2024 the best translation of the odyssey review

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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.

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0140268863
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Classics; Reprint edition (November 29, 1999)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 541 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780140268867
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0140268867
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1050L
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.4 x 5.7 x 1.5 inches
Reviewer: Tom Marking
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A Riveting Adventure Tale
Review: As I said in a recent review of Robert Fagles' translation of the Iliad into English, there are very few people on the planet with the necessary knowledge to judge his work as a translator of Homer, and so I cannot comment on the quality of the translation other than to say that I enjoyed the end product immensely. I'll confine my comments more narrowly towards the poem itself and Homer, its author.After reading Fagles' translations of the Iliad and the Odyssey I am struck by one thing and that is this. At no time do any of the major characters (Achilles, Odysseus, etc.) show regret for killing any of the numerous people that they do. They may regret that they offended the gods in some way but that is not the same thing as admitting moral culpability. So for example, in Book 9 of the Odyssey, Odysseus recounts how after leaving Troy (which he sacked) his ships attacked the city of Ismarus, home to the Cicones. His men killed all the men of the town and took all the women as sex slaves. Never once does Odysseus show regret for this action which took place after the Trojan War was already over. Never once does any god or goddess (e.g., Athena) chastise him for this action or punish him for it. He and his men are punished for other lesser offenses such as killing the cows of the Sun, but the attitude that Homer clearly has is that all things are fair in war.This is clearly the attitude of Homer's own times and it stands in stark contrast to our own. The Homeric gods do not uphold a consistent standard of morality applicable to all human beings. Indeed, since they fight amongst each other and since they each have their own agenda all that a man need do to survive is to find favor with a particular god or goddess who will protect him. And that seems to be what Odysseus does with Athena protecting him although Poseidon wants him to suffer. So the question of whether Odysseus is morally right would not even enter Homer's mind. It is beside the point. If we keep this point in mind I think we can understand the flow of the poem much better.It does seem ironic that a man like Odysseus would be zealous for supplicants' rights, supposedly granted by Zeus, in the case of himself being the supplicant (e.g., in Phaeacia, etc.) while at the same time refusing Leodes in Book 22 who pleads for his life. Odysseus lops off his head with a sword. Apparently Homer sees no contradiction in this since no explanation is ever given, but then again Odysseus is the man of twists and turns. I doubt his moral rectitude was ever the main point. Homer makes him out to be somewhat prickly and unapproachable. If he were written today we would call Odysseus the antihero which is quite ironic given that he is one of the prime archetypes of the Greek hero.Of course, the travels and travails starting with the island of the Cyclops are great fun. It's hard to imagine that Homer had some historical itinerary in mind although I would note that at the time of writing the Odyssey (725 - 675 BCE) the Greeks were exploring and establishing colonies around the entire Mediterranean. There must have been fabulous sailors' tales in circulation concerning the strange people the Greeks were coming into contact with. This would have been similar to the fantastic tales that came out of the European age of exploration in the 16th and 17th centuries. All it would take would be for Homer to latch onto some of the more outrageous tales and adapt them to his own needs.Book 11 which has Odysseus and crew voyage to Hades, the Land of the Dead, was quite interesting although it was never quite explained why the spirits in Hades couldn't build their own ships and leave Hades the way Odysseus did. In any case the Odyssey is a lot of rollicking good fun for the most part. It is one of the first adventure stories ever told and it's still a great read all these centuries later.

