Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
368th out of 434 books
—
240 voters
The Odyssey
by
Gareth Hinds
With bold imagery and an ear tuned to the music of Homer’s epic poem, Gareth Hinds reinterprets the ancient classic as it’s never been told before.
"Gareth Hinds brings THE ODYSSEY to life in a masterful blend of art and storytelling. Vivid and exciting, this graphic novel is a worthy new interpretation of Homer’s epic."
—Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson & the O...more
"Gareth Hinds brings THE ODYSSEY to life in a masterful blend of art and storytelling. Vivid and exciting, this graphic novel is a worthy new interpretation of Homer’s epic."
—Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson & the O...more
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published
October 12th 2010
by Candlewick
(first published January 1st 2010)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
1,314)
Aug 31, 2011
JG (The Introverted Reader)
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommended to JG (The Introverted Reader) by:
Athira (Reading on a Rainy Day)
Shelves:
4_stars,
ancient_times,
author_american,
fiction,
fantasy,
graphic_novels,
mythology,
read_in_2011,
reviewed,
setting_greece
Gareth Hinds undertakes the task of adapting The Odyssey, the tale of Odysseus's long journey home after the Trojan War, into graphic novel format.
I wish this had been around when I was wading through The Odyssey in high school (and maybe college? I can't remember). I don't know what translation we read, but we needed a translation of it. I think most of us had only vague ideas about what was going on, and we probably only figured those out after the teacher spoon-fed them to us.
The Odyssey is p...more
I wish this had been around when I was wading through The Odyssey in high school (and maybe college? I can't remember). I don't know what translation we read, but we needed a translation of it. I think most of us had only vague ideas about what was going on, and we probably only figured those out after the teacher spoon-fed them to us.
The Odyssey is p...more
The odyssey. what do we think when we hear it. we think of the epic poem that Homer wrote some thousand years ago. I've heard that it is hard to read, but not as a graphic novel!
This graphic novel is a lot like i have heard about The Odyssey. The Odyssey is about a man who goes to fight in the Trojan war before his son is born. about seventeen years later the same man , who was thought to be dead(Odysseus),came home after a long and horrifying journey. For Poseidon was not happy with Odysseus be...more
This graphic novel is a lot like i have heard about The Odyssey. The Odyssey is about a man who goes to fight in the Trojan war before his son is born. about seventeen years later the same man , who was thought to be dead(Odysseus),came home after a long and horrifying journey. For Poseidon was not happy with Odysseus be...more
Resources for Adults Graphic Novel Selection
I found this scanning the graphic novel shelf at my local library. It literally stood out among the others, as it’s quite hefty for a graphic novel. I liked the idea of a modern approach to an ancient tale, so I brought it home.
I expected it to be a quick read, and while it was faster than a traditional novel of similar length would be, (or the original epic poem, I think), but it wasn’t quite as quick as I expected. It’s been a while since I’ve read t...more
I found this scanning the graphic novel shelf at my local library. It literally stood out among the others, as it’s quite hefty for a graphic novel. I liked the idea of a modern approach to an ancient tale, so I brought it home.
I expected it to be a quick read, and while it was faster than a traditional novel of similar length would be, (or the original epic poem, I think), but it wasn’t quite as quick as I expected. It’s been a while since I’ve read t...more
I am no fan of graphic novels but this one was exceptional! It is a retelling of the famous story by Homer. Warning: this is not written down for youth, nor is the violence reduced from the original amount. Hinds assumes you are familiar with the literature or at least of the era it was first recited. He does define a few terms at the end in an author's note. He also very interestingly tells you which are his favorite versions of Homer and explains why he drew on a number of literary sources for...more
The Odyssey is a graphic novel with 248 pages, written by Gareth Hinds and is based on Homer's poem.
