The Odyssey

by Homer, Emily Wilson (Translator)

"The Odyssey" is a classical epic poem about the events following the fall of Troy and the end of the Trojan War which is generally thought to have been written at the end of the 8th century BC. The story centers on Odysseus and his ten year journey to reach his home of Ithaca, following the Trojan War. Odysseus's death is assumed during this long absence, and his wife Penelope and son Telemachus must deal with a group of suitors, the Proci, who compete for Penelope's hand in marriage. Generally attributed to the ancient Greek poet Homer, "The Odyssey" is a sequel to "The Iliad" and is considered one of the most important works of classical antiquity. Presented here in this edition is the prose translation of Samuel Butler.

Genres: Classics, Poetry, Fiction, Mythology, Fantasy, Literature, Greek Mythology

592 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 801

About the author

Homer (Greek: Όμηρος born c. 8th century BC) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the most revered and influential authors in history.
Homer's Iliad centers on a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles during the last year of the Trojan War. The Odyssey chronicles the ten-year journey of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, back to his home after the fall of Troy. The poems are in Homeric Greek, also known as Epic Greek, a literary language which shows a mixture of features of the Ionic and Aeolic dialects from different centuries; the predominant influence is Eastern Ionic. Most researchers believe that the poems were originally transmitted orally. Despite being predominantly known for its tragic and serious themes, the Homeric poems also contain instances of comedy and laughter.
Homer's epic poems shaped aspects of ancient Greek culture and education, fostering ideals of heroism, glory, and honor. To Plato, Homer was simply the one who "has taught Greece" (τὴν Ἑλλάδα πεπαίδευκεν). In Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, Virgil refers to Homer as "Poet sovereign", king of all poets; in the preface to his translation of the Iliad, Alexander Pope acknowledges that Homer has always been considered the "greatest of poets". From antiquity to the present day, Homeric epics have inspired many famous works of literature, music, art, and film.
The question of by whom, when, where and under what circumstances the Iliad and Odyssey were composed continues to be debated. Scholars remain divided as to whether the two works are the product of a single author. It is thought that the poems were composed at some point around the late eighth or early seventh century BC. Many accounts of Homer's life circulated in classical antiquity; the most widespread account was that he was a blind bard from Ionia, a region of central coastal Anatolia in present-day Turkey. Modern scholars consider these accounts legendary.

French: Homère, Italian: Omero, Portuguese, Spanish: Homero.

Reviews

[Madison Head · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should read this translation of The Odyssey. I loved the other version I read, but I understood so many more nuances from this version. She makes it accessible and simple. Odysseus is the craziest main character in the world. He is the worst, but also so powerful. At all times, either he is making things worse for his crew, or his crew is making things worse for him, but I can’t blame the crew because I wouldn’t trust Odysseus either. Love.

[Sense of History]

Just like with the Iliad last month, I read it in three translations simultaneously (one English and two Dutch). And again, it was the play with temporalities that stood out. Odysseus's story unfolds across several time periods simultaneously. For starters, the Odyssey follows the Iliad, literally continuing it, and the Iliad even seems to interject itself into this narrative at regular intervals. Even Odysseus's subsequent adventures, the difficult return, are largely told in retrospect. But not entirely: part of it also takes place in real time, in the present. And finally, both the middle and the end of the epic foreshadow what follows, something not really included in the Odyssey: the prediction that Odyssey will have to leave again.

In an essay appended to Emily Wilson's English translation, Laura Slatkin puts it succinctly: “The Odyssey, as it moves back and forth, gives us the simultaneous perspective of many time-frames: the limitless framework of the gods, the lifetime of Odysseus, the protracted return, the sudden maturation of Telemachus. The narrative sequence of the remainder of the poem, though more strictly chronological, displays a complementary virtuosity of concentration, counterpointing discretion and disclosure in the actions of Odysseus and Penelope until the Odyssey’s ultimate closure is achieved in the crucial convergence of events on a single day.”

Once again, a nonlinear narrative, also temporally. This once again highlights the mastery of the early Greek storytellers. Of course, there's so much to say about this epic attributed to Homer. For a more comprehensive review, see general account on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....

[Garima · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obviously one can't attempt to review it but this feeble try, to express the beauty disguised as words, is just to honour the undeniable craft and artiste of a writer so revered.

