Customer Reviews

The Wanderings of Odysseus

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've been reading and comparing children's books which retell the tales of brave Odysseus, and this one rates well. In general, I found it an engaging read that had nice artwork that portrays the dress and architecture of those times.

The author begins the story with a prologue that talks about the battle before the walls of Troy. She then briefly covers the sack of the Trojan cities before picking up the story on the island of the Cyclops. Unlike another book that I quite liked -- "The Odyssey" which was retold by Robin Lister - this book is written in a slightly more formal style. There is a "search inside this book" feature for both books so you can take a look and decide which style you and/or your child might like - although I don't think you could go wrong with either.

Here are two paragraphs for a quickie comparison.

Example from the current Sutcliff edition:

Then Odysseus brought the sharpened stake from its hiding place and
made the point hot in the fire, while the rest of his band - there were but
six of them now - stood round ready and waiting. And when the point
glowed clear red, they took it up and with all their strength drove it into
the giant's one eye and rammed it home, and Odysseus twirled it as
though it were some mighty timber drill.

Example from Robin Lister's version:
The Odyssey (Kingfisher Epics)

He awoke suddenly in a cold sweat. For a
moment he thought another nightmare had begun.
Everywhere he looked he saw eyes staring at him,
and he froze like an animal froze in it's lair. As
his own eyes adjusted to the dim light, he was
amazed to see a group of young women peering
into his shelter.

Although this book - Sutcliff's - has fewer pages it contains more detail in my opinion, mentioning episodes such as young Elpenor's death as he descends from the ladder at Circe's palace; and it mentions more people by name, such as Penelope's various suitors.

Four Stars. Good Storying telling. Very Nice pastel artwork. Mild Adult themes. For those of a very conservative nature I would point out that there are one or two pictures portraying partial upper body nudity. As this is an ancient tale, expect various acts of violence.

I just finished reading the Wanderings of Odysseus to my five year old. Most people would hesitate to read something so complex to one so young, but Ms. Sutcliff breaks up the scenes into manageable bits, which are beautifully illustrated. And while I did need to simplify and explain many of Ms. Sutcliff's words to my little one, she actually looked forward to reading it.
I guess the best compliment that I can pay to this version, is that I read it 3 years ago to my oldest child who was then 5. As I read it to my younger one, my older child would come in periodically to find out what part we were on. He still remembered it quite well and even stopped to listen to it frequently. There are precious few books that appeal to so many ages.

This version of The Odyssey is beautifully illustrated, but even if you do not show them the pictures, your children will sit spellbound by the poetic language used by Rosemary Sutcliffe. The many adventures of Odysseus on his way home from the Trojan War were thrilling to my 6- and 8-year-old children, and I often found them acting out the day's reading with their stuffed animals later in the afternoon. This is not a "dumbed-down" version of the Odyssey-- it is appropriate for adults as well as children. The poetic style of Homer's original is continued by Sutcliffe. I heartily recommend this book, as well as her book, "Black Ships Before Troy", which is her version of Homer's "The Iliad".

Maybe I'm a little slow, but I found Amazon's website to be confusing in that, contrary to the reviews above, this "library binding" edition has NO illustrations. In fact, the editorial reviews for both this edition and the hardback edition are exactly the same, citing the book's wonderful illustrations. But a disclaimer at the end of both editorial reviews indicates that the edition being reviewed is not this one, but one that is out of print or no longer available. On the other hand, while the six customer reviews for both of these editions (hardback and library binding) are likewise identical, none of them include any such disclaimer. At the same time, two of the customer reviews describe the book as "beautifully illustrated", another calls those illustrations "marvelous", and a third writer characterizes them as "fantastic". That may certainly be the case with the hardback edition (which I have now ordered - on the assumption that it DOES include illustrations), but such accolades certainly DO NOT pertain to the "library binding" edition.

The greatest book on Homer's "Odyssey" that I have ever read, and I tell you that I have read lots of books on the "Odyssey" and they were junk.
This book was really great and I think that Rosemary Sutcliff and Alan Lee should write and illustrate books about the other heroes of the Trojan War, like the death of Agamemnon, and the wanderings of Menelaus in Africa, and the death of Agamemnon's wife murdered by her children. They, then fled away and only the City of Athens allowed them to be there and be judged for what they had done.
Alan Lee and Rosemary Sutcliff did a great gob on both books they wrote: "Black Ships Before Troy" and "The Wanderings Of Odysseus".
Both books were marvells and I bought both as soon as I saw them, and now I read them all the time! I love to read books about Ancient Greece and I really loved these books that they wrote as a team.
ACHILLES

My 5-year-old son adores this book--and so do I. He's been through it 3 times already--at his request. I bought it for him, intending to read it when he was older--and when he first asked to read it I was a bit skeptical about whether or not he was ready. I was game to try, though, and he just ate it up. He also loved Sutcliff's Black Ships before Troy, and we're just starting our second reading of that. You wouldn't believe him running around making bows and arrows out of sticks and playing Odysseus on the playground at school! He knows the whole thing by heart.

But the real reason I offer my kudos to the many already here is that, again at my son's request, we recently started Padraic Colum's old children's Adventures of Odysseus and the Tale of Troy. We got a few chapters into Colum, and the somewhat dated language wasn't too much of a problem, or at least it wasn't the real issue... but eventually we just stopped and both realized how much we both preferred Sutciff. Her telling is just much more powerful and moving, and her language is beautiful. She handles the narrative much more effectively. Granted, Sutcliff employs highly stylized language for a kid's book--but it is suggestive of the original (not that my 5-year-old cares)--and it has some of the magic of true poetry, and my 5-year-old does care about that, even if he can't put his finger on it yet. Alan Lee's illustrations also are simply some of the finest I've seen in any children's books. Really, no child should go without reading these books.

Given the fact that so many of us are stressing how much our kids love these books, I do want to mention how much I have enjoyed them as well. I'm a professor of American literature, and I love reading these books to my son because I have all the joy of reading the Odyssey and Illiad again. It is a wonder the way Sutcliff manages to make her work accessible to kids and truly poetic, without dumbing things down. I think my son senses this as well, and I think that's one reason he loves these books so much.

This was a great book. It tells you about Odysseus and his great adventures with the Cyclops, Circe, and more. It is among my favorite books. I sat down every time I wanted to read it and went into his world. I had a blast reading this book. I also think you will.

Although ostensibly for children, this version of Homer's Odyssey is perfect for anyone of any age. It is faithful to Fitzgerald's and Fagles' translations, but because it is prose, it is quick to read and more entertaining than the lengthy translations. The beautiful illustrations add to the joy of experiencing this version of The Odyssey. I loved it every bit as much as my 9 and 12 year old children. It is a truly great and satisfying book.

We homeschool and my 6 year old daughter loves this book. The book is broken up into chapters that are easily manageable for reading one chapter a day, the book is well-written and the illustrations keep her glued to my side the entire time I read to her.

I was worried at first about reading some of the more "gruesome" details but found that rephrasing doesn't hurt (like Cyclops ripping off the heads of Odysseus's comrades). Compared to the short Puffin Classic, The Odyssey by G. McCaughrean- I would read Sutcliffe's book instead. The Puffin book is shorter and lean on the story.

The only other Odyssey book I reviewed was Mary Pope Osbourne's Tales from the Odyssey books 1-6. These would be a perfect read for a fluent reader, but Sutcliffe's book still wins me over because of its illustrations. Therefore, I give Sutcliffe's book 5 stars.

This book was so good I read it for hours.It was by far the best I ever read.Of all the books I read about Odysseus this was the best.It's a masterpiece,it was great!