It talks about Odyssey's journey back home after the Trojan war. There are constantly flashbacks telling his story, making it kind of hard to comprehend and follow the actions. He faces many obstacles such as a cyclops eating a few of his men, huge monsters shattering his ships or a magical queen turning some of his men into wild animals. He has been lost for many, many years, sailing the sea, st...more
It talks about Odyssey's journey back home after the Trojan war. There are constantly flashbacks telling his story, making it kind of hard to comprehend and follow the actions. He faces many obstacles such as a cyclops eating a few of his men, huge monsters shattering his ships or a magical queen turning some of his men into wild animals. He has been lost for many, many years, sailing the sea, st...more
Oct 03, 2012
Sarah
added it
The Odyssey a Graphic Novel
By Gareth Hinds and based on Homer’s epic poem
Graphic Novel
249 pages
This graphic novel version of The Odyssey is the famous tale of Odysseus and his long journey home after the Trojan War. He is faced with many mysterious creatures such as the Cyclops who eats many of his men, Circe the queen who turns her victims into animals, and Scylla the six-headed monster. After years of being lost at sea and stranded on islands, he is finally able to go home, but only to find a...more
By Gareth Hinds and based on Homer’s epic poem
Graphic Novel
249 pages
This graphic novel version of The Odyssey is the famous tale of Odysseus and his long journey home after the Trojan War. He is faced with many mysterious creatures such as the Cyclops who eats many of his men, Circe the queen who turns her victims into animals, and Scylla the six-headed monster. After years of being lost at sea and stranded on islands, he is finally able to go home, but only to find a...more
The Odyssey: A Graphic Novel
by Gareth Hinds
“The Odyssey”, by Homer, is a very tricky piece of text to read and comprehend. This literary trickery arises from the constant flashbacks, the prolonged journey of Odysseus, and the use of Greek gods and creatures. This graphic novel by Gareth Hinds is the perfect resource or reference and could be used alongside the actual, “Odyssey”. Gareth Hinds goes in the order that the actual text does to an extent and this allows for a side by side view of e...more
by Gareth Hinds
“The Odyssey”, by Homer, is a very tricky piece of text to read and comprehend. This literary trickery arises from the constant flashbacks, the prolonged journey of Odysseus, and the use of Greek gods and creatures. This graphic novel by Gareth Hinds is the perfect resource or reference and could be used alongside the actual, “Odyssey”. Gareth Hinds goes in the order that the actual text does to an extent and this allows for a side by side view of e...more
Gareth Hinds' adaptation of The Odyssey into graphic novel form is a stunning achievement. I grew up on these stories (seriously, I love a good bit of derring-do) and I admire his work here. Adapting The Odyssey can't be easy. He does well in selecting 'highlights' and creating a continuous narrative that drives itself steadily throughout the book. The only areas where it faltered a little for me were at the start as we had a lot of exposition to get through.
However, if you persevere through th...more
However, if you persevere through th...more
This graphic novel presents more or less the whole story, and it's in the correct order. It comes across as a clear and simple plot, despite the flashbacks and time-hopping that no junior high English textbook has ever figured out a way to clarify. This would be a great resource for someone who is struggling with the poetry (or poetic repetition) of one of the many English translations. Although familiar, the text is not especially poetic. The art does much of the work that was handled by the Ho...more
This is the same author as The Merchant of Venice graphic novel that I had reviewed as slightly boring with a strange formality to the character’s conversations. This graphic novel, however, is much more interesting. The story is about Homer's epic poem The Odyssey, and is drawn completely in color with colored pencils. The artwork is drawn beautifully, and there are drawn words for background noise and movements, such as Odysseus throwing a rock with the drawn word “thud” in an arch, mimicking...more
I'm always on the lookout for graphic novel adaptations of classics. Actually, I'm really just always on the lookout for good graphic novels - adaptation or otherwise. But when I look ahead to the very real possibility of having to teach a work like The Odyssey in the not-too-distant future, I quake in fear. How on earth can I make this relevant to a classroom full of kids - most of whom have no desire to study literature?!
