The Odyssey

Product Description

The great epic of Western literature, translated by the acclaimed classicist Robert Fagles

A Penguin Classic
 
Robert Fagles, winner of the PEN/Ralph Manheim Medal for Translation and a 1996 Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, presents us with Homer's best-loved and most accessible poem in a stunning modern-verse translation. "Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy." So begins Robert Fagles' magnificent translation of the Odyssey, which Jasper Griffin in the New York Times Book Review hails as "a distinguished achievement."

If the Iliad is the world's greatest war epic, the Odyssey is literature's grandest evocation of an everyman's journey through life. Odysseus' reliance on his wit and wiliness for survival in his encounters with divine and natural forces during his ten-year voyage home to Ithaca after the Trojan War is at once a timeless human story and an individual test of moral endurance. In the myths and legends  retold here,

Fagles has captured the energy and poetry of Homer's original in a bold, contemporary idiom, and given us an Odyssey to read aloud, to savor, and to treasure for its sheer lyrical mastery. Renowned classicist Bernard Knox's superb introduction and textual commentary provide insightful background information for the general reader and scholar alike, intensifying the strength of Fagles's translation. This is an Odyssey to delight both the classicist and the general reader, to captivate a new generation of Homer's students. This Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition features French flaps and deckle-edged paper.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

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Top Reviews

To Understand Western Civilization Start at the Beginining
by Mark T. Patterson II (5 out of 5 stars)
August 2, 2018

My children tell me this poem is not required reading in school any longer, but then it wasn't when I was in high school in the 1970's either. Western Civ was crammed into a semester. Understand who and what you are in an hour a day over a term. Yeah I am sure that is going to work out. But I got a drivers license and that at least identified my gender.

Otherwise lost in this age I decided to go back to the beginning, and like our hero depart this never never land the nymph Calypso tells me I am in where all is beautiful and there is no mortality. Ulysses knows who he is and leaves, preferring humanity.

In contrast we are unmoored from all we have been before. We have no epic mythology that tells us who we are. Instead we are informed by the cyclops television, desktop computer or smart phone. How reliable are the stories these things tell live by?

What I learned from Ulysses was I had the power to sharpen a stick and poke these monsters in the eye. Then set sail for Ithaca.
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A Distant Light Amid the Neon Glare of Modern Culture
by Aran Joseph Canes,Top Contributor: Philosophy (5 out of 5 stars)
October 9, 2018

One of Homer's most well known narrative techniques is to have one of his characters tell a story within a story. An early version of metafiction, if you will.

An example of this takes place in the Odyssey where the local royalty have gathered amid what was then considered finery. After dining at a banquet they first hear a bard and then Odysseus recite a lay. The reader is supposed to be almost vicariously present-in a corner of the royal hall enraptured by the telling of the myths and legends of Ancient Greece.

As much as any translation can bring about such an effect, Robert Fagles does successfully teleport the reader back to Ithaca and its surrounds. We get to listen to the bard recounting the oft-told stories of the wanderings of Odysseus. The particular stylistic techniques which make this such a successful translation can be found in Fagles's postscript but, even without a sophisticated appreciation, it is hard to think of an edition that captures the attention of readers more than this one.

With the classics under increasing assault in modern day curricula due to lack of interest, having a translation that avoids archaism without sacrificing narrative power is almost a must. I am by no means the first to realize Fagles's ingenuity. But hopefully enough people with similar opinions will prevail and young readers can be introduced to this classic of Western civilization in an edition that doesn't bore them.

Given the many entertainment options proliferating in the twenty-first century this is by no means an easy task. But I think Fagles has met it. Strong recommendation for those seeking a popular but still intelligent edition.
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Nah fam.
by DanielM (1 out of 5 stars)
May 14, 2019

If you ever feel like you should read the Odyssey because it's a classic, or just want to know the story, do yourself a favor and don't. It simply isn't good reading. If there's a Cliffs notes or summary somewhere, read that instead. It drones on and on, mostly about how glorious and godlike Odysseus is. If you removed all of the descriptions from the many characters in the book, of how handsome and brilliant Odysseus is, you'd be left with something closer to a pamphlet.
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Lattimore's translation of The Odyssey (Amazon combines reviews for ALL translations)
by Jill Clardy (4 out of 5 stars)
November 15, 2016

I just completed a Continuing Studies course on The Odyssey at Stanford University conducted by the venerable Dr. Marsh McCall who actually made it a fun and fascinating class. During the class, we read from two of the most modern translations, this one from Lattmore as well as Robert Fagles' more recent translation. I found myself reading with both books open to the same chapter, comparing the language and meaning. Lattimore chose to retain the original verse count of the Ancient Greek text, which tended to cause some rather odd and strained English constructions at times. Though the meaning was similar and neither translation actually altered the overall content, It was surprising to realize how a subtle difference in word choice could alter the perception of a scene or dialogue. There are very few people in the world who can read Ancient Greek and even fewer who could translate such a sweeping epic poem, and Lattimore's work is surely an impressive accomplishment,

I deducted one star mainly because the physical layout of the book makes it a bit of a chore to consume. The font is too small, there are no line breaks between paragraphs, e.g.no white space, and the page headers do not include the Book numbers.
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By Jove---How sillly
by Eddie D (2 out of 5 stars)
July 2, 2019

This is one of the great works of literature. After reading this tale of hero's and gods (gods with a small "s") it is in all actually a very long and repetitive fairy tale with an undercurrent of violence , bloodshed and wild imagination. Seeing birds fly overhead or dreaming of birds is an indication of godly advice. Having close friends killed in a most horrific manner elicits only a moment of regrets and pain while tears stain every garment throughout the book. Penelope is constantly in tears, Ulysses cries about everything imaginable--then probably kills someone.

