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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
Re-read.
Still as good as the first time I read this in high school, lol, but I understand more nuances now than I did then.
Still as good as the first time I read this in high school, lol, but I understand more nuances now than I did then.
adventurous
inspiring
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
I had almost no knowledge or connection to the original "Odyssey" before reading this, except for what I knew from popular culture, and from my son's obsession with the musical "Epic." There's not much I can say about the story itself that hasn't already been said for three thousand years (give or take).
So I'll talk about the translation, instead. I found Emily Wilson's translation to be extremely approachable and understandable. She makes this epic poem, which seemed somewhat intimidating, come to life in all its gory, frustrating, snarky, swashbuckling glory. This is more like reading prose than epic poetry: it moves quickly and is very straightforward.
I also loved her introduction and translator's notes at the start. They helped set the scene and context for the story to come.
Before starting each chapter, I flipped to the back and read the chapter summary and notes. I found these, along with the glossary, extremely useful while trying to keep track of all the ancient Greek names and places.
I'm very glad I finally picked this up, and picked up Wilson's translation specifically. Highly enjoyable read.
So I'll talk about the translation, instead. I found Emily Wilson's translation to be extremely approachable and understandable. She makes this epic poem, which seemed somewhat intimidating, come to life in all its gory, frustrating, snarky, swashbuckling glory. This is more like reading prose than epic poetry: it moves quickly and is very straightforward.
I also loved her introduction and translator's notes at the start. They helped set the scene and context for the story to come.
Before starting each chapter, I flipped to the back and read the chapter summary and notes. I found these, along with the glossary, extremely useful while trying to keep track of all the ancient Greek names and places.
I'm very glad I finally picked this up, and picked up Wilson's translation specifically. Highly enjoyable read.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence
Minor: Infidelity, Sexual content
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
adventurous
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated