A review by entropyre
The Odyssey by Homer

adventurous slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

I've read many translations of the Odyssey in my time, so when I was gifted the Wilson version by one of my professors, I was excited to see how it measures up. Unfortunately, not well. I can understand why people like this leaner, more stringent version of the epic, as it did make for a faster-paced read. There were even some liberties with the Greek that I found quite charming (Book 8, Athena as the girl at the well addressing Odysseus as "Mr. Foreigner" was very cute). Overall, though, I found Wilson's translation lacking in detail and emotion. It was like all the meat was cut out, leaving only bones. In an attempt to pare down what some other translators made overly-ostentatious in language, Wilson misses much of the heart of the epic for the sake of being witty and colloquial. I didn't hate it, but I certainly didn't love it.