make this an Odyssey that will be treasured by a new generation of scholars, students, and general readers alike.

Synopsis source: The StoryGraph

Review

Genre(s): Classic Literature, Poetry, Mythology
HB&W Rating: 4.5 stars
View on StoryGraph, Goodreads
Buy on Barnes & Noble, Amazon

I find it difficult to rate classics. This isn’t a story I particularly related to or enjoyed, but I found it fascinating to compare this translation with the one I remember reading in high school—as best I can without doing a tandem reread, relying instead on my watered-down memories and vague impressions from 25 years ago.

I was especially grateful for the translator’s foreword, where Wilson takes the time to explain her word choices in the context of the historical meanings and nuances of Ancient Greek. She also provides helpful background on the work itself that I don’t remember learning in my previous study, including the uncertainty surrounding its origins and whether it was ever actually authored by a single person.

Rereading The Odyssey as an adult, I feel much more attuned to the nuances that I missed as a young adult, even with the guidance of a good teacher. Because of that, I’m not really rating the story itself so much as the way Wilson presents it. Her translation and accompanying commentary gave me a deeper understanding of the work and allowed me to appreciate aspects of it that I simply wasn’t equipped to notice when I first encountered it.

In the end, my rating is less a judgment of The Odyssey itself and more a reflection of how much Wilson’s translation helped me understand and engage with it.

Until next time,

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