Odyssey - Homer

Having studied Homer's epic 'The Odyssey' for a year while taking my AS level in Classical Civilisation, I have grown to appreciate the book and get to grips with its style which may seem a bit strange to first time readers. First of all, there are some interesting facts surrounding 'The Odyssey'. It is now called the first ever novel, and as a result is the first work of literature to be written down. Although little is known about Homer, and indeed many believe that not all of the 'Odyssey' is written by him, it is assumed that he was a Greek man who one day decided to actually write down the epic poem, that is the ...  Read the complete review

The main protaganist is a chauvanist pig. The female lead is weak and pathetic. The supporting cast is a group of weeping sailors. Many of the same lines are used over and over again and the whole premise of the plot is utterly ridiculous (man returning from war encounters one-eyed monsters, goddesses, giant man-eating monsters, sea monsters, witches, monsters . . . ). Yet this book has been heralded as one of the greatest adventure stories ever written Why? Partly because it is several thousand years old. Back in the good old days when men ruled the household and women were just one step above cold baked beans in the social hierarchy, the Odyssey was a poem ...  Read the complete review

Homer's Odyssey is a Greek story, written years and years ago and now translated into English. It tells a tale of a man called Odysseus, who goes to Trojan War, and faces many troubles on his way home to his wife Penelope. He faces many challenges and trials, but so too does his wife. In his home, many of the town's suitors have come to ask his wife to marry them, but she still loves Odysseus... Odysseus faces the great Cyclops Polyphemus, Circe the sorceress, Calypso the sea nymph and gets near wrecked through Scylla and Charybdis... Penelope, meanwhile, is feeding all the suitors whilst their ransacking her own palace and plotting ...  Read the complete review

This is one of the world's greatest (and oldest) stories. It can be ruined by a poor translation - and there are plenty about. My tip is to go for the edition printed by the most prestigious and well-known publisher you can find. There are many childrens' versions too, some of which are excellent. It's a story children love, of someone desperate to get home - circumstances they're all too familiar with! This book tells of the return from Troy of Ulysses / Odysseus (depending on the Greek or Latin name of the same person). The Trojan war has finally been won and the Greeks can return home after so many years away from their loved ...  Read the complete review