5 ⭐

“… I would walk sail 500 [nautical] miles
and I would walk sail 500 more,
just to be the man who walked sailed a thousand [nautical] miles
to fall down slay the suitors at your door.”
- Odysseus the Proclaimer


I’ve been under the weather the last week or so, feeling about as upbeat as Uranus’ following his castration at the hands of his own Son Cronus; or as joyous as Pasiphae recovering her senses and grasping the full extent of her dalliance with the snow-white bull. Alas, I’m better now and am pleased to finally get a chance to “review” this beauty! In keeping with my self-enforced regulation on bringing an unparalleled level of sophistication and succinctness to my analyses of these illustrious cornerstones of Western Mythology, I’ll be covering the themes that stood out most prominently to me and strictly in the most intellectual and earnest fashion.


"Welcome the coming, speed the parting guest!"
The Guest-Host Code of Conduct is a constant throughout Homer’s poem and, when compared to the state of modern hospitality, it becomes clear that we’ve lost our way; By the river Styx, woe be us, we have lost our way! Not once do I recall a host ever offering to have me bathed, rubbed down with oil and dressed in a fine robe when I've deigned to visit their abode. What has come of us?! Has Zeus, being the God this most concerns, lost his zeal for the divine enforcement of the etiquette of hospitality? For the love of the Gods, lather me! And forget not to bestow upon me a parting gift!
In general, a host is most likely to be at fault in the interaction between guest and host if they don’t properly cater to any wayward soul that stumbles upon their palace but the opposite can also be seen in the 108 suitors who, in attempting to court the absent Odysseus’ wife, Penelope, in a brutish, non-ritualistic manner, take advantage of their host’s hospitality, consuming their reserves of food and wine and ravishing their female servants.
If the domestic settings of Homer's epics are at all reflective of Ancient Greek society in the time they were written, there is an interesting parallel regarding ritual propriety and even, to a lesser degree, filial piety with Chinese culture in the time of Confucius, several hundred years later.


”The fame of her great virtue will never die.
The immortal gods will lift a song for all mankind,
A glorious song in praise of self-possessed Penelope” - Agamemnon
Loyalty and faithfulness, in all their forms are a big one and nobody embodies these more than Odysseus’ wife, Penelope, the soul of loyalty! (Besides maybe Argos, the loyal dog) Despite Odysseus advising her to wed the man she likes as soon as she sees hair on, their son, Telemachus’ face, she holds out for 20 years despite 108 oily degenerates attempting to court her when it is presumed Odysseus dies at Troy. What a woman! Gents, find yourself a Penelope! Ladies, if the men in this book are anything to go by, I’m afraid you’ll probably have to settle for a Pepé Le Pew.
It’s probably worth noting that Hesiod, Homer's contemporary, states, in his Theogony of the Gods, that Odysseus sired 4 children on his 10-year journey home; 2 with Calypso and 2 with Circe. So, while Penelope was faithfully waiting for him at home, he was gettin’ down with 2 Nymph Goddesses (that we know of)! Ok, I’m being a little flippant here; at least one of these was totally against his will *wink, wink, nudge, nudge*. One notices a distinct lack of detail when Odysseus recounts his adventures to his wife.


”When a man cries, it’s the last thing he wants to do… He will do anything but cry. He will stop himself crying no matter how tragic it is. And he would do everything, and only when he’s completely defeated emotionally will he start to cry properly.” - Michael Caine
Michael Caine obviously never read ‘The Odyssey’ ‘cos while resilience/perseverance are another major theme of ‘The Odyssey’, there is also A LOT of grown ass men crying! There’s nothing wrong with that and, in context, I should mention that Caine made that comment in an acting masterclass BUT these are battle-hardened soldiers who are returning home from a 10-year war and have absolutely no qualms raping and pillaging as they go. I hardly think they are the super-sentimental types. I’m not talking a tear trickling down the cheek either; we’re talking platoons of soldiers in a communal sob session, wailing, shrieking, going full Timberlake-cry-me-a-river at the slightest provocation! However, once the tears have abated, our characters always push on, particularly Odysseus and “what good can come of grief?” appears a recurring rhetorical query and the message appears to be, dust yourself off and carry on!


