7.2k reviews for:

Odyssee

Homer

3.71 AVERAGE

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful reflective tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

how dare odysseus be such an unfaithful bastard

I love how this story demonstrates how seemingly small choices can come back later with much bigger consequences than could've been imagined at first. Butterfly Effect shit always is a yes from me.
adventurous emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
adventurous dark informative reflective tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Travel back in time for a little insight into the worldview & values of the ancient Greeks. Fickle meddlesome gods, male honour, rampant war and liberal violence, slavery & female subjugation. Easy flowing translation, though I sometimes lost the rhythm.

Me identifico com o Odisseu (também paro pra chorar em cada canto).
adventurous fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Just a bunch of people going to each other’s houses
adventurous dark sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

The Odyssey is not only two millennia ahead of its time, but it’s also probably the most important piece of fiction ever created. I was originally skeptical about this work, since I know that most people despised and despise reading this in school or during required reading, but I still gave it a shot after my thorough enjoyment of the Iliad.

Though I was not hooked at first, the Odyssey gradually got more and more engaging as it went on, giving us more and more insight into what happened at the end of the Trojan War, how Odysseus’ ship was stranded, how his men perished, and how he came home. This book draws many parallels to The Count of Monte Cristo, I highly beloved book of the modern era, which is another example of this poem’s cultural impact.

With captivating stories of the Cyclops or the Sirens, or the fantastically written sequence of Odysseus pulling an Edmond Dantes on his estate and manipulating his suitors into their demise, or the coming-of-age character arc of Telemachus, this story has it all 2000 years before novels started really getting good. Surprisingly underrated for its enchanting themes and powerful emotions, as well basically being the first piece of adventure fiction.
adventurous informative medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Wasn’t sure how to rate this because it’s so different in style and structure than what I usually read, so I just went with rating it on how much I enjoyed reading it, which was a lot! Didn’t find it difficult to read at all which was a pleasant surprise.

I bit repetitive in parts (so much feasting and anointing with oil and maids bring out “a choice of dainties, helping them liberally to all she could offer”).
But I found it an interesting read, especially in regards to learning about the customs and etiquette  of the day, and how people believed the gods influenced their lives.
lasouris's profile picture

lasouris's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH

Started listening to a different translation as an audiobook