Customer Reviews

The Odyssey (Penguin Classics)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

This was a birthday gift for my younger granddaughter. I was very pleased with the item and the shipping. She was delighted to receive the book. I will shop first at Amazon for everything I am wanting to purchase.