Take a photo of a barcode or cover
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Misogyny, Slavery, Blood, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, War
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Slavery, Violence, War
Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail
There are graphic deaths of several characters. A group of women are hung and it is described in the epic with a few disturbing lines. There is a lot of violence in general.
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
still thinking about odysseus' 'heh nothing personnel kid moment' where he dodges that cow hoof and gives a sardonic little grin. dude really thinks he's an anime protag.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence
Moderate: Physical abuse, War
Minor: Animal death, Torture, Trafficking
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, War
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Slavery, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“Tell me about a complicated man.”
Understatement of the century (centuries?), and goodness gracious, is it a great one. I don’t know what I can say about this translation that hasn’t been better said elsewhere, so I’ll stick with this: Wilson’s writing is incredible, and I think the feeling it evokes while reading it is probably similar to that of the experience of hearing The Odyssey performed, as it would have been in its original language, hundreds of years ago. The meter is especially impressive. Overall, though, my favorite aspect of this translation is how it maintains its complexity while still being completely accessible to the average reader. I got this from the library, but the first line was enough to convince me to buy my own copy. It’s genuinely exceptional.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Death of parent
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, War
I mean, it's The Odyssey. It gets pretty rough at points.
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I found this interesting to analyze because of the ways that rhetoric is used to have a more powerful analysis of what it means to share stories through poetry. I appreciated having read this because it's a classic that is referenced so often in other works. However, it is relatively boring and dense for the things that happen within the poem, and the characters are incredibly unlikeable. If you're interested in Greek mythology for the plot, this may not be what you're interested in, but it can be more enjoyable in more of an academic setting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Alcohol, Classism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The translation by Emily Wilson is very accessible. The usage of modern language ("bully, random, hobo") makes some parts sound incredibly funny.
As for the story itself, Odysseus is such a dick tbh.
As for the story itself, Odysseus is such a dick tbh.
"Dear friends! We are
experienced in danger. This is not
worse than the time the Cyclops captured us,
and forced us to remain inside his cave.
We got away that time, thanks to my skill
and brains and strategy. Remember that."
And slave girls deserved better!!! Who cares that they were sleeping around while he was away??? They're SLAVES and it's been TWENTY YEARS. smh get over yourself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Gore, Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty
Minor: Rape
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Many years ago, I helped clean out Dr. Mandelbaum's office when he retired, taking box after box of books to the library to see what could be and what should be added to the various library collections,. Manuscripts, books he'd written, translations. I knew he was a Dante scholar, but I didn't realize that he'd also translated Homer and Virgil (Virgil makes a lot of sense, given the role Virgil plays in The Divine Comedy).
Like many people, I'd never read The Odyssey. I knew a bit of the story, but had never read the original text. I knew a little bit about the various translators, and was thrilled with Dr Wilson released her translation, but never read it. I've read enough Greek plays and Roman histories to know that I wasn't really a fan of the literature of that time period.
I finally read it when the library where I work used it as part of our "Read the book, see the movie" series. It's very interesting, but it's also very long. Like a lot of classical literature from the Greek and Roman era, it's a lot of words to describe things that could have been said in one or two. It's hard to get into, since it's in verse, not prose, but once you get into it, it's fun to read.
Like many people, I'd never read The Odyssey. I knew a bit of the story, but had never read the original text. I knew a little bit about the various translators, and was thrilled with Dr Wilson released her translation, but never read it. I've read enough Greek plays and Roman histories to know that I wasn't really a fan of the literature of that time period.
I finally read it when the library where I work used it as part of our "Read the book, see the movie" series. It's very interesting, but it's also very long. Like a lot of classical literature from the Greek and Roman era, it's a lot of words to describe things that could have been said in one or two. It's hard to get into, since it's in verse, not prose, but once you get into it, it's fun to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
adventurous
challenging
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
confusing. too much action and violence. only read this because of uni 😪
tbh it would've been a lot more confusing had I not spent my childhood with Rick Riordan's books. Thanks to him for making me able to concentrate lol
tbh it would've been a lot more confusing had I not spent my childhood with Rick Riordan's books. Thanks to him for making me able to concentrate lol
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Violence
Minor: Misogyny, Rape, Sexual content, Slavery
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Gore, Blood, Murder
Minor: Misogyny, Slavery