Odysseus is not a great guy really, but his determination and ability to will himself on in the face of great odds is endearing, regardless of his shortcomings. He is the hero of the story and held in high esteem for possessing many of the typical Homeric heroes attributes: Strength, bravery, godly physique, and also diplomacy, tactfulness, cunning and deceitfulness (also seen as a positive attribute). I couldn’t help having a bit of a chuckle when Odysseus and a small number of his crew are stuck in, the Cyclops, Polyphemus’ cave and trying to deduce a means of escape. Homer is really trying to drive home Odysseus’ cunning— ”My wits kept weaving, weaving cunning schemes… till this plan struck my mind as best” and then:
n  n
”Hey, hey, guys, GUYS! Hide yourselves beneath the sheep! Two sheep to a man; except me, I’ll take this large one. He’ll never see us! Oh, Gods be praised, I’m so cunning; a real clever sausage!”

Odysseus at his finest! A man endowed with the God’s own wisdom; foxy, ingenious!.... Anyone who thinks Homer didn’t have a sense of humour is kidding themselves.


Following a positive experience with Robert Fagles’ translation of ‘The Iliad’, I opted for the deluxe edition of his Odyssey translation for the ‘Penguin Classics’ line and, once again, I thought it was very readable. It’s a non-rhyming verse translation with varying line length. I think it succeeds in sounding traditional while also being absolutely accessible to the modern reader. Fagles mentions something along the lines of Homer’s works being quite fast paced and energetic and, without any knowledge of the original, it seems to me that he's succeeded in maintaining this high level of rapidity and excitement. There was only one example of, what I thought was, a poor translation when, at one point, Fagles uses the phrase ”cramping my style”. I’m being knit-picky but it doesn’t fit with the overall tone of the rest of the text and feels too modern. Bernard Knox’s introduction and notes are also, once again, fascinating and illuminating regarding the origins and the nature of the poem, particularly a discussion on the more prominent (read:existent) role of women in the Odyssey when compared with the sausage-fest that is the Iliad.


More than anything, for me, ‘The Odyssey’ is just a rollicking good adventure! If you’re perhaps someone who tried the Iliad and didn’t enjoy it (what is wrong with you?!) but really love Mythology retellings, you may very well still love this one which has an entirely different thematic focus and overall tone; less relentless war, more of combination of treachorous journey and domestic affair! I really can’t recommend it highly enough.
It's as glorious as the young dawn with her rose-red fingers!

The founding novel of literature is the one that will inspire all future narratives. We know the story of Ulysses; we have read a few episodes and seen a film, but read the whole work, with these long chapters, the Homeric epithets, and the lengthy descriptions of the marine world with its monsters and demons. One has the impression of attending a closed session on the sea. Yet, Ulysses only berths to better take to the sea as if the mainland forbade him and harmful as if his condemnation to wandering on the sea was more beneficial on the water than on land. And then there are the episodes worthy of an adventure novel, the Sirens, symbols of literary song, the author's voice who takes us where we want and can destroy us (hey, Bovary), and monsters like Charybdis and Sylla.
Finally, this is surprising; we talk more about the others, Telemachus, her son looking for him, and Penelope waiting for her than about him, who wants to return. The novel has almost everything: the search for the other, the quest, the song of words, and the pleasure of returning home. It is as enjoyable to study and understand, so full of symbols, as reading.

I don't think the world (or the Goodreads user base) will gain much by me "reviewing" The Odyssey. Everything that needs to be said about this wonderful epic has been said throughout the ages—and that again and again—by people who were and are much more capable than me.

All there's left for me to say is that I LOVED it, and I didn't expect to. The Odyssey was a much quicker, more thrilling and fun read than I could've ever imagined. With his translation, Fagles ignited my love for Ancient texts, and also removed all the fears I had surrounding these types of lectures. They aren't as scary or hard to understand as I thought. They're actually quite fun... and bloody, and prepostorous, and heart-warming, and and and ...

