Product Description

Odysseus fights to return from Troy and reclaim his threatened home on Ithaca.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #771833 in Books
• Published on: 1996-01-01
• Released on: 1997-03-17
• Format: Audiobook
• Original language: Greek
• Number of items: 12
• Binding: Audio Cassette

Customer Reviews

Read this twice....
The first time, read it for the tale.

The tale of the wandering of Odysseus and the trials, tribulations and adventures that befall him as he attempts to return to his rocky Ithaca and Penelope of the shapely ankles. It's a rollicking read. You'll be reminded of snippets of Sindbad, Aladdin, Watership Down, Captain Corelli's bloody Mandolin and so many other later works that involve a "homecoming". But this was the first.

The first time these stories about men, gods and monsters were all pulled together into a pretty coherent narrative. Most of the sub-tales such as Odysseus' trip into Hell, his encounter with monsters such as Polyphemus the Cyclops and the Harpies; with Proteus, the Sirens and the witch Circe were all probably part of a repetoire of tales delivered by the local poet/entertainer long before someone called Homer grabbed the posthumous glory by having them ascribed to him.

Homecomings are still a pretty popular genre in film, television and print. There must be something in the plot device which touches an unconscious part of us. It's a bit feelgood; it's a bit dreadful. It engages us all. Is Odyseus going to get home? What will happen to his wife and son? What would I do?

So, read it first for the story. And surprise yourself at how well you recognise the motivations and actions of characters placed in these situations over 2700 years ago. We haven't changed much, have we?

Then read it again.

This time, read it for the world of Odysseus. For what it tells you about the way we lived in a pre-literate, feudal society where any kind of progress was hard-won and very easily lost. Read it for the similes and metaphors Homer uses to describe things and events to an audience to make them come alive and be real to them. What do they tell you about the world back then? What do they tell you about the experiences of the audience and how would they feel, contrasting their life with that of this epic tale?

Read it for the insight into man's relationship with the gods. How did the ancient audience perceive them? Were they beings to be feared and propitiated? Wasn't that what kings were, too? Was there something more in the relationship between Odysseus and Athene? Something a little more human? Hmmmm.

Every page has something new to tell us about this now lost world. Look carefully and you can see stuff about the role of women in Homeric society; there's stuff about the etiquette and meaning of gift-giving in there. There's even stuff about how economics worked all those years ago. In fact, if you look closely enough (and stare at a few vase paintings as well) you can make an entire academic career out of this book.

But that would be missing the point.

Read it (at least) twice. It's got to be the best fiver you'll ever spend.

A classic at its best
The Odyssey covers the twenty years Odysseus is away from his family and friends in Ithica. The first ten years or so are spent in Troy where he fights on the side of the Greeks against the Trojans (see The Iliad) and concieves the idea of the famous "wooden horse". The remainder of his time away is spent on an ill-fated journey home where he looses all of his crew at various stages.

The main cause of delay is due to Poseidan the Earth-Shaker after he blinds his son, Cyclops Polyphemus. He is then detained by Circe (a demi-Goddess who is a witch). After an incident where she turns some of his crew into pigs, she sends him to the Underworld to speak to the seer Teiresias to learn how to return homw. After he leaves he faces the Sirens and the monsters Scylla and Charybdis who carry off some of his crew. The rest of his crew are killed after eating the Sun-Gods cattle on the island Thrinacia as punnishment. Odysseus is then detained 7 more years on the island of Ogygia where he washes up by Calypso. She is trying to get him to marry her and become immortal.

Eventally he gets back to his homeland with a little help from the Phaeacians and the Goddess Athena disguises him. While he has been away his wife has been beset by suitors who are trying to win her hand (assuming Odysseus is dead) in marriage and are treating his house and son Telemachus with disresect. Eventually father and son team up to kill all the suitors and all are finally reunited.

I really enjoyed this book, more so than The Iliad. I definately recommend reading The Iliad and then The Odyssey, not just because it makes sense chronologically but also because this is a more enjoyable story. The only problem I really had was that poor sensible Penelope is never consulted or trusted by her son or husband. Telemachus runs off and doesn't tell her and then Odysseus returns and tells his son and old nurse, but not his wife who has spent the last twenty years crying and mourning his loss. Pretty heartless really!

A giant of a book
Homer's epics for many years have been available as prose translations, used to bore young english students into a state of stupor. Some of these translations were good many simply dire. Fagles has produced what is to my mind the definitive translation, of not only the Odyssey but also the Iliad; it has pace, power and striking use of good english. I can see why some of the reviewers would prefer a prose translation as Fagles translation has a powerful rhythm, which drives on through the story, never faltering, leading you on with winged words. The story itself is a classic for good reason, it is one of the oldest and widest read (or listened) to works of literature ever, the tale of the Warrior Odysseus, weary from the 10-year siege of Troy determined to make his way home and thwarted by the angry gods. His son and wife in dire peril from unwelcome suitors, and his father living the life of a beggar out of misery at losing his only son. I would recommend this book to anyone.