2024 the best translation of the odyssey review

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A New York Times Notable Book of 2018

"Wilson’s language is fresh, unpretentious and lean…It is rare to find a translation that is at once so effortlessly easy to read and so rigorously considered." ―Madeline Miller, author of Circe

Composed at the rosy-fingered dawn of world literature almost three millennia ago, The Odyssey is a poem about violence and the aftermath of war; about wealth, poverty and power; about marriage and family; about travelers, hospitality, and the yearning for home.

This fresh, authoritative translation captures the beauty of this ancient poem as well as the drama of its narrative. Its characters are unforgettable, none more so than the “complicated” hero himself, a man of many disguises, many tricks, and many moods, who emerges in this version as a more fully rounded human being than ever before.

Written in iambic pentameter verse and a vivid, contemporary idiom, Emily Wilson’s Odyssey sings with a voice that echoes Homer’s music; matching the number of lines in the Greek original, the poem sails along at Homer’s swift, smooth pace.

A fascinating, informative introduction explores the Bronze Age milieu that produced the epic, the poem’s major themes, the controversies about its origins, and the unparalleled scope of its impact and influence. Maps drawn especially for this volume, a pronunciation glossary, and extensive notes and summaries of each book make this is an Odyssey that will be treasured by a new generation of readers.

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4.7 out of 5 stars
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4.8 out of 5 stars
620

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A lean, fleet-footed translation that recaptures Homer’s “nimble gallop” and brings an ancient epic to new life. The greatest literary landmark of antiquity masterfully rendered by the most celebrated translator of our time.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company; First Edition (November 6, 2018)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 592 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0393356256
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393356250
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 830L
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.8 x 1.3 x 8.2 inches
Reviewer: Arthur Digbee
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A wonderful, readable translation
Review: In high school and college, I had been assigned extracts from Homer, translated in stiff and stuffy styles. I was not impressed. I did not pursue his books further further until I read about this new translation by Emily Wilson. It was worth the wait.Wilson’s text reads well while retaining a poetic style in translation, a major achievement in itself. Even better, she does so while avoiding the masculine-centered assumptions of other translators. This does not mean changing Homer, who wrote in and about a patriarchal world, but instead trying to see the women as Homer did, and not as a Victorian Englishman would. (I exaggerate, but you get the idea.)You can see Wilson’s perspectives in her extensive introduction, most of which you can see in Amazon’s “Look Inside!” feature. Unfortunately, you can’t preview her “Translator’s Note,” which explains her decisions about style and other matters. The introduction includes passages from her translation, so read those and see what you think.I read the book on Kindle, and it worked well as an epic narrative. Some reviewers object to Wilson’s style because they don’t like how it sounds when read aloud. Sample some excerpts on the page and out loud and see what works for you. Wilson’s translation is grammatically simpler than those in the critical reviewers’ preferred translations, so try comparing those. The style feels somewhat like a Germanic epic to me, which suggests connections to a shared Proto Indo-European style lost to history.It’s possible that the critical reviewers prefer stuffy translations, and they may prefer them as a matter of English style or as a matter of Homeric Greek (which I don’t read). Read some of the three-star reviews before making a decision. I certainly found this translation a great read.