Reviewer: Alex
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A great sequel to The Iliad
Review: The Odyssey is one of Western Civilization's greatest works of art, and it is also accessible to most readers. There is gold here not only a mile deep but also an inch beneath the surface. Everyone should spend some time and acquaint themselves with the stories which are at the roots of our culture.The Odyssey tells the tail of Odysseus, an Aegean hero from The Iliad, and his struggle to return home. Within this story are weaved complex themes of the causes of misfortune that befalls mankind, the longing for home, the journey from childhood into manhood, the changes journeys bring about, and the constant struggle of violence and retribution that seems to exist pervasively in time and across cultures. The Odyssey is truly a sequel to The Iliad because it builds off of and responds to many of the ideas presented there. For example, The Iliad paints a vivid picture of the pride and desire for glory that compels mankind into conflict. In that book, great honor is won in conflict. Here, in The Odyssey, we see the misfortunes that arise as consequences of our quests for glory. Thus, we see that Homer paints an incredibly perceptive view of mankind, and how we cause our own misfortune. We are locked in eternal struggle due to our own impulses and desire to rise above ordinary. We engage in conflict to, in some way, complete ourselves. As a result, retribution comes down on us in one form or another. This circle continues, and seemingly hasn't stopped revolving close to three-thousand years later. Homer is important to us because what is written here is still relevant. Humans may have new technology and clothes, but we are still cut from the same cloth as Telemachus and Odysseus.I read the Robert Fagles Penguin Deluxe edition, and I found the translation to fit my needs perfectly. Fagles keeps a close eye on the rhythms and beats of the English language and is direct when the poem turns towards bloodshed.

Reviewer: jennifer device
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: "War abroad and war at home"
Review: Have to give 5 stars given this is one of the most important books in the Western Canon.I actually enjoyed this more than The Iliad, but I would definitely recommend reading that one first so you understand the background. Lots of characters so helps to read this and take notes too.

Reviewer: JB
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Excellent modern English translation
Review: As I mentioned in my review of The Iliad, I was recommended the Robert Fagles translation through The Young Heretics Podcast. It was an excellent recommendation for my journey through the great works of the west. I last read The Odyssey in high school almost 20 years ago. I don't recall the translator, but it was written in prose and likely a retelling as opposed to a direct translation. This translation has resonated with me to a much greater extent!However, Fagles' work on The Odyssey felt more awkward than The Iliad. His use of modern phrases was sometimes cringeworthy, additions that were likely an influence of 90's pop culture while he completed this work.Nevertheless, his free verse translation was just as sweeping as his work in The Iliad and is an excellent choice for anyone looking to visit or revisit this classic.Just like The Iliad, there is a 60-page Introduction/commentary by Bernard Knox. Keep in mind that over a third of these pages are identical to Knox's Introduction to Fagles' translation of The Iliad. Still, the quality is still excellent and for me it just meant that I read through the introduction a lot faster than expected.

Reviewer: HKill
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: It’s a classic
Review: Bought this to read while taking a great books in literature college course. While the story is not my favorite and quite dry, this was a nice paperback that held up to all my note taking

Reviewer: Joel Louis
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Top notch
Review: Loved it through and through

Reviewer: Brittany Simpson
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Nicely made book
Review: I love the addition of introduction and notes. The translations are easy to read.

Reviewer: Miguel A. De Jesus
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Book
Review: New very good thanks

Reviewer: bob rempel
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Fagles' translation of Homer's The Odyssey is compelling, poetic, and a delight to read and to contemplate.

Reviewer: Kindle Customer
Rating: 2.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I GOT THE BOOK COMPLET AND ON TIME BUT SEEMS THE EDGES WERE CUT IN A BAD WAY AND IT LOOKS BAD

Reviewer: Tami
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: An amazing translation of Homer's Odyssey. It's easy to understand.

Reviewer: Blok
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I’m totally at a loss of words for this beauty!This seller: Rk & company (Not Amazon Fulfilled) had quoted the price at ₹469 + ₹54 delivery charges, and initially I was a bit skeptical about it. But this turned out to be my best purchase of all times; Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition at such a low cost is definitely worth it!This edition has an amazing feel due to its French Flaps and Deckle Edges, giving it a classy look. The translation is by Robert Fagles, considered the best of all.

Reviewer: Marcolorenzo
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Beautiful and very readable translation in modern English blank verse. This translation is very easy to understand and the rhythm and forward motion of the prose verse is very compelling. The story definitely comes alive in great detail. Highly recommended. This deluxe Penguin edition with deckle pages and French flaps is beautiful. Highly recommended. Voted one of the "Best Books of 1969" by Time magazine.