So instead of rambling about the love I have for Penelope, or my bewildered admiration for Helen, my love-hate relationship to Odysseus and his son Telemachus, and the wrath I feel for the Gods, I will share with you 10 tips on how to tackle this tome:

#1 Read the Verse version, not the Prose ones
The Odyssey has been written and conceived in verse. However, through the ages, and for better accessibility for a possible readership, some translator have translated this epic into prose. Personally, I haven't heard many great things about the Prose translation and since I read a Verse translation myself (and loved it), I would always advise to go with a Verse version of The Odyssey.

It flows much more nicely and makes more sense, as verse is more capable and fitting to convey how the characters speak and interact with each other. The importance of the orality of this text is also made apparent in various different moments in the text, it begins with the evocation of the Muse who is told to sing about the "Man of twists and turns", and ends with Odysseus telling his story to the Phaeacians, possibly becoming an unreliable narrator of his own adventures and achievements himself. This text is told within multiple layers, the person who speaks/narrates is essential to the message that is conveyed within the text, and the verse versions are able to capture these layers brilliantly.

#2 Find the right translator
The Odyssey is literally a tale as old as time (or as old as the Western canon goes back to) and so there are dozens of translations to choose from. Since I've only read the Fagles translation from the mid-90s, I can only judge that one, but Fagles is definitely a translation I'd recommend. It's straight to the point, quite modern in tone (and therefore easily to understand) and not at all flowery or "lyrical". Other renown translators are Lattimore, Pope (even though that's an OOOOLD one), Graves and Fitzgerald. Emily Wilson is the first woman to translate the epic into English and her new translation (it's from 2018, I think?) has a feminist twist, so that might be up your alley.

#3 Manage your expectations
I don't know about you but I had many misconceptions about this tale. I really thought Odysseus was at sea for 20 years, unable to find his way home. I thought The Odyssey would narrate all his adventures at sea, like battling the cyclops, stealing the cattle of the Sun or landing on Circe's island. I couldn't have been more wrong. What I just described are only four out of twenty-four books of this epic. Odysseus' adventures at sea only take up a sixth of the story. We only meet the man by Book 5, before the first four books (also known as the Telemachia) focus solely on his son and his trial of setting out to visit Nestor and Menelaus to get to know the whereabouts of his father. And then when we finally meet Odysseus, he is actually back in Ithaca by the halfway point of this book. So Book 13-24 are actually set in Ithaca, and it's not about sea adventures at all, it's about bloody revenge, my dudes.

Since Penelope (and Telemachus) have been harassed ever since Odysseus failed to return from the Trojan War, Odysseus now takes it upon himself, upon his return, to slaughter all the suitors (all 100+ of them) who harassed his wife, ate his food, slaughtered his animals and wracked havoc on his kingdom. And baby, that revenge is drawn out and sweet. Book 22 (the slaughter of the suitors) is as bloody as it is brilliant, definitely my favorite of the 24 books!

#4 Read it quickly
The Odyssey is a big book but I would recommend reading as much as you can, but a minimum of one book a day. The pacing of this epic is amazing and very intricate, and when reading The Odyssey continuously, it will hit you right in the feels. You will want Penelope and Odysseus to reunite ALREADY but Homer will keep you waiting book for book, and delay their reunion to no end until it ends in a big crescendo and huge offense, and you will be clutching your pearls.

#5 Do your research
The Odyssey is easy to understand (at least for how old and huge in scope it is), however, I'd still recommend doing secondary research. Either get a book with a good introduction, notes and chronology (like the Penguin Deluxe Classics version I own) or try to find other sources online.

#6 Listen to podcasts
What helped me the most was listening to the Close Reads podcast. They did many different episodes discussing 2-4 books per episode, diving deep into analysis and questions. Many other readers also enjoyed the Literature and History podcast. These are 3 episodes, each focusing on 8 books, which function more like a summary and overview of key events and questions.

#7 Watch YouTube videos
On YouTube, I'd recommend watching the Ted-Ed or CrashCourse videos for a nice appetizer, and then also Moan Inc.'s 24-video series, where she dives deep into this epic, summarizes and analyses! It's a fantastic resource!