Would a book like this help? Maybe. I like that it would give kids a worl...more
Would a book like this help? Maybe. I like that it would give kids a worl...more
About the Book: Homer's epic poem about Odysseus trying to return home after the Trojan War transferred into a graphic novel format.
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I had to seek this one out and read it after The Odyssey knocked out my pick One Crazy Summer in SLJ's Battle of the Kids Books. I mean, how could something beat out my pick, One Crazy Summer?? I had to know!
It's an impressive undertaking to transfer this poem into a graphic novel format. Some might think because it's a graphic novel it wou...more
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I had to seek this one out and read it after The Odyssey knocked out my pick One Crazy Summer in SLJ's Battle of the Kids Books. I mean, how could something beat out my pick, One Crazy Summer?? I had to know!
It's an impressive undertaking to transfer this poem into a graphic novel format. Some might think because it's a graphic novel it wou...more
I happened upon this graphic novel while getting another book from the young adult section of the library. My middle daughter is a fan of graphic novels (her own art is in often this style) and it's difficult to find graphic novels for youth that aren't incredibly violent (those targeted to boys) or highly sexualized (those for girls). But a rendering of The Odyssey? This was worth a look, if only because we are studying ancient history next year.
Both of my daughters read and finished this book...more
Both of my daughters read and finished this book...more
Odysseus is stranded. A captive of the beautiful and yet enslaving Calypso, he longs for his home and family. What Odysseus is unaware of is the hoard of men seeking after his riches and longing to take away his kingdom. Through his epic journey against a powerful god, Poseidon, and throngs of evil Odysseus must prove himself to the gods and his family to show who truly is king of Ithaca. Told through the eyes of Gareth Hinds, this epic tale comes to life, making an age old tale seem like it hap...more
Reason for Reading: This is a Cybils '10 nominee and required reading for me as a graphic novels panelist.
A stunning, scholarly reinterpretation of Homer's Odyssey. Hinds has used as background material his favourite translations, then putting them aside used more prosaic translations to help him reinterpret Homer into the graphic novel format where text needs to be more sparse to meet with illustration in telling the story. I have read many, many retellings of Homer in story format. I love the...more
A stunning, scholarly reinterpretation of Homer's Odyssey. Hinds has used as background material his favourite translations, then putting them aside used more prosaic translations to help him reinterpret Homer into the graphic novel format where text needs to be more sparse to meet with illustration in telling the story. I have read many, many retellings of Homer in story format. I love the...more
I have never really been interested in reading graphic novels. They just seem like a bit of a cop out -- a lazy, unimaginative substitute to real reading. But when I saw this book at my small city library I suddenly had to re-evaluate my thinking.
I had attempted reading The Iliad a few years ago with high hopes of reading it and then The Odyssey shortly thereafter, but after a dozen or so pages of real difficulty I gave it up. But I really did want to learn and understand the story. So, a few ye...more
I had attempted reading The Iliad a few years ago with high hopes of reading it and then The Odyssey shortly thereafter, but after a dozen or so pages of real difficulty I gave it up. But I really did want to learn and understand the story. So, a few ye...more
In this masterpiece, the Odyssey is brought to life with incredible illustrations, adding an indelible mark on the classic that has already shaped the world.
The story takes place directly after the Trojan War, and Odysseus, the King of Ithaca must get home after fighting for ten years. On his journey back, Odysseus faces many obstacles testing his perseverance, wits, and his crews loyalty. As he makes enemies of gods and gets marooned on phantom islands, Odysseus has to make the most of his skil...more
The story takes place directly after the Trojan War, and Odysseus, the King of Ithaca must get home after fighting for ten years. On his journey back, Odysseus faces many obstacles testing his perseverance, wits, and his crews loyalty. As he makes enemies of gods and gets marooned on phantom islands, Odysseus has to make the most of his skil...more
Sing to me, O Muse, of Hinds' great adaptation of The Odyssey!
A Marvelous Work!
