The Odyssey Author: Homer | Language: English | ISBN:
069451764X | Format: PDF
The Odyssey Description
"Tell me, muse, of theman of many ways, who was driven far journeys, after he had sacked troy'ssacred citadel." The Odyssey stands alone among the achievements ofWestern civilization as possibly the first, the most influential, and perhapsthe greatest work of literature ever recorded.
Conceived as an oral epic by the blind poet, Homer, in the 8th century B.C.E.,The Odyssey is the tale of one man's incredible courage, strength, andperseveranceagainst all odds. Returning victorious from the decade-long Trojan War,the heroic Odysseus must overcome angry gods, the dangers of wild andinhospitablelands, and his own stubborn pride if he is ever to see his wife and sonagain.
Rich in detail and filled with humor, symbolism, and timeless reflectionson the human condition, The Odyssey is poetry that demands to be read aloudand cherished forever.
Contents:Book IX: The sacking of the Kikonians, The Lotus Eaters, TheCyclops and Polyphemos, The escape of Polyphemos
Book X: Aiolos and the bag of winds, Circe's island
Book XI: The land of the dead
Book XII: Skylla and Charybdis, The Sirens, the slaughteringof the cattle of Helios, Odysseus' escape to Kalypso's island
Selections from Books IX, X, XI, and XII
Anthony Quayle was one of Britain's most gifted and versatile actors.
- Audio Cassette
- Publisher: Caedmon (December 24, 1996)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 069451764X
- ISBN-13: 978-0694517640
- Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.6 x 0.9 inches
- Shipping Weight: 5.4 ounces
This Lattimore translation of "The Odyssey" was the first book I read last quarter for my Comparative Literature class, and it became a preview of coming wonders. I had neglected the old classics out of ignorance and prejudice (these two tend to go together) and "The Odyssey" was one of those books that forced me to look at an entire collection of genres and literary epochs in a different, far more positive way. I do not know Greek, therefore I cannot say whether the translation is absolutely faithful to the original, but it flows well when read silently and it sounds even better when I read it aloud, alone at night. This is the story of Odysseus, King of Ithaka, Captain of the Greeks, who must return to his homeland and his family after helping defeat the Trojans. Amazingly enough, many people seem to have bought entirely into the idea of Odysseus as a noble, courageous, and honorable leader of men who gets sidetracked solely because of the wrath of Poseidon. I finished this poem with an entirely different view of its protagonist. To me, Odysseus was an arrogant liar, a murderer and a rapist who did not hesitate to attack people who were not his enemies (the Kikonians on his way back after sacking Troy and killing and/or enslaving most of its people, as reads in Book IX, page 138), and who did not hesitate to endanger the lives of his men just to boast of his deeds (same Book, page 150). This "hero" eventually makes it to Ithaka and ends up drenched in the blood of the suitors of his wife, ordering the torture and death of the serving women who had become lovers of the suitors. His son Telemachos becomes a murderer as well: he kills a man by stabbing him on the back with a javelin.
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