#8 Focus on what's most interesting to you
On your first read, you won't be able to get it all. And that's okay. Try to find out what's most appealing and interesting to you. Is it how Homer developed his characters and how they interact with each other? Is it the Greek mythology? Or is it Homer himself? The man, the mystery? Was he one person, was he blind, was he actually able to write? There are many different questions surrounding this epic. Find and focus on what's most important to you.

#9 Find modern influences
The Odyssey has influenced many artists throughout the centuries. When reading pay attention to which associations you make, which references suddenly make sense, where have you seen a similar writing style, set-up etc. in modern texts? When I read The Odyssey I couldn't shake the feeling that Patrick Rothfuss was deeply influenced by Odysseus as a character and unreliable narrator in his development of Kvothe, the hero of Rothfuss' The Kingkiller Chronicles. Just like Odysseus, Kvothe tells his own story to people who are eagerly listening. What lies is he making up to make himself look better? How is he distorting reality?

The slaughter of the suitors in Book 22, reminded me of Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus which is equally bloody and George R.R. Martin's Red Wedding... the list goes on and on.

#10 Don't let a modern judgment cloud your vision
There are many things in The Odyssey that happen which from a modern viewpoint are absolutely despicable. There's slavery, rape, murder etc. Women usually get the short end of the stick, and Odysseus is hailed for everything he does, even if it is ordering the hanging of the maids who were raped by the suitors because they are no longer "pure". As a modern reader, some of the prescribed events can be hard to stomach. However, I fared best with meeting the book where it's at – which means that I can still have my own reservations and judge some of the characters (especially Odysseus) rather harshly, but also keep Homer's values and the values of his time in mind. So therefore I don't have to see Odysseus as a "hero", but I will also not be pissed or confused why Homer portrayed it him as one. It makes perfect sense keeping the context in which the poem was written in in mind.

Audiobook read by Claire Danes ..

I finished this Audiobook weeks ago - but the physical book - I’m throwing in the towel. I own the physical book - but I just couldn’t get myself to stay with it.

I liked listening to Claire Danes ... I was fully engaged at the time ...(she was helpful for me staying interested )...but I’m already forgetting everything...

I need to borrow another person’s brain!

I’m not a scholar, so I can only offer my personal experience.

First, I want to say that I thought this would be a daunting task - an epic poem!? From Ancient Greece!? But, it was such an enjoyable and accessible read, I’m grateful to my goodreads friend who encouraged me to move forward.

Second, I highly recommend this version, published by Penguin, written in prose, and covered in a pretty design, by Coralie Bickford-Smith. Not only is it gorgeous on your shelf, it’s physically comfortable to read, with its perfect size and soothing ivory pages.

As for the story, it’s full of action and imagination, fun characters and fantastical creatures. I especially enjoyed Odysseus’ fanciful encounters and challenges with these creatures, with the underworld, and with the goddesses. I was disappointed by how little effort was put into his time with Calypso, and adored his time with Circe. (If you haven’t read Madeline Miller’s “Circe,” and you enjoy mythology, please do).

The story slowed for me when he returned home. Odysseus is portrayed as a character of wit, clever manipulation and disguise. Much of his return is dedicated to this display, and I found myself wondering why I had to read full, false accounts of his adventures as he told them while in disguise. According to some quick internet research, the purpose of these passages was to show his intelligence by how he wove truth into fiction, and so was able to inhabit a new identity. But, I found these - after experiencing his dramatic adventures, pointless, and so motivated to research their point.

Don’t worry. It gets better again, in my opinion. The ending is plenty dramatic, and completely satisfying.

Reading this made me want to reread Circe. I also picked up Atwood’s The Penelopiad. Following this thread has been very enjoyable.

I appreciated The Odyssey when I read it in college - especially after decoding the ornate, padded stanzas with the help of a class. But this reading was totally different! Emily Wilson's new crystal-clear translation and Claire Danes' audio interpretation create an electrifying experience. And so suspenseful! I glided through this book (or rather walked, cleaned and drove). It seems to me that this is the way Homer is meant to be read - oral poetry delivered straight to the heart. I did have the print book on hand, thinking I might need it, but only referred to it at the end, for the excellent introduction and translator's note.