Faithful to the original. Impressively researched, visually, historically, & linguistically. Congratulations to the author/artist Gareth Hinds for contributing to the high-quality literary legacy of one of the greatest & most important stories in the history of the world. And most importantly, Hinds does not edit or compromise, letting the ancient story speak for itself in its raw, Ancient Greece form. No MPAA...more
A Marvelous Work!
Faithful to the original. Impressively researched, visually, historically, & linguistically. Congratulations to the author/artist Gareth Hinds for contributing to the high-quality literary legacy of one of the greatest & most important stories in the history of the world. And most importantly, Hinds does not edit or compromise, letting the ancient story speak for itself in its raw, Ancient Greece form. No MPAA...more
I’ve read Gareth Hinds’s ‘Beowulf’ and ‘King Lear.’ Both fantastic examples of what can be done with the graphic novel form. With ‘The Odyssey,’ however, Hinds has really outdone himself.
He’s outdone himself in size—‘The Odyssey’ is 250 pages long—and scope—it includes all of the elemental parts of Homer’s epic. And he hasn’t left out any of the excitement and drama that figure in his other works. If anything, those aspects are intensified. Hinds’s spectacular artwork, rich color, and superior...more
He’s outdone himself in size—‘The Odyssey’ is 250 pages long—and scope—it includes all of the elemental parts of Homer’s epic. And he hasn’t left out any of the excitement and drama that figure in his other works. If anything, those aspects are intensified. Hinds’s spectacular artwork, rich color, and superior...more
1 like · like · see review
I just read The Odyssey, a graphic novel based on Homer's epic. It is written and illustrated by Gareth Hinds. This tale follows the adventures of the Ithacan warrior Odysseus who fought at Troy. He became stranded after the war and struggled to return home. On his journey home, he and his crew encountered a cyclops, battled the deadly Hydra, and vanquished the greedy suitors who overtook Odysseus's palace. My favorite part of the book was the final battle where Odysseus, his son, and a band of...more
Hinds's adaptation is a grisly soap-operatic ultra-simplification of the classic epic, which only brings out the deplorable nature of the story more fully, the lack of pity and forgiveness in the classical world, the racism and classism, the greed and violence. Without Fagles's prose (or poetry, I forget) The Odyssey is just another piece of exploitation.
Notes:
Hinds simplifies a complex story beyond the requirements of the graphic novel medium. Where Homer's works, in translation, poetry or pros...more
Notes:
Hinds simplifies a complex story beyond the requirements of the graphic novel medium. Where Homer's works, in translation, poetry or pros...more
Just absolutely excellent. In his notes at the end, Hinds writes: After researching the history pretty thoroughly, I opted to break from realism in most of my designs, while preserving just enough historical touches to give Odysseus's world a ring of authenticity. He accomplishes this masterfully, with pictures that find just the right balance of realism, detail, style, and atmosphere. Of course, he has to sacrifice much of the text, but he translates it to pictures in a way that captures the ac...more
Mar 01, 2012
Alina
added it
“The Odyssey” is a graphic novel that takes place in ancient Greece right after the Trojan war. It tells the story of a man named Odysseus who fought and survived the Trojan war but had some complications while trying to return home to Ithaca where he is the king. On his way home, Odysseus had a mischevious crew, a run in with a cyclopse, and had to face the wrath of varios gods. All of the men in his crew died and he was shiprecked in an Island called Ogygia. Then, he left Ogygia and with some...more
My 10-year old (Trevor) wanted to read The Odyssey, which I thought was a bit much for him to digest. So, I found this title. I then started reading it to both boys for a bedtime story, yet the first part is slow, plodding, and I found the immense amount of text shoved into many of the art boxes to be too much. After a few nights of this, Warren (the 12-year old) and I decided to drop it as a bedtime story. Trevor was mildly disappointed, but he decided to just read it on his own.
