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Most Helpful Favorable Review
22 out of 24 people found this review helpful.
WONDERFUL!!!
Well im going to be completely honest about this book. When I first opened the book The Odyssey, I was a little hessitant to reading it. I was a fhreshman in high school and I HAD to read it, it was an obligation because it was a class project that we had to do. But in ...Read More
Well im going to be completely honest about this book. When I first opened the book The Odyssey, I was a little hessitant to reading it. I was a fhreshman in high school and I HAD to read it, it was an obligation because it was a class project that we had to do. But in the end it was all a good read. The book is filled with a wonderfull adventure and action and also love. I recomend this book to anyone who is seeking a thrilling adventure. By the end of this book i was glad that I didn't slack off and actually did the read for this fantastic book. You willnot be dissappointed afterwards.Show Less
posted by Anonymous on May 29, 2008
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5 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
A reviewer
The translations of the Iliad and the Odyssey by Robert Fitzgerald are more enjoyable to read, and are also more reliable and accurate. They are written in prose. If you want poetic versions, you can't beat the translations by Richard Lattimore. My personal favorites...Read More
The translations of the Iliad and the Odyssey by Robert Fitzgerald are more enjoyable to read, and are also more reliable and accurate. They are written in prose. If you want poetic versions, you can't beat the translations by Richard Lattimore. My personal favorites are the Fitzgeralds. I am a lawyer. I studied Greek subjects at U.C. Berkeley under professors Gregory Vlastos and Michael Frede. My favorite writers are Heidegger, Wittgenstein, and Proust.Show Less
posted by Anonymous on June 16, 2007
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Anonymous
Posted May 29, 2008
WONDERFUL!!!
Well im going to be completely honest about this book. When I first opened the book The Odyssey, I was a little hessitant to reading it. I was a fhreshman in high school and I HAD to read it, it was an obligation because it was a class project that we had to do. But in the end it was all a good read. The book is filled with a wonderfull adventure and action and also love. I recomend this book to anyone who is seeking a thrilling adventure. By the end of this book i was glad that I didn't slack off and actually did the read for this fantastic book. You willnot be dissappointed afterwards.
22 out of 24 people found this review helpful.
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ZebraStripe
Posted March 23, 2010
I Also Recommend:
An Epic of Odysseus' Return
This is an amazing translation; the language is flawless, almost poetic. And, of course, a timless classic. I had to read this book for my English Honors course and expected boredom. However, I was pleasently surprised-- I enjoyed it! It's the story of the Greek hero, Odysseus, after the Trojan War. On the start of his voyage home, he provokes Poseidon, god of the sea. Thus, releasing the god's wrath. Odysseus faces many obstacles, on account of Poseidon's anger, including an encounter with Cyclops, Circe, and the Sirens, and a journey to Hades' Underworld. I would recommend this book to anyone who appreciates classic literature. Though the language does take time to become accustomed to, the hardest part of this book is the vast amount of characters. I recommend composing a list of all the gods and goddesses in addition to demigods and heroes.
12 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
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Diangirl
Posted June 14, 2009
I Also Recommend:
Wonderful!
Fagles makes this classical story accessible to everyone, using easy to read language while relating the adventures of Aeneas as he leaves Troy after being defeated by the Greeks and makes his way to Italy to found Rome. It contains travel tales like the Oddyssey and battles as in the Illiad. The introduction is also well worth reading.
7 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
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extreme-reader08
Posted July 27, 2009
Completely unbelievable!
I am amazed at this book! I was actually required to read this for summer reading and I wasn't exactly thrilled to see how thick it was of pages. But as I read it I became enchanted of the way the words are written and the characters, and the plot! I loved it so much I kept on reading, and before I knew it I was finished with it! An incredible tale written in ancient times that tells the story of an exiled soldier trying to return home with many sinister obstacles bloking his way. A great read for anyone who loves greek mythology, and for people who just love monsters and heroes.
6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted June 16, 2007
A reviewer
The translations of the Iliad and the Odyssey by Robert Fitzgerald are more enjoyable to read, and are also more reliable and accurate. They are written in prose. If you want poetic versions, you can't beat the translations by Richard Lattimore. My personal favorites are the Fitzgeralds. I am a lawyer. I studied Greek subjects at U.C. Berkeley under professors Gregory Vlastos and Michael Frede. My favorite writers are Heidegger, Wittgenstein, and Proust.
5 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted June 9, 2003
timeless
If you ever had a pet that lingered into old age, then the Odyssey echos across 2,700 years of time to speak to you. That small scene of a few dozen words does what all forms of great art should do,convey a shared experience that is untouched by time and distance. Great Art was onced defined by the artist being able to convey shared experiences far better than anyone else.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Still relevent today.