The style of writing lends to the length of the story for every cloak, manner of weapon, goblet,cup and even a door key is described in meticulous detail while numerous recounting of tales,already told are retold in their entirety making the book much longer than was necessary. Neptune,Saturn,Mercury,all make cameo appearances as themselves with minor godly roles of Minerva and friends show up at just the right moment-not necessarily to save the day but just keep things interesting. In short---tis a silly thing.
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Magnificent translation wrapped in a delightful binding.
by Ken (5 out of 5 stars)
June 9, 2018

Robert Fagles' translation is easy to read for non-scholars. It's scholarly, but not dense like books you were forced to read for a grade. The language he uses is beautiful.

The book aesthetics are delightful. It's a great size, and the paperback has a nice texture that feels good to hold. The typeface and layout are thoughtful. The paper is weighty with ragged edges, which adds to the tactile aesthetic.

If you are new to The Odyssey, as I am, then find some lectures about it to enhance your enjoyment. Each chapter revolves around a theme of hospitality. In the Greek language this is called "Xenia" which means "guest friendship". The most memorable (and egregious) abuse of Xenia in the Odyssey occurs with the Cyclops encounter.

I plan to read more of Robert Fagles' translations. He is a joy to read.
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Terrible translation
by Rodrigo (1 out of 5 stars)
February 25, 2017

When I started reading the book, I was surprised to learn this was the Butler translation, differently from what the product description said at the time of purchase. Reading the other reviews, I realized that actually Amazon makes a big mess of which translations it sells. If you want to enjoy the Odyssey, buy the Fagles translation. If you just want to know roughly what the text is about, go ahead and buy this one.
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Ocean Trek: The Voyage Home
by Greg Polansky (4 out of 5 stars)
November 28, 2015

In the Odyssey, we learn about the fate of Odysseus after the fall of Troy. While many of us know bits and pieces of the plot, reading the Odyssey fills in the gaps that may not have made it in the cultural sphere. Poor Odysseus. Cursed to wander the wine-dark sea for ten years. Why? Because he gouged out the eye of a cyclops. A cyclops who wanted to kill and eat him. But does this cyclops' father, Poseidon, care about that minor detail? Nope. And so we get The Odyssey, the ten year voyage of Odysseus who is trying to get home to Ithaca. Full of monsters and sorceresses and gods and goddesses, the Odyssey makes for great reading.

The plot is not at all linear. We start in the middle of the story and learn about the past when Odysseus stops at the island of the Phakians. The story itself that Odysseus relates there is the part that most of us know. But there is more to the Odyssey than the voyage. There are also developments that affect Telemachus and Penelope. Back in Ithaca, Penelope the wife of Odysseus, is trying to hold off about 100 suitors for her hand. All believe Odysseus long dead and Penelope is a great catch. Meanwhile Telemachus goes off in search of news of his absent father.

The Odyssey is a good story. It's probably more accessible than The Iliad. But I prefer the Iliad because the story is more epic. Still, knowing the stories of the Iliad and the Odyssey are important to anyone living in the modern world. These two stories have infused so many facets of our culture that spending time getting to know these two books is a worthwhile endeavor. The translation I read was the Lattimore one and it's pretty good, though not as good as the Lattimore translation of the Iliad that had great notes that helped fill in the world of the Iliad.
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Find Your Way Home to Homer
by Wordsworth (5 out of 5 stars)
April 28, 2015

