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Boring, awful translation in my opinion!
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Summary: Odysseus has been away from home fighting at Troy and is suspected to be dead. Suitors have camped out at his home in hopes of marrying his widowed wife, which upsets her and her son. Odysseus is actually alive and with the help of Athena begins his journey back home.
Favorite Quote: As when a fisherman out on a cliff
casts his long rod and line set round with oxhorn
to trick the little fishes with his bait;
when one is caught, he flings it gasping back
onto the shore—so those men gasped as Scylla
lifted them up high to her rocky cave
and at the entrance ate them up—still screaming,
still reaching out to me in their death throes. (lines 250-257)
Review: I liked this up until the point he finally makes it home because it starts to drag a bit after that. Some of the turns of phrase and visual metaphors it comes up with are interesting. There's also a lot of repetition, which might have been for oral storytelling so you could remember it.
Favorite Quote: As when a fisherman out on a cliff
casts his long rod and line set round with oxhorn
to trick the little fishes with his bait;
when one is caught, he flings it gasping back
onto the shore—so those men gasped as Scylla
lifted them up high to her rocky cave
and at the entrance ate them up—still screaming,
still reaching out to me in their death throes. (lines 250-257)
Review: I liked this up until the point he finally makes it home because it starts to drag a bit after that. Some of the turns of phrase and visual metaphors it comes up with are interesting. There's also a lot of repetition, which might have been for oral storytelling so you could remember it.
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
I read it for school so it had a different vibe but it was pretty good like I’m glad I read it bc it’s a good example of classical literature and Greek epics but in terms of enjoyment I’d give it a 4/10
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
challenging
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:
No
adventurous
challenging
medium-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
I found Odysseus incredibly obnoxious
adventurous
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
I did not enjoy this book. I have to assume it’s better in the original language and it’s probably more interesting to study it for its historical value than to read it as a story.
Shout out to Eurycleia for being the only likeable character, and to Eurylochus for being the only one to stand up to Odysseus and point out that he was the one that caused all the trouble in the first place.
Shout out to Eurycleia for being the only likeable character, and to Eurylochus for being the only one to stand up to Odysseus and point out that he was the one that caused all the trouble in the first place.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
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:
Complicated
I strongly recommend this translation! His Iliad is amazing as well.