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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
Wilson’s translation is great, though admittedly all I had for comparison was E.V. Rieu’s verbose prose version for Penguin.
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A classic for a reason. Homer's style of writing might be one of my favourite styles ever.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Interesting enough but very different from what I remembered hearing about Odyssey when I saw or read or watched the old version?
Turns out Odysseus is not quite as heroic as I remembered.
Turns out Odysseus is not quite as heroic as I remembered.
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Odyssey is one of the oldest surviving works of literature. Themes and tropes in this story still being used in modern fiction. Like all those stories stories, I was immediately hooked.
One of the main themes of The Odyssey is homecoming. We see mentions of how others were received upon their arrival. Hearing of how Agamemnon was received, Odysseus disguised himself so the suitors wouldn’t kill him immediately. He used the opportunity to see how things were in his abilities, and who was loyal to him. Vengeance is also an important theme. We hear of how Orestes avenged his father by killing his father’s murderers. Telemachus is urged to follow a similar path to his. He doesn’t need much convincing judging by how much he despises the men courting his mother.
Odysseus is one of my favorite characters from Greek mythology. You find yourself rooting for him, but you also get frustrated by his decisions. He’s cunning enough to get himself out of bad situations, but he’s not wise enough to know how to prevent them. Odysseus wants many things: he wants to go home, he wants to let everyone know it was him that maimed a cyclops, he wants the knowledge the sirens promised him, etc. Odysseus is not a good man, but that’s what makes him interesting. You can see the pain he went through all those years as karma for sacking Troy. Most of the Achaeans either faced obstacles on their way home, were killed, or received a terrible homecoming.
Telemachus was filled with so much resentment towards the suitors. He holds loyalty to the father he never met and feels outraged at seeing all these men wasting his father’s wealth. He longs to expel them from his home, especially since he has come of age recently.
Penelope is just as cunning as Odysseus. She would not marry another, but she couldn’t make her suitors leave. She managed to keep them at bay since they began courting her. It wasn’t until one of her women told the suitors and Penelope was forced to finish the shroud. After years of charlatans telling her false stories about Odysseus, she is wary in believing any rumors about him. She tests Odysseus when he claims to be her husband by telling him to move their marriage bed, which is rooted to an olive tree. Penelope represents the loyal, loving wife, a complete contrast to Clytemnestra.
My biggest gripe was how slavery was handled here. Most of the servants in Odysseus and Penelope’s household are actually slaves. Melantho was berated for being disloyal to Penelope. There were times I pitied her.
I found The Odyssey to be a much easier read than the Iliad. Robert Fagles’ translation was just as immersive as his translation of The Iliad.
One of the main themes of The Odyssey is homecoming. We see mentions of how others were received upon their arrival. Hearing of how Agamemnon was received, Odysseus disguised himself so the suitors wouldn’t kill him immediately. He used the opportunity to see how things were in his abilities, and who was loyal to him. Vengeance is also an important theme. We hear of how Orestes avenged his father by killing his father’s murderers. Telemachus is urged to follow a similar path to his. He doesn’t need much convincing judging by how much he despises the men courting his mother.
Odysseus is one of my favorite characters from Greek mythology. You find yourself rooting for him, but you also get frustrated by his decisions. He’s cunning enough to get himself out of bad situations, but he’s not wise enough to know how to prevent them. Odysseus wants many things: he wants to go home, he wants to let everyone know it was him that maimed a cyclops, he wants the knowledge the sirens promised him, etc. Odysseus is not a good man, but that’s what makes him interesting. You can see the pain he went through all those years as karma for sacking Troy. Most of the Achaeans either faced obstacles on their way home, were killed, or received a terrible homecoming.
Telemachus was filled with so much resentment towards the suitors. He holds loyalty to the father he never met and feels outraged at seeing all these men wasting his father’s wealth. He longs to expel them from his home, especially since he has come of age recently.
Penelope is just as cunning as Odysseus. She would not marry another, but she couldn’t make her suitors leave. She managed to keep them at bay since they began courting her. It wasn’t until one of her women told the suitors and Penelope was forced to finish the shroud. After years of charlatans telling her false stories about Odysseus, she is wary in believing any rumors about him. She tests Odysseus when he claims to be her husband by telling him to move their marriage bed, which is rooted to an olive tree. Penelope represents the loyal, loving wife, a complete contrast to Clytemnestra.
My biggest gripe was how slavery was handled here. Most of the servants in Odysseus and Penelope’s household are actually slaves. Melantho was berated for being disloyal to Penelope. There were times I pitied her.
I found The Odyssey to be a much easier read than the Iliad. Robert Fagles’ translation was just as immersive as his translation of The Iliad.
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
funny
inspiring
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
tense
I mean, ya know, it's The Odyssey, I'm not sure what I could possibly add about the book itself. About the translation, though: immensely readable, steeped in historical context, and so straight to the point. I'm so so glad I picked up this particular translation.
adventurous
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