Reviews

The Odyssey by Homer

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andy_acid's review against another edition

adventurous challenging reflective

2.75

I more or less enjoyed reading The Iliad, and tons of people have said The Odyssey is even better, so my expectations were high, but it was a fail. I found it a lot less compelling thematically, which may be because I like depictions of war better than adventurous tales. After reading quite a few epic poems and ancient Greek literature, the Odyssey simply didn't deliver enough philosophical undertones I was expecting.

Edit 1:
Needless to say, I was reading a book called The Quest for a Moral Compass: A Global History of Ethics which concisely talked about how human nature and the tragedy of the human condition are eloquently captured in Homer's Iliad, something that Odyssey highly lacked.

About the translation-
I have tried both Fagles and Wilson's translations, and although Fagles's translation is more lyrical and poetic than Wilson's, I went with Emily Wilson's because her version seemed more precise, and her introduction and translator's notes are absolute chef's kiss.
2.75/5

amonymity's review against another edition

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challenging slow-paced

1.0

chucklebuck's review against another edition

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So much repetition!

faircloughliv's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

So happy I finally got around to a Greek classic! While The Odyssey definitely stalls in some places overall its a very entertaining read, I just didn't vibe much with this particular translation especially in those early exposition heavy books.