It is one of the most beautifully composed creation with not a single slump through this adventurous voyage. Odyssey (or Ulysses) as we know, is perfect in his craft and it is surreal how that transcends through Homer's pen as well. Throughout the poem/prose, the writing style and the adventures are very well versed with its protagonist which was something that completely swooned me.
For when you read the Iliad, there's a difference in the tone of the verses as well, which is more textured with its context and its main leads; while Odyssey is intelligent and witty, personifying the tale to its most mesmerising self. Ah, the genius of an immortal artist.

The adventures thus covered are again absolutely perfect, be it the graphic vividness of death or the various legends encountered, be it the extremely cunning Circe, the ruthless Cyclopes, the enchantingly vicious Sirens or the scary lands of Hades.
As Odyssey embarks through this journey back to his home, he brings along a tale full of dread, adventure, violence, love and wit. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest Greek heroes and this tale justifies it even more.

This will stay with me forever.

[Aidan Busch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely magical. Fantastic translation that preserves the vibe of the source material while staying readable. Was supposed to read most of this in 9th grade but am glad to have taken my time the last couple of weeks reading this now. So many interesting themes, great characters, action, etc. I get it now.

[Christopher Murden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this in preparation for the movie this summer. Turns out the cool stories are only a small part of the book and most of it is Tom Holland whining about the guys who are trying to marry his mom.

[James Klagge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the new translation by Daniel Mendelsohn and loved it. Quite a readable and engaging translation. There are helpful but not excessive notes in the back. The introduction compares his translation with some others to see what is at stake.
I see there is a movie of the Odyssey coming out in July, which I'm looking forward to. And Kathy and I are going to Greece, including maybe a trip to Ithaca, this fall! All you can ask for...

[Rachel Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can I not give this 5 stars? Odysseus is a legend! And so is Penelope and Telemachus and the swineherd (who knew about the awesome swineherd!). Like the Iliad, fascinating depiction of loyalty, honor, friendship, revenge, and the interplay between god and man. Except this was much more fun to read than the Iliad.

Also you know I love Jorge Rivera Herran’s EPIC but man oh man did he alter the story a whole lot. The focus of the Odyssey is very different than his adaptation, and it shows the distinction between the ancient era and our modern perspective. Now I’m curious to see how Nolan is gonna spin the story. 👀

[Emma Shank · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 really did not sparkle with me like I had hoped it would.

[Kerry Pickens · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new translation of the epic journey home from war for Odysseus, and the literature archetype for all adventure stories. I listened to this version on audiotape, which is 19 hours of poetry. It’s good if you are on a long trip don’t want to listen to anything that you don’t already know how it ends.

[Travis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ultimate case of being impossible to overrate. Literature’s most thrilling adventure narrative encoded to its core with civilization-building discoveries and insights on philosophy, poetry, politics, marriage, war, and justice both human and divine. Ideas in IMAX. Frankly Christological. Odysseus is problematic though and we will talk about it

[Mara Manolescu · Rating 5 out of 5]

(5 stars) The Odyssey is always going to be amazing. Exciting, intense, clever, original. I think this translation captures Odysseus’s cunningness excellently and makes all the characters feel real. This was read to prepare for the movie, and I am SO excited to see how Christopher Nolan tells this story.

[Emily Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great job Homer. I found the translation very accessible and enjoyed having Claire Danes read it to me. My new favourite hobby is reading one star reviews on a poem that has endured almost 3000 years.

[Ben Gaunce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll review this once Emma finishes reading it so that I don’t spoil The Odyssey.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dream blunt rotation: Emily Wilson, Jorge Rivera-Herrans, and Madeleine Miller and we’re talking about democratizing the classics!!!!! Absolutely loved this translation by Dr. Wilson — it is clear, it is musical, it is witty and I can appreciate the very specific choice of words she uses and why. The modern, more simple and contemporary language makes the task of reading this classic much less intimidating and much more accessible, which they should be.

As she hints in the introduction, Homer has a great sense of humor and her translation, while serious and with gravitas, showcases this witty humor throughout. Very very thoroughly enjoyed The Odyssey, with the introduction serving as a guiding compass for some of the key themes explored including Xenia/hospitality rules, colonization and early western concepts of what ‘civilized’ and ‘civilization’ entails, meaning of manhood/coming of age, and the role of slaves and social status throughout the story.