While a harder read for kids, The Odyssey is still a much-needed read in schools today. Not only can students focus on the surface area motifs of home and heroes, but they can also be pushed deeper into analyizing what real life issues the "monsters" in the story represent. This story has been around for thousands of years, and rightfully so!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted March 12, 2007
This is a CLASSIC.
Although the details of Homer have not survived the ages, this book is an account to the cultural value system, the interests, and the lives of the Greeks. This is one of the most highly influencial fictional works of all time, and was often quoted in court cases, political speeches, and other literature for hundreds of years due to the books powerful imagery and depiction of the human condition (resembling how the Bible was quoted by other societies in other times). Since the book is set thousands of years ago, of course it doesn't conform to the values of contemporary society. To say the book is mistakenly a classic is to infinitely undermine the effect this book has had on the development of literature and story-telling in general. The book traces the journey of Odysseus, 'the storm-tossed man.' He encounters gods, demigods, monsters, and mythical creatures that push creative limits. If you've heard of sirens, cyclops, and et cetera, this book is most likely responsible for that (with the help of The Iliad, Homer's other major work). The Odyssey demonstrates the role of the gods in Greek thinking, which is not only entertaining but informative. The introduction has plenty of background info, as well. A book that has inspired everyone from Aristotle to James Joyce is most definitely a CLASSIC---End of story.
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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War and Penelope.
I hope that those who read my review will forgive me because I would like to talk mainly about Penelope, the wife of Odysseus. When I read the Odyssey for the first time, I thought it was a wonderful adventure book with beautiful and dangerous women and I laughed with that half-wit of a Polyphemus, one of the cyclops. But near the end something was missing, it was not what it should be. Odysseus came home. His son Telemachus and his swineherd were glad and his dog could finally die with the comforting knowledge that it's master was among the living. Why didn't Penelope make a joyful sound ? Why was she so silent ? I shrugged my shoulders and said:'women!'. It's only years later I began to understand a little. So many people died in the Trojan war. The many adorers of Penelope were slaughtered by Odysseus with no compassion at all. The silence of Penelope was a reproachful silence. She was wondering how many more dead people it would take before men could live in peace. We still ask that question.
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted June 7, 2007
An Interesting Read
The Odyssey is definitely a piece of literature that I would recommend to readers of a somewhat advanced level. It is an adventure story that will keep the reader 'hooked onto it'. It also has life lessons in each one of the 23 chapters that you can live by such as 'do not trust what is given to you by those you know nothing of'. If you like Greek mythology, you should read this before anything.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted July 21, 2006
Great Story
I love this book. It may seem intimadating at first, but, you usually read it in school, and teachers explain it very well. There are about five million names mentioned, but only like eight names are important. The story was great, and filled with adventure. Not a complicated plot, or very hard language. W.H.D.'s annotations are really helpful, too.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted January 22, 2012
GREAT BOOK
One of the best greek mythology books i have read!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted January 17, 2012
To all you Homer Haters out there......
This book is SUPER INTRESTING! I don't see how it could be boring at all...... You must be very immature.....well whatever DEUCES:)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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9820739
Posted September 21, 2011
Line numbers missing?
I love the odyssey and this version was particularly clear, but I would like a version with the original lines of poetry listed out so I can take notes properly.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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11720066
Posted September 7, 2011
Great poem
Im amazingly satisfed with this very interesting even for a 13 year old
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Palmer's Translation Packs a Punch
George Herbert Palmer's prose translation of the Odyssey conveys the beauty and grace of the original's poetry with an accessible style. I couldn't put this down.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted December 7, 2009
I didn't think I'd like it but...
Ok so my 9th grade english class is reading it and I really didn't think I'd like it but once we got into the story I found that I really liked it! :)
I Love the story line, how Odyssues is trying to get home to his wife, Peneople, and his son Telemachus......And how Odyssues has to go throught so many things to reach his goal.....1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Nicely performed.
Great performance of an old classic.
1 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted December 14, 2008
I Also Recommend:
a great book for history lovers
this book is great for a teen reader, and anybody who loves history.
many younger people may not undetrstand it because of the usage of wourds, but overall a good book
if you liked this then try the iliad1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted October 27, 2008
I LOVE THIS BOOK EVEN THOUGH I THOUGHT I WOULD HATE IT!!!
I had to read this book for 9th grade English and I didn't think I would like it at first, but then I really started enjoying it, and now I really like it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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