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A review by rgyger
The Odyssey by Gareth Hinds
4.0
I'm not sure if I should evaluate this as I would any other graphic novel, or if I should evaluate it as a new medium interpretation of the Odyssey. Despite its having come up in classes all through high school and college, I never actually read the Odyssey. It always seemed like an extremely long tale which was told in a style I didn't enjoy. And after reading this, I still feel the same way about the actual story.
Visually, Hinds' artwork is beautiful and he captures so much movement in each of his images. Even those without dialogue tell so much about the characters, their motives, and their journeys. Having wanted to know the story of the Odyssey, I am glad that I able to enjoy it in this shorter and more visual manner.
That said, there were issues I had with story. There were time issues that didn't make sense (Odysseus has been gone for twenty years, but toward the end there is a dog that was said to have been raised by Odysseus himself... that was still alive?) though I do not know if that was the fault of Homer or of Hinds. I also was just not a fan of Odysseus, who slept with nearly every goddess he came across despite telling them that all he wanted was to go home to his wife.
For anyone wanting to glimpse the tropes and values depicted in The Odyssey, Hinds does a good job of including these, showing instances of manhood, valor, charity, and vengeance. And it is clear that the artist loves the subject material from the care he took in recreating it.
I did NOT receive a copy of this for review, unlike most books that I read. My opinions are my own.
Visually, Hinds' artwork is beautiful and he captures so much movement in each of his images. Even those without dialogue tell so much about the characters, their motives, and their journeys. Having wanted to know the story of the Odyssey, I am glad that I able to enjoy it in this shorter and more visual manner.
That said, there were issues I had with story. There were time issues that didn't make sense (Odysseus has been gone for twenty years, but toward the end there is a dog that was said to have been raised by Odysseus himself... that was still alive?) though I do not know if that was the fault of Homer or of Hinds. I also was just not a fan of Odysseus, who slept with nearly every goddess he came across despite telling them that all he wanted was to go home to his wife.
For anyone wanting to glimpse the tropes and values depicted in The Odyssey, Hinds does a good job of including these, showing instances of manhood, valor, charity, and vengeance. And it is clear that the artist loves the subject material from the care he took in recreating it.
I did NOT receive a copy of this for review, unlike most books that I read. My opinions are my own.