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| The Odyssey (Penguin Classics) | 
 enlarge | Author: Homer
Creators: Peter Jones, E. V. Rieu
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Category: Book
List Price: £6.99
Buy Used: £1.11
You Save: £5.88 (84%)
New (56) Collectible (1) from £2.38
Avg. Customer Rating:  11 reviews
Sales Rank: 3624
Media: Paperback
Edition: Revised edition
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 416
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5 x 1.2
ISBN: 0140449116
Dewey Decimal Number: 883.01
EAN: 9780140449112
ASIN: 0140449116
Publication Date: January 30, 2003
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Read this twice.... January 16, 2007
16 out of 20 found this review helpful
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.
"Much better than Homer Simpson." July 21, 2004
21 out of 35 found this review helpful
This is an extremely readable English prose translation of Homer's Odyssey. The translator opines that in effect, the Illiad is an epic poem, and the Odyssey is the first novel, (despite being written in verse). This seems to hold water because written here as a novel, it reads very well. The only way that it is perhaps a-typical of most novels of today is that it is very top-heavy and the final scene of Odysseus's return to Ithaca and his planning and carrying out the destruction of his adversaries does admittedly drag on a little. But this is at the same time a ridiculous comment because the Odyssey was written so far prior to the actual advent of the novel, (the first novel is thought to be Samuel Richardson's "Pamela" published on 6th November 1740; this is by the modern definition of 'novel'), something like 800BC. I recommend this book anyone really; not just classical studies students. I also have a verse translation but haven't got round to reading that yet. I would truly love to some day be able to read it in the original greek along with Plato's Republic and so on.
Actually, the first time that I found this Penguin Classics addition of Homer's Odyssey I didn't know what to expect because I had never heard of any Homer other than Homer Simpson before, but when I started reading one word prevailed in my young mind at the time: "cool". There were greek gods and things like in Jason and the Argonauts, and I found this cool. "There is no doubt that the original Homer's way better than Homer Simpson."
The Odyssey, or How to be a man. June 20, 2004
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
The Odyssey, the story of Odysseus homecoming, and one of the first books of Western Literature, put us in contact with the Greek world and its myths.
As Odysseus comes back home, he encounters "drug" eaters, cyclops, sorcereces, mermaids, a lovely goddess..., which contrast with his manhood. He chooses not to become god in order to be able to arrive home and meet his wife and son again.
Ulysses is a man that as he sails becomes more truly human. I would say that the Odyssey conveys the meaning of our lives in the West: changing while inquiring.
The voyage home is across the Mediterranen Sea. The book renders a faithful account of the life in these shores, not much dissimilar to the life here (I'm wrighting from Barcelona) 100 years ago.
The story do not proceed in a linear way, but has several flashbacks: "Launch out on his story, Muse, daughter of Zeus,/ start from where you will ...". This is a devise that we would not expect from a book 3000 years old.I read other translations and think that this one by Robert Fagles is gorgeous. The introduction and notes by Bernard Knox are a good complement to the main reading. I highly recomment this book and this translation.
 A greek adventure July 18, 2003
13 out of 42 found this review helpful
This ancient literature is very compelling and powerful. It gives the reader a true insight in to what ancient Greece was like at that era and the strong belives they had in the gods. From beginning to end it is ridled with divine intervention and you
become aware of the superior role that the Gods particularly Poseidon and Athene play in this story. The unique characters of the gods contrast so very well with the mortals, like Telemachus. In this book you are taken through a journey of time, and the deatiled writing accomplished by homer allows the reader to feel as though they are right there in the middle of it all. Full of love, action and bitterness this book makes an excellent read.
Also another book which i believe goes well with The Odyssey is the Illiad written by Virgil. Set in slightly different times but still displaying similar charicteristics if you enjoy The Odyssey then try The Illiad.
A timeless classic July 8, 2003
8 out of 13 found this review helpful
On first buying this book I was uncertain as to what to expect, but on closing the book it left me with a desrie to learn more about Classical Greek Civilisation.
This book captures the heart of classical Greek civilisation, by recounting the story of Odysseus journey home and the wrath he recieves fom the vengeful Poseidon.It enthrals the readers mind from beginning to end, taking them on a journey back through time and to relive the adventures of Odysseus, the Greek hero.
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