Before returnin...more
Before returnin...more
It's very difficult to fit the story of The Odyssey into a graphic novel but I think Hinds did a good job. (I will also state that I haven't read The Odyssey since 2000 or so.) At times the poetic nature of the story didn't quite fit with my expectations of what text should be like in a graphic novel (or rather what I'm used to reading in a graphic novel). The violence was a bit graphic (blood covering the floor and dripping down the cyclop's face), and there was nudity (but no nipples or privat...more
Name: Danielle Autumn Shur
Hinds, G. (2010). The Odyssey: A Graphic Novel. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.
Genre: Adventure (Graphic Novel)
Format: Print (Book)
Selection Process: WorldCat
Review:
Homer’s epic poem is retold in a modern format. The Trojan War has been long over and all of its victors have returned home Odysseus. Men from surrounding lands have overtaken Odysseus’s home in hopes that his abandoned wife, Penelope, will choose one of them to marry. Telemachus, Odysseus’s son sets out...more
Hinds, G. (2010). The Odyssey: A Graphic Novel. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.
Genre: Adventure (Graphic Novel)
Format: Print (Book)
Selection Process: WorldCat
Review:
Homer’s epic poem is retold in a modern format. The Trojan War has been long over and all of its victors have returned home Odysseus. Men from surrounding lands have overtaken Odysseus’s home in hopes that his abandoned wife, Penelope, will choose one of them to marry. Telemachus, Odysseus’s son sets out...more
This is a good way to help kids learn the tale of Odysseus well before they can tackle the harder text. With the images built right into the tale, it all flows together nicely. It IS a tale filled with bloodshed and some dalliances, just like the original, so it's not for the younger crowd.
What I liked: The way the artist depicts the gods and goddesses, especially as they come among the mortals, was really cool. They are shown with a slight glow to the lines of the pictures, which helps them st...more
What I liked: The way the artist depicts the gods and goddesses, especially as they come among the mortals, was really cool. They are shown with a slight glow to the lines of the pictures, which helps them st...more
Having never read The Odyssey this story was brand new for me, though I was somewhat familiar with the overall story thanks to Wishbone (remember him?!) What I appreciated about this interpretation is that Hinds stayed faithful to Homer's epic poem and even included some of the actual text if I'm not mistaken. The art was absolutely beautiful and really helped set the scene and give the feel of time and place. I also appreciated that the violence was downplayed. The art faithfully represented th...more
Okay, confession time. I have a bachelor's degree in English Literature and I have never read The Odyssey in entirety. (In different classes I have been assigned the book and read different part equaling the whole book, but it has always been so overwhelming as a single book that I have never sat down and read it in its entirety.) I've always had problems with books (and movies) in older versions of the English language. I struggle with Shakespeare. I struggle with Chaucer. And I struggled with...more
1 like · like · see review
This is a great read for those who want to read a easier version of the actual book. The real one is similar you get all the basic things needed.
i would reccmond this book to young adults
The main plot is Odysseus fulfilling a prophecy of him returnig home and dying of old age. Basically he tells stories of how everyone helped or did not help him. The main settiung is the sea he is a sailor and there is a lot of sea nymphs and sirens. the main charcter is an older oddyseyus he is wise and tricky...more
i would reccmond this book to young adults
The main plot is Odysseus fulfilling a prophecy of him returnig home and dying of old age. Basically he tells stories of how everyone helped or did not help him. The main settiung is the sea he is a sailor and there is a lot of sea nymphs and sirens. the main charcter is an older oddyseyus he is wise and tricky...more
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Gareth Hinds is the creator of several acclaimed graphic novels based on classics. About THE ODYSSEY, he says, "It was incredibly exciting to work with this material. Gods, monsters, flawed heroes, battles, and all the best and worst of human nature, set against an ancient Mediterranean backdrop. It’s a dream project."
Gareth Hinds lives in Watertown, Massachusetts.
More about Gareth Hinds...
Gareth Hinds lives in Watertown, Massachusetts.
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
Nov 07, 2011 07:48pm