Reviews with content warning for Gore - The Odyssey

This is the best translation of the Odyssey I've ever read (I've read 3). I really respect Emily Wilson's translation decisions. It made the boring parts of the Odyssey interesting and fast paced

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xandra_evelyn's review against another edition

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adventurous dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

The Odyssey has never been my favorite (I prefer the Iliad). Perhaps it was the translation, but if really felt as if it was one giant propaganda poem to show how great Odysseus is. (Which is probably true - historically it looked back to a time just before the Mycenaean civilization fell)

But the translation is very readable, which is why I bought it in the first place.

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conspystery's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

“Tell me about a complicated man.”

Understatement of the century (centuries?), and goodness gracious, is it a great one. I don’t know what I can say about this translation that hasn’t been better said elsewhere, so I’ll stick with this: Wilson’s writing is incredible, and I think the feeling it evokes while reading it is probably similar to that of the experience of hearing The Odyssey performed, as it would have been in its original language, hundreds of years ago. The meter is especially impressive. Overall, though, my favorite aspect of this translation is how it maintains its complexity while still being completely accessible to the average reader. I got this from the library, but the first line was enough to convince me to buy my own copy. It’s genuinely exceptional.

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mxpringle's review against another edition

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informative slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I found this interesting to analyze because of the ways that rhetoric is used to have a more powerful analysis of what it means to share stories through poetry. I appreciated having read this because it's a classic that is referenced so often in other works. However, it is relatively boring and dense for the things that happen within the poem, and the characters are incredibly unlikeable. If you're interested in Greek mythology for the plot, this may not be what you're interested in, but it can be more enjoyable in more of an academic setting.

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mmefish's review against another edition

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adventurous slow-paced

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

4.0

The translation by Emily Wilson is very accessible. The usage of modern language ("bully, random, hobo") makes some parts sound incredibly funny.

As for the story itself, Odysseus is such a dick tbh.

"Dear friends! We are
experienced in danger. This is not
worse than the time the Cyclops captured us,
and forced us to remain inside his cave.
We got away that time, thanks to my skill
and brains and strategy. Remember that."

And slave girls deserved better!!! Who cares that they were sleeping around while he was away??? They're SLAVES and it's been TWENTY YEARS. smh get over yourself.

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meganpbennett's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Many years ago, I helped clean out Dr. Mandelbaum's office when he retired, taking box after box of books to the library to see what could be and what should be added to the various library collections,. Manuscripts, books he'd written, translations. I knew he was a Dante scholar, but I didn't realize that he'd also translated Homer and Virgil (Virgil makes a lot of sense, given the role Virgil plays in The Divine Comedy).

Like many people, I'd never read The Odyssey. I knew a bit of the story, but had never read the original text. I knew a little bit about the various translators, and was thrilled with Dr Wilson released her translation, but never read it. I've read enough Greek plays and Roman histories to know that I wasn't really a fan of the literature of that time period.

I finally read it when the library where I work used it as part of our "Read the book, see the movie" series. It's very interesting, but it's also very long. Like a lot of classical literature from the Greek and Roman era, it's a lot of words to describe things that could have been said in one or two. It's hard to get into, since it's in verse, not prose, but once you get into it, it's fun to read.

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admiralsmall's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

It's hard to express how perfect this book is. Wilson's achievement democratises this classic text and makes it not just accessible but also exciting and readable.

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hareada's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful

What a luscious and sparkling translation! After the introduction, which was so accessible and made excellent points on the language of translations, and generally added to my understanding and enjoyment of the story, I had geared myself up for a difficult and tenuous read. But I was surprised by how beautifully simple the language used was. I have read very few ancient texts, so this interpretation is one I would absolutely recommend to beginners like me. In the poem itself, I was surprised by its domesticity, and the fact that half of it take place

Spoiler

upon his return to Ithaca!

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