Lately, the wandering of my reading has taken me home to Homer, once again. I began by reading "Song of Achilles" by Madeline Miller, a novel which I can't recommend more highly, and from there to "The Iliad" in a translation by Robert Graves. Then I moved onto "The Odyssey" and this time read from the Lattimore translation after having previously studied at length the Fitzgerald translation. Homer proves that the test of time is a valid one: that is, there is a reason that the writing has endured 2800 years and remains widely read. In the case of the "Odyssey" it seems that the experience of Odysseus in his wandering home after the sack of Troy is the journey of humanity itself. His encounters and trials and experiences as well as his defeats and suffering and losses are all too human. Every human being, if s/he lives long enough, must come to grips with most of the experiences of the heroic figures of Homer in a version suitable to the context of our era. I sense that Homer envisioned Odysseus as a perfect human being for his heyday: he was expert in the art of war and a fierce warrior as well as highly resourceful, intelligent, fit, courageous, strategically gifted, spiritual, handsome, wealthy and highly regarded by the gods and mortal beings. He shares many of the same frustrations as Achilles who is also a demi-god with one human and one godly parent. So their strengths and perfections, which distinguish them among others, emerge into play from their godliness which in turn drives them onto inhuman tasks which are frustrated by their human imperfections. In the case of Achilles his anger cannot be restrained and his brooding over the loss of Breiseis to Agamemnon costs him not only the life of his dearest friend, Patroclus, but also nearly the loss of the war by the Greeks. Odysseus is able to channel his suffering and his frustrations into decisive action which does not destroy him. Achilles is killed on the battlefield of Troy far from home like Patroclus but Odysseus manages to keep his wits about him and channel his frustration and suffering into constructive action. It helps that Odysseus is much beloved by Pallas Athene who comes to his rescue whenever Homer has placed Odysseus into such a bind in the storyline that only divine intervention enables the epic to continue. Consider the monsters and trials that Odysseus overcomes after he survives the 10-year war throughout his further 10-year wandering home: you may recognize them all around you. Consider the Lotoseaters so addicted to their soul killing habits that they are incapable of constructive action. Or the Wandering Rocks which are treacherous shoals or obstacles which shift and transfigure as Odysseus seeks to navigate his black, hollow ship through them. Or the Sirens which sing to him tragically about the truth of the Trojan War to lure his ship onto the rocks of his destruction. Or the harsh winds of Aeolus which blow him off course and confound his sense of direction. What starving sailors can forsake their bellies when the sacred oxen of Helios are grazing gently beneath the sun? How do you defeat a one-eyed monster with tunnel vision like the Cyclops? Odysseus blinds the only eye of the Cyclops and escapes: is history not full of Manichaeans with limited vision and without humanity who have lorded over us? Then, of course, there is Circe, the sensual vixen whose honey wine turns men into swine - of course, this hardly ever happens in real life, right? Who would have thought that the highest blessing of human beauty such as Helen's could cause so much tragedy on a grand scale sufficient to launch a thousand ships and a decade of brutal war? There is the trip to the dead shades of Hades to consider, as always. Homer is constantly forcing his readers to suffer the deaths of their favorite heroes with Odysseus as an exception. Was it Shaw who wanted his audiences to suffer as much as possible? If so, he learned it from Homer. What about the battle for fidelity between a handsome, powerful king and a beautiful but distant, wealthy wife over 20 years? What about the struggle between a father and his child, whom he hasn't seen enough because his work requires him to travel widely? Or of the simple challenge of just getting from here to there over a long distance during storms with lost luggage, labor disputes, bad management, misfortune and confusion in translation to overcome. Then there are the gods: the Greeks gave a godly name and human attributes to every force of man and random nature, and then sets them against each other. Gods of war, the sea, the sun, the wind, death, the earth, harvest, the chase, etc. forever seem almost randomly to make life difficult for the human race which continues to cause its own downfall but insufficiently to wipe us off the face of the planet - so far. How easily offended are the gods and how great is their wrath in power struggles with these inhuman forces which in Homer never cease because the gods, like humans, always want what they want, when they want it, no matter what. There is rarely compromise in Homer: only catastrophic defeat as one god singly, or in an alliance, overpowers others. The gods are forever taking sides and evening out the power struggle to ensure that it is protracted and desperate and bloody in its consequences. There are perpetually sacrifices to make at the cost of great suffering and no easy ways out and, while ample irony exists, there is virtually no comedy: the only laughter in Homer comes in brutal displays of irony. So it's no wonder that James Joyce, later in life one-eye-blind with an eye-patch like Cyclops, chose Leopold Bloom as his bald Odysseus and Stephen Dedalus as his brilliant, younger Telemachus and Molly Bloom as Penelope in his genius work of one day in the life of three Dubliners a century ago. "The Odyssey" and its characters are immortal because there is so much about them then that is so much like us now. In a way it's reassuring that the essence of human nature has survived nearly three millennia and yet in another sense it's horrific to wonder that we haven't learned more or even anything from the lessons of history. We continue to endure the nightmare of ancient history from which we can never seem to awaken. So I'll wander home again to Homer in another few years by way of yet another masterful translation. Because we never really seem to arrive properly at home and like Odysseus seem destined to wander all our lives in great circles. Immortal genius, Homer, is a journey well worth the fare. By all means embark.
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A classic read for Greek mythology fans
by Ana Maria,Top Contributor: Baking (4 out of 5 stars)
November 6, 2019

I'm really enjoying reading again so many old classic books through the AmazonClassics Edition and `The Odyssey` was no exception.

It's hard to read a review on such a classic book. It's the same old Homer story, the well known adventures of Odysseus after the Trojan War.

The story is in lyrics and `old` language, which is very true to the book, but some readers might find difficult to follow. Given this, I prefer to read the book, such that I can gasp the narrative better; I find difficult to follow along when listening.

Note: I have read this book on Kindle, had no issues with this format on my Kindle. It's harder to read on smaller screens (smartphone), since the verses are quite long.

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