Final thought is that if in Nolan’s adaption Odysseus or someone around him isn’t crying and sobbing every other minute, I will consider it an unfaithful adaption.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emily Wilson's translation is so good! Get this one. It's so well crafted, approachable, and comprehensible. We read sections as a class and my high schoolers felt like they understood what was going on. I went ahead and reread the whole thing because I like it.

What surprised me most was when Odysseus went to the Underworld to talk to the prophet and he was worried that he would get in trouble: not with Hades, not with Cerberus, but with "Dread Persephone." When on the sea, he kept looking over his shoulder for trouble from Poseidon's queen, Amphitrite. I don't think Persephone and Amphitrite get enough modern credit for being alarming.

I was also surprised by Telemachus and Penelope's relationship. When Telemachus gets back from his trip and takes his role as man of the house, he flexes it by bossing around his mother!? And she's kind of pleased he's asserting dominance?? This comes across as incredibly rude to a modern sensibility. I found it interesting to compare to the Old Testament, which is roughly contemporaneous (yes yes asterisk). Proverbs, for example, is all about young men learning wisdom, but it's "hear, my son, your father's instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother." There's no claiming authority over her as a rite of passage. It's a different relationship model.

Homer's structure is sophisticated, and it feels similar to a modern novel told through flashbacks. It was originally written for an audience familiar with the Trojan War and journey of Odysseus already, so Homer's priority was not sharing a new story but on how he gets you there. I think it succeeds brilliantly. I would recommend to a first time reader to spend about five minutes looking up the plot structure so you know what's coming and where you are, and then you can just enjoy the ride.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the centrality of the home and hospitality! I'll be returning to this one many times in the future, I hope.

[Sumaiyah Bhaiyat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this a lot more than the Iliad. The side stories, the structure of how it is told, all the characters, perfect. So excited for the movie.

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the Daniel Mendelsohn translation, and enjoyed it and the endnotes provided for context / comprehension. I read this in preparation for the Nolan film coming out this summer. It feels nice to fill in my understanding of this piece of the literary canon, to connect the dots between cultural osmosis and adaptation and allusion and the source material, but I can't say I found the story itself particularly compelling. Among ancient epics, my preference is Beowulf. :)

[Bex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been told that people are either Iliad people or Odyssey people, and I am definitely part of the Iliad gang BUT this was still a great read (mainly because of books 9-12 of course!)

Very glad to have read this and this translation is absolutely amazing!

[Margaret Coogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gave myself 2 weeks to read before the movie comes out this week! Have been disappointed with female characters in Nolan’s films recently and wanted to stop myself from going into seeing the Odyssey with a preconceived distaste for the film.
Did some research (mostly on Reddit) before to decide who’s translation to read and it quickly became clear Emily Wilson is the one for me. Absolutely champion of female story telling and (I think?) first widely respective female translator of Ancient Greek. Such a treat to hear the story through her. She kept it in stanza poem form which I appreciated even further.
Her intro alone talking about the role of the translator, relevancy of translation within cultural context…really good. Worth reading on its own, to be honest!!!!
I’ve since read and watched a bunch about Emily Wilson..big fan.

AS FOR THE STORY
Yeah. It’s obviously a 5/5. It’s got everything, really. War, love, lust, beauty, Mediterranean islands, sea gods, nymphs, Cyclops, princesses, the vast ocean, giants, sorcerers, Zeus, Hades, shipwrecks, the ghost of Achilles and Agenemnon, Argos, family, grandpas, battles, dinners,…idk so much to say. Just really glad to have read this and now extremely excited to see the movie this weekend.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This translation is masterful in so many ways...I think it's so much more accessible for young, modern, readers. As with every time I've read or taught, I cried at the same places, I cringed, and I celebrated. And Penelope is a Bad. Ass.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

what they say is true, emily wilson’s translation captures and conveys the best of odysseus’ journey. easily digestible and utterly fun (im biased, i love greek mythology)

[William Bowden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read The Odyssey ahead of watching Nolan’s movie- Emily Wilson’s translation has been praised heavily and I generally found it easy reading, a fluid verse adaptation - I expected more deviation in the language as it was heralded as a marked difference from the male translated versions like Lattimore - Robert Pattinson will make a fine Antinous im sure

[Emily Zheng · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best translation of The Odyssey

[Garrett Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Certainly not as brisk as Emily Wilson's version, but more faithful (not to mention superior cover art).

Ready for the film now.

[Lexi Amos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant translation

[Erika Bargamotov · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Odyssey sparked an interest to me when I was required to read parts of the book during my freshmen year. I’ve always had an interest in Greek mythology and after completing that unit, I was eager to read the entire book. When I saw The Odyssey listed as a choice book, I took the opportunity to read it. Majority of the book was enjoyable, but there were aspects that made me feel like this book wasn't for me.
The events that were life-or-death situations were interesting and action-packed. The version I read by Samuel Butler was written in modern English, so the book was easier to understand. Samuel Butler described the events vividly which made the read more enjoyable as well. Multiple scenes such as: Ulysses and his men trapped in Polyphemus’ cave, staying with Circe, encountering Charybdis and Scylla, fighting Penelope’s suitors, etc. were exciting and I couldn’t put the book down until the scene ended. However, there was one particular scene that stood out to me. In Book V, it wrote, “She found him sitting upon the beach with his eyes ever filled with tears, and dying of sheer homesickness...” The description of this minor scene really caught my attention. I was able to really picture what was happening and it was quite different compared to the other scenes.
The theme of perseverance and Ulysses’ character development correlate in this story. Ulysses started off in this story being depressed and unmotivated. After he was freed by Calypso, he was told by Ino to leave his raft. His response in Book V was, “this is some one or other of the gods who is luring me to ruin by advising me to quit my raft… I know what I will do-I am sure it will be best-no matter what happens I will stick to the raft…” This revealed Ulysses’ hard headed personality, and it also demonstrated how smart he was in the later chapters. When his men were trapped and being eaten alive by Polyphemus, giving up seemed like an easy option. Tying his men under sheep and telling Polyphemus, “... my name is Noman; this is what my father and mother and my friends have always called me…” (Book IX) was such a great strategy.
When Circe informed Ulysses about the Sirens in Book XII, she said, “stop your men's ears with wax that none of them may hear; but if you like you can listen yourself, for you may get the men and bind you as you stand upright on a cross piece halfway up the mast…” he listened and at the time I thought it was a big sacrifice. However, after they passed through Scylla and Charybdis, Eurylochus spoke to Ulysses, “you are cruel; you are very strong yourself and never get worn out; you seem to be made of iron, and now, though your men are exhausted with toil and want to sleep, you will not let them…” (Book IX). It truly showed how others felt towards Ulysses and how although he is creative, his character was self centered.
Once Ulysses returned to Ithaca, he fought the suitors and got together with Penelope. Throughout all the struggles, Ulysses still managed to get home, and even though his personality wasn't great, I enjoyed how the author created such a diverse character.
Certain aspects of the book caused me to not enjoy it as much as I thought it would. The introduction to the story didn't quite live up to my expectations. It took a while for the book to grab my attention, and the pacing felt slow. From books I-IV, there was a lot of dialogue and it wasn't as interesting. I also had a difficult time with memorizing all the characters. I knew that the names would be different from other books, but I didn't think I would have struggled with it.
I would probably rate this book a 3 out of 5. Majority of the book was great. The imagery given with the various scenes were extraordinary, but the pacing and toiling to remember all the characters made the book not as enjoyable as I hoped. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy Greek mythology and the epic genre. If remembering diverse characters are not a big issue, then the book maybe be more entertaining.

[strawberry jellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

AH-Mazing
I loved Emily Wilson's translation. She makes the story very accessible to a modern reader. I'll have to read another to see how it compares.

Odysseus is a sly dog and the fight scene at the end makes me excited for Christopher Nolan's movie in 2026. Here's hoping he does it justice or he may get an arrow to the throat.

[Nick Crisanti · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a good story! However, this was my first time reading The Odyssey so I cannot comment on the translation as I have nothing to compare it to.

**I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.**

[Erik Bonkovsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to this audio recording read by Clare Danes (my old crush from the My So Called Life days), mostly on the bus rides to/from Saranac. It still hits hard.

So much olive oil, so many Greek names, so much involvement from the gods.

“The worst things humans suffer is homelessness; we must endure this life because of desperate hunger; we endure, as migrants with no home” (Book 15)