Αντί κριτικής, κάποιες σκέψεις…

Ο ώριμος αναγνώστης που θα καταλήξει εδώ πίσω, στη μυθική χώρα του Ομήρου, έχει διαβεί σύνορα πολλών εθνών, έχει σκορπίσει σπάταλα τον χρόνο του, έχει αναλωθεί σε απολαύσεις πνευματικές συχνά υποδεέστερες. Κι όμως τα βήματα τον οδηγούν τελικά εδώ, μακρύτερα από τις αρχικές προσδοκίες του, καθώς το ταξίδι του είχε ξεκάθαρη έναρξη, μα αόριστο τέλος.

Ξεκινώντας, γνώριζε -η φήμη της μεγάλη- την ύπαρξη της λαμπρής ετούτης χώρας, της οποίας το αρχαίο κλέος ευωδίαζε στη μνήμη των ανθρώπων ανά τους αιώνες.

Κι όμως, ο νέος αναγνώστης απέφευγε όσο μπορούσε -συνειδητά, ασυνείδητα- την προσέγγιση. Άλλες χώρες τον καλούσαν. Με πρωτεύουσες λαμπερές, στολισμένες με τη βεβαιότητα του συγκαιρινού, τη σιγουριά του εν ενεργεία, ευεπίφορες στην ορμή τού νεοφώτιστου. Πώς να αντισταθεί; Πώς να αρνηθεί τη γοητεία τους;

«Καιρός παντί πράγματι», αναφέρει ο Εκκλησιαστής: οι χώρες διαδέχονται η μία την άλλη, απαστράπτουσες και φιλόξενες. Την ίδια στιγμή, ο ολοένα και πιο υποψιασμένος περιηγητής στον κόσμο της γνώσης, με απορία και έκπληξη αρχίζει να αναγνωρίζει κοινούς τόπους, επαναλαμβανόμενα μοτίβα. Το οικείο καθίσταται κουραστικό, το πνεύμα αναζητά το καινό πλην όμως ολοένα και πιο επιλεκτικά.

Το επόμενο βήμα θα είναι καθοριστικό. Εμπρός ξανά σε μία ακόμα χώρα λαμπερή και, εν πολλοίς, γνωστή; Ή πίσω, στη ζώσα ανάμνηση της ομηρικής χώρας του νόστου, όπου λένε ότι όλα ξεκίνησαν μα κι εκεί καταλήγουν; Η αντίστροφη πορεία έχει ξεκινήσει και η Ιθάκη αναμένει τους τολμηρούς που την αναζητούν.

Και τα βήματα οδηγούν αναπόφευκτα στη Βασιλεύουσα του πνεύματος. Οι πύλες ορθάνοιχτες, η χώρα τόσο οικεία, τόσο μεστή, τόσο προσιτή. Το έμπειρο πλέον μάτι του περιηγητή αναγνωρίζει εκεί όλα όσα απόλαυσε στις χώρες της νιότης του. Όλα εκείνα που έπρεπε να δει και να μάθει ώστε να είναι επιτέλους έτοιμος (ως θαρραλέος) γι’ αυτή τη χώρα, γι’ αυτή την πόλη, γι’ αυτούς τους δρόμους, γι’ αυτό το μεγαλείο.

Όσα ο περιηγητής θεωρούσε, μέχρι πρότινος, εξέχοντα, λαμπερά και πρωτότυπα στα ταξίδια της πρώτης νιότης του, τα συναντά ξανά εδώ, αλλά για πρώτη φορά τα παρατηρεί, τα αφουγκράζεται, τα ψηλαφεί: λέξεις, χρώματα, αισθήσεις, οράματα…

Κατανοεί επιτέλους πως ό,τι αλλού υπήρξε λειψό και παροδικό, εδώ υφίσταται πλήρες και ατέρμονο.

Αγαλλιάται η καρδία, ευφραίνεται το πνεύμα. Ο νόστος ολοκληρώθηκε. Έχοντας πλέον φτάσει στην πηγή, ο περιηγητής σκύβει να ξεδιψάσει, μέλποντας τους στίχους εκείνους που εξέθρεψαν γενιές ταξιδιωτών πριν, τώρα, μετά -όσο υπάρχουν άνθρωποι: «Τον άντρα τον πολύτροπο πες μου, θεά, που χρόνια παράδερνε, σαν πάτησε της Τροίας τ’ άγιο κάστρο, κι ανθρώπων γνώρισε πολλών τους τόπους και τη γνώμη…»

https://fotiskblog.home.blog/2021/02/...

