The Odyssey
As the Guardian put it, this is 'a salt-caked, storm-tossed, wine-dark treasury of tales, of many twists and turns, like life itself.' It's hard to argue with that. The Odyssey tells the story of Odysseus and his gruelling ten-year attempt to return home following the fall of Troy, and it remains one of the foundational texts of Western literature. Shipwrecks, sea monsters, bitter rivalries with gods (Poseidon, in particular, nurses a ferocious grudge) and battles both physical and psychological all stand between Odysseus and the home he longs for. Wit and courage are his greatest weapons. The poem rewards close attention, but it's also just a rattling good story. E. V. Rieu's English translation holds a quietly remarkable distinction: it was the very first Penguin Classic ever published, and has since earned its own place in the canon. The revised version by D. C. H. Rieu keeps the prose fresh without sacrificing the original's authority, and Peter Jones contributes an introduction that gives useful context for readers coming to Homer for the first time. Thousands of years old, and still surprisingly gripping.
- Author: Homer
- Publisher: Penguin Classics
- Genre: Classic Literature
- ISBN: 978-0140449112
- Pages: 416 pages