Reviewer: Brianna
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Why are all the reviews bad? I am far more than pleased.... please read
Review: Many people are saying the way the pages look (not perfectly aligned) is bad... but that's how a lot of books are bound in this day and age. I can see why someone who is obsessed with the Odyssey and is a book snob would be upset because it wouldn't match the other books on their shelf aesthetic-wise. Some books I saw cam missing parts/starting in the wrong spot... mine is perfectly fine! No idea why that happened to a few people's books... just contact the seller to get a new one! I needed this class for a western lit class in college and books are so SO SO expensive so to pay $8 for a $20.00 book is beyond me amazing. The Emily Wilson translation has brought me to tears. Out of all the translations... this is the first one translated by a female. That's crazy. And it's important you know that because a key aspect of The Odyssey and Greek mythology is women being powerful and dominant... Emily's translation is in no way a feminist translation... but because she is a female her bias is put aside and she tells the story as it is. And if you miss that then you are reading the book through a lens that maybe you should do some inner reflection on. This translation actually makes sense... it's straightforward. So for college students trying to learn about greek mythology and about the origin of storytelling... this is the perfect translation. So many people were upset because they were comparing it to other translations. But perhaps they shouldn't compare and instead, see all the beauty and unique features that Emily Wilson brings to the table. Did you know that Robert Fagles was only a linguist... and NOT a writer. Emily Wilson is a linguist AND a poet. She knows writing. She tells the story. And it's done so well. Just do it. But the book for school. I hope you see this comment and trust me when I say you won't find a cheaper version of this work of art.

Reviewer: Elena Danielson
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: "His lies were like the truth."
Review: The five stars are for the lovely rhythmic English in Emily Wilson's fluent translation. I read it twice, once for the content, and again for the poetry. It's all about style, hers is simple on the surface, a clear window that reveals the multiple layers of meaning in the text...starting with line one: "Tell me about a complicated man." "Complicated" is a simple word in itself, but warns the reader that Odysseus will not be one dimensional like Paul Bunyan. Odysseus is called "the lord of lies" just before he tells the truth of his story to strangers in Book 9"I am Odysseus, Laerte's son." Then in book 14, in disguise, he claims to hate liars, but goes on to tell the biggest whoppers to his slave who may or may not recognize him after 20 years absence: "Proudly I say, I come from spacious Crete." We may be dealing with a bronze age joke here. Since people from Crete, like Epimenides, are known to have said honestly or not that all Cretans are liars, leaving the paradox open. Thankfully, Wilson's introduction is helpful but succinct, given the oceans of Homer scholarship that has accumulated over the past couple thousand years, starting with scholars in ancient Alexandria. She makes it clear we do not know who the author or authors were, nor when it was composed, nor when it was first written down, nor how the text became standardized. She does point out, usefully, that there is no mention of reading or writing anywhere in the entire epic. The references to bards have them singing from memory. (The Old Testament in contrast does have many mentions of reading and writing, including by women.) She points out that her translation tries to be literal. If the Greek word is for a female slave, it's a female slave, not a "servant." And she avoids high flying rhetoric, since the Greek used is apparently a concise rhythmic narrative style, definitely not the style ever employed in ordinary speech, but not ornate or grandiose either. There is such simple joy in story telling, even or especially the tragic stories: "But let us, you and I, sit in my cottage over food and wine, and take some joy in hearing how much pain we each have suffered." The central emotion is longing for home: "the worst thing humans suffer is homelessness." When Odysseus and Penelope are finally reunited after 20 years they probably recognize each other, but she makes him prove who he is and win her all over again. He tells her "my homeland is Crete." But "His lies were like the truth." After they test each other, and each passes every test, and after they have enjoyed making love in bed he built for them decades earlier, then they "shared another pleasure - telling stories."

Reviewer: Miguel C
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Compré esta edición para por fin conocer La Odisea. La calidad impecable y confío en que sea lo que busco.

Reviewer: Julia McNeal
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Long fascinating introduction .Anyone put off by an “ academic” essay should read it. An essential guide to the poem itself, which is as compulsive as the best modern TV dramas. Poetic fast paced and in parts moving

Reviewer: S. Dantes
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I have read many translations, and this would be the one I would recommend if you want to remind yourself of the story or are beginning to have interest in the subject. I wholeheartedly agree with the translator that every era deserves a translation in the spirit of the times and it is exactly that that makes this version so easy to read and to understand, even if you have no previous knowledge on the subject.

Reviewer: Tyakal N. Venkataramana
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: used it for reading

Reviewer: LG
Rating: 1.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Since I’m not a native English speaker, I cannot comment on the quality of the translation and of the writing, but the cutting of the pages is very bad. There isn’t a single page with the same width as another