The Odyssey (Penguin Classics) [Hardcover]

Homer (Author), D. C. H. Rieu (Editor), Coralie Bickford-Smith (Illustrator), E. V. Rieu (Translator), Peter Jones (Introduction)

Book Description

Series: Penguin Classics | Publication Date: March 10, 2010

'I long to reach my home and see the day of my return. It is my never-failing wish'

The epic tale of Odysseus and his ten-year journey home after the Trojan War forms one of the earliest and greatest works of Western literature. Confronted by natural and supernatural threats - shipwrecks, battles, monsters and the implacable enmity of the sea-god Poseidon - Odysseus must test his bravery and native cunning to the full if he is to reach his homeland safely and overcome the obstacles that, even there, await him.

E. V. Rieu's translation of the Odyssey was the very first Penguin Classic to be published, and has itself achieved classic status. For this edition, Rieu's text has been revised, and a new introduction by Peter Jones complements the original introduction.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

HOMER is thought to have lived c.750-700 BC in Ionia and is believed to be the author of the earliest works of Western Literature: The Odyssey and The Iliad. E. V. RIEU was a celebrated translator from Latin and Greek, and editor of Penguin Classics from 1944-64. His son, D. C. H. RIEU, has revised his work. PETER JONES is former lecturer in Classics at Newcastle. He co-founded the 'Friends of Classics' society and is the editor of their journal and a columnist for The Spectator.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics Hardcover; Special Sale ed edition (March 10, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0141192445
• ISBN-13: 978-0141192444
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #41,327 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Homer was probably born around 725BC on the Coast of Asia Minor, now the coast of Turkey, but then really a part of Greece. Homer was the first Greek writer whose work survives.

He was one of a long line of bards, or poets, who worked in the oral tradition. Homer and other bards of the time could recite, or chant, long epic poems.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Looks nice on a bookshelf, but worth taking down to read, April 24, 2010

By 

Tess R. Stockslager "The literate hobbit" (Lynchburg, VA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Odyssey (Penguin Classics) (Hardcover)

I am a big fan of this new series from Penguin Classics. The hardcover bindings (each featuring a stylized pattern that relates--sometimes subtly, sometimes obviously--with the subject of the book), the high-quality pages, and the ribbon bookmark all make these books attractive collectibles. But I also really enjoyed the content of this book. The prose translation was accurate but not slavish. I felt like I was reading a novel. The introduction was also highly readable and informative--I actually wanted to read it, which is unusual.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Cute Presentation, but prose? Really?, September 5, 2011

By 

Striggy - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Odyssey (Penguin Classics) (Hardcover)

If you're going for appearance, you might enjoy this version of Homer's Odyssey. However, if you're looking for a verse translation or value fidelity to the original work at all, this is probably not your first choice. Like many classics, the modern variation has been altered for easier consumption. This isn't always a good thing.

I personally would suggest Lattimore's translation. There's a copy out which is equally pretty, but remarkably true to its source. It was first recommended to me by a Classics Professor at UC Berkeley.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Sticker Warning, December 8, 2011

By 

Van - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Odyssey (Penguin Classics) (Hardcover)

I bought nearly twenty of these Penguin classics with covers designed by the exceptional Coralie Bickford-Smith from Amazon. When I got them I discovered that an adhesive price sticker, apparently applied by Penguin, was on the back cover of each volume. Despite my efforts to carefully remove the sticker, some of the heat-stamped design lifted up with it in every case, some worse than others, but in all cases ruining the design. I contacted Penguin and I hope they have since rectified this problem, but please be forewarned. I ended up returning every volume to Amazon.