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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
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:
Yes
If the new movie doesn’t have all the men crying and kissing each other, I’m gonna be very disappointed. All these guys do is yap and cry and kiss. Oh and kill.
I've read The Odyssey before, but I've never reviewed an edition. This one was sitting on my shelf, so I went ahead with it. The Fagles translation is probably one of the most accessible and familiar anyways, so it seemed like a fine place to go.
I can't speak to the accuracy of Fagles's work - I don't read ancient Greek. But while I can't evaluate the quality of the translation, i do think that the Fagles English rendering flows nicely and is easy to read. I appreciated the attempt to showcase some of the formulae inherent in Greek epic, and some of the English idioms give the prose a kind of sense that I hope is original to the Greek.
As for the epic itself, I don't have much to say except that it's a classic for a reason. I love Odysseus's wild adventures, the meddling of the gods, the truly bizarre beasts and creatures, and the sense of justice that comes with ridding Ithica of the suitors. I also love that this tale is about Odysseus's hubris and his suffering, how fortune can change swiftly and how longing for one's home and family can be a powerful force.
The Penguin deluxe edition (which I read) provided excellent material for readers who might need a little help. There's a series of maps as well as a pronunciation guide, and there's a robust introduction by Bernard Knox that lays out the epic's history as well as its legacy.
Overall, I don't think you can go wrong with the Fagles edition, especially if you're a casual reader. If you want to make a study of Homer, you'll probably need to consult multiple translations. But for me who was just looking for a little fun, this edition was easy to use and accessible.
TL:DR: The Odyssey is a classic for a reason and the Deluxe Penguin Edition offers an accessible translation with good supplementary materials.
I can't speak to the accuracy of Fagles's work - I don't read ancient Greek. But while I can't evaluate the quality of the translation, i do think that the Fagles English rendering flows nicely and is easy to read. I appreciated the attempt to showcase some of the formulae inherent in Greek epic, and some of the English idioms give the prose a kind of sense that I hope is original to the Greek.
As for the epic itself, I don't have much to say except that it's a classic for a reason. I love Odysseus's wild adventures, the meddling of the gods, the truly bizarre beasts and creatures, and the sense of justice that comes with ridding Ithica of the suitors. I also love that this tale is about Odysseus's hubris and his suffering, how fortune can change swiftly and how longing for one's home and family can be a powerful force.
The Penguin deluxe edition (which I read) provided excellent material for readers who might need a little help. There's a series of maps as well as a pronunciation guide, and there's a robust introduction by Bernard Knox that lays out the epic's history as well as its legacy.
Overall, I don't think you can go wrong with the Fagles edition, especially if you're a casual reader. If you want to make a study of Homer, you'll probably need to consult multiple translations. But for me who was just looking for a little fun, this edition was easy to use and accessible.
TL:DR: The Odyssey is a classic for a reason and the Deluxe Penguin Edition offers an accessible translation with good supplementary materials.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Violence, Blood
adventurous
slow-paced
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Édifiant. Je comprends pourquoi l'Odyssée fait parti du partimoine culturel mondial et ne prend pas d'âge. Lu, pour la première fois la version "adulte" c'est à dire non-censurée et non-abrégée, par rapport à deux versions lues à l'école pendant les cours de littérature et composition.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes