The Odyssey
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The Odyssey
by Authors:
Homer , Robert Fitzgerald , D. S. Carne-Ross
Released: November, 1998
ISBN: 0374525749
Paperback
Sales Rank: 1,017
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List price:
$11.00
Our price:
$8.80
(You save: $2.2)
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| Book > The Odyssey > Customer Reviews: |
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Average Customer Rating: 
The Odyssey >
Customer Review #1:
 Fitzgerald is Homers greatest emissary
Robert Fitzgeralds translations are among my favorites. While it is virtually impossible to translate Dactylic Hexameter into English, Fitzgerald still captures much of the power and majesty of Homer in his translation. Now, it is conceded that the Odyssey is technically inferior to the Iliad. It is for this reason that the majority of Homeric scholars believe he wrote the Odyssey first, THEN the Iliad. In any case, the Odyssey is still an awesome piece of literature and has enjoyed an enormous influence over all of western thought for close to 3,000 years. It is dubious to believe too many of todays poets / authors will still be remembered 2,500+ years from now. As always with classic literature, I would admonish anyone interested in reading the Odyssey to first consult everything that has gone before, such as the Judgment of paris and the Iliad, etc. The tale will make SO MUCH more sense that way. As one can see by the negative reviews to this work, Homer is not for those who are only interested in instant gratification. If you cannot get interested in a book which may take you a month to read and a lifetime to truly understand, Homer is not for you. On the other hand, if youre really intrigued by Greek mythology, history or literature, this book is an ABSOLUTE must. It is one of the great cornerstones of all western literature. I am quite certain that people will still be reading Homer 3,000 years from now.
The Odyssey >
Customer Review #2:
Homer Has It All
Robert Fitzgeralds poetic translation of Homers ODYSSEY simply picked me up and carried me away when I first read it in the tenth grade. I did not expect something written thousands of years ago to have such colorful language and vivid images. Nor did I expect it to surpass anything I had read before as the greatest story ever told. Very few works have even matched it in my last 15 years of reading.THE ODYSSEY is the prototypical journey tale of world literature. After ten years fighting and helping the Greeks win the Trojan War, Odysseus, King of Ithaka, offends the sea god Poseidon and is doomed to another ten years of wandering before being able to return to his wife, son, and homeland. He meets all manner of deadly obstacles and pleasant diversions along the way, but always in his mind is the desire for home. Virtually everything is in THE ODYSSEY: a sons coming-of-age without his father, a heros escape from giant whirlpools, sexy sorceresses and the angry wine-dark sea, the most faithful wife in the history of literature, and thats just for starters.
Fitzgerald imposes no stylistic or rhythmic roadblocks, on the contrary, his poetry is smooth and his gift for bring us all the color and music of Homer is rich and deft. In my book, only Shakespeare and Tolstoy are in the same class as Homer, but the ancient one should be experienced first. Read THE ODYSSEY before or after THE ILIAD, but read it and enjoy.
The Odyssey >
Customer Review #3:
 A classic
The Odyssey is one of the finest pieces of literature ever written. To put Homers text in perspective, it is Shakspeares parallel. Heroic characters with unwavering values, avengers of love, and a quest with danger, monsters, and mythical beings are a few of the elements that enabled The Odyssey to survive over three thousand years. This piece of work enticed my mind and the flow of words is incredible. This story takes the reader through the tribulations of each character. I would suggest The Odyssey to all kinds of readers; it is not stereotypical of any one person. I was required to read this book in my 8th grade class, and I was lucky to have read it before. Reading it again in a different environment in which we discussed and evaluated the book made it that much more intriguing. I highly recommend this book and find out why it has lasted all these years.
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The Odyssey >
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