I mean, it's no Ulysses.

Trojan War is ended and the Greeks are returning home with victory and their loot. But the homecoming is not so easy, for they have to struggle with their fate and the wrath of the Olympian gods they incurred. This is greater so for Odysseus, the greek warrior from Ithaca who played a key role in the Trojan War. His fate assures his return but his sudden incurring the wrath of Poseidon (the sea god) makes that returning almost perilous. Odysseus faces many adventures on his journey home which tests his strength and courage, and on his return, finds his household in greater calamity. It is this tale of Odysseus that Homer recounts in The Odyssey.

The many adventures Odysseus faces on his return journey were quite daunting and perilous. They try his strength of mind. But Odysseus is resourceful and cunning, and although he despairs at times, his steadfast courage sees him through the journey back home and restores his position as the king of Ithaca. Odysseus is a story of faith, courage, endurance, and strength of mind to fight all obstacles and attain your desired end. One can say to that extent, Homer's story is quite inspirational.

But the beauty of this epic poem is its quality as a work of art. It is both picturesque and dramatic with a touch of fantasy. Homer takes us to a fantastic world through Odysseus's voyage home, and we meet so many mythological characters - gods, men, and other creatures included. Odysseus's adventures are interesting to read. I enjoyed the journey Homer took me through this tale very much.

The prosaic translation I read contributed much to my enjoyment of this epic poem. It was an easy read and not too modern in the language which suited the antiquity of this Homeric tale. This reading taught me the importance of using the correct translation to match one's temperament. I enjoyed this work of Homer very much, something I couldn't say of The Iliad. And now I know where to lay the blame. :)

3-3.5*
El primer texto clásico que leo y muy a mi pesar reconozco que me ha costado un poco. Tenía dos ediciones diferentes: una en prosa y otra en verso, y por cabezonería lo leí en verso cuando yo misma veía que en prosa lo entendía y podía seguir la historia mucho mejor, además de que la traducción me gustaba más.
Por un lado muy contenta de haberlo leído y recordando momentazos épicos de la trama pero por otro un poco apenada porque no ha tenido el impacto que esperaba.
¿Recomendaciones para seguir leyendo literatura clásica? Porque creo que dejaré la Ilíada para dentro de un buen tiempo...xD

Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns.

How in the world does one go about reviewing such a classic poem? So, I will keep it very simple. This epic contains the basis for so much literature that has come after it and has been an inspiration to many authors. In fact after reading Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain this past year, I was inspired to read the original work to learn more about Odysseus, king of Ithaca who journeys for 20 years to his home from the Trojan war and meets with many, many hardships and struggles along the way. There is a theme of hospitality throughout as well as vengeance, suffering, cunning, endurance and loyalty.

Much have I suffered, labored long and hard by now
in the waves and wars. Add this to the total—bring the trial on!

I’ve heard so many of these stories in some form or another and it makes such a big difference to read them myself. We’ve all heard of the god Zeus and goddess Athena, the Sirens, the Cyclops, Calypso and Circe. It’s all here and very readable. There are 24 books total and you can read it at whatever pace you like. It took me one month to read it and now I need to go back and read the Iliad.

Between 3.5-4****

Really enjoyed this translation by Emily Wilson! It was easy to understand and didn’t refer to women as “bitch” , “whore” or “slut” like some other translations of this work! Making it a far more enjoyable read.

Due to how these stories use to be told- orally- many things do repeat themselves. A large part of this book is about hospitality, food and an insane amount of wine (how Odysseus got anything done I don’t know- I’d be too drunk and pass out).

I enjoyed Odysseus’ adventure home but for some reason I thought the adventures would me more longer/be more of them?
A large part of this was actually about Telemachus (his son), the suitors and hospitality rather than adventure and action which I was expecting.

This was however a fantastic translation and I loved this version!