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The Odyssey (The Norton Library)Amazon Videos

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The Odyssey Kindle Edition

by Homer (Author), Emily Wilson (Translator) Format: Kindle Edition

5,629 ratings

in Contemporary Poetry

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A New York Times Notable Book of 2018

"Wilson’s language is fresh, unpretentious and lean…It is rare to find a translation that is at once so effortlessly easy to read and so rigorously considered." —Madeline Miller, author of Circe

Composed at the rosy-fingered dawn of world literature almost three millennia ago, The Odyssey is a poem about violence and the aftermath of war; about wealth, poverty and power; about marriage and family; about travelers, hospitality, and the yearning for home.

This fresh, authoritative translation captures the beauty of this ancient poem as well as the drama of its narrative. Its characters are unforgettable, none more so than the “complicated” hero himself, a man of many disguises, many tricks, and many moods, who emerges in this version as a more fully rounded human being than ever before.

Written in iambic pentameter verse and a vivid, contemporary idiom, Emily Wilson’s Odyssey sings with a voice that echoes Homer’s music; matching the number of lines in the Greek original, the poem sails along at Homer’s swift, smooth pace.

A fascinating, informative introduction explores the Bronze Age milieu that produced the epic, the poem’s major themes, the controversies about its origins, and the unparalleled scope of its impact and influence. Maps drawn especially for this volume, a pronunciation glossary, and extensive notes and summaries of each book make this is an Odyssey that will be treasured by a new generation of readers.

From the Publisher

A Millions Most Anticipated Book of 2023

	The Odyssey	The Iliad

Customer Reviews	5,629	893
Price	$16.49	$29.29
	A lean, fleet-footed translation that recaptures Homer’s “nimble gallop” and brings an ancient epic to new life.	The greatest literary landmark of antiquity masterfully rendered by the most celebrated translator of our time.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A masterpiece of translation."
― Rowan Williams, University of Cambridge

"A revelation. Never have I been so aware at once of the beauty of the poetry, the physicality of Homer’s world, and the moral ambiguity of those who inhabit it."
― Susan Chira, New York Times Book Review

"In her powerful new translation, Emily Wilson… has chosen immediacy and naturalism over majestic formality. She preserves the musicality of Homer’s poetry, opting for an iambic pentameter whose approachable storytelling tone invites us in, only to startle us with eruptions of beauty.… Wilson’s transformation of such a familiar and foundational work is… astonishing."
― Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, Atlantic

"Emily Wilson has given us a staggeringly superior translation―true, poetic, lively and readable, and always closely engaged with the original Greek―that brings to life the fascinating variety of voices in Homer’s great epic."
― Richard F. Thomas, Harvard University

"Emily Wilson’s crisp and musical version is a cultural landmark.… This translation will change the way the poem is read in English."
― Charlotte Higgins, Guardian

"This translation is a marvel! Bold and timely and ever so exciting.… As majestic as literature gets."
― Max Porter, author of Grief Is the Thing With Feathers

"Irresistibly readable, Wilson’s Odyssey turns Homeric epic into a poetic feast."
― Froma Zeitlin, Princeton University

"Wilson’s translation is a superb achievement and a striking departure from the tradition of Homeric translation into English.… There is no elaborate or antiquated diction, just a crispness and clear-headedness that will seem quite alien to anyone familiar with earlier versions.… Wilson has produced a wonderfully distinctive―and modern―version of the poem."
― Henry Power, Evening Standard

"In the history of Odyssey translations, few have exerted such a cultural influence that they become ‘classics’ in their own right.… I predict that Emily Wilson will win a place in this roll-call of the most significant translations of the poem in history. She certainly deserves the honour."
― Edith Hall, Daily Telegraph

"When I first read these lines…, I was floored. I’d never read an Odyssey that sounded like this. It had such directness, the lines feeling not as if they were being fed into iambic pentameter because of some strategic decision but because the meter was a natural mode for its speaker."
― Wyatt Mason, New York Times Magazine

About the Author

Homer is believed to have been born sometime between the twelfth and eighth centuries BC. While the works of Greek poets have been a significant influence on Western culture and literature, very little is known about the blind bard from Ionia. Some scholars allege that the epics The Iliad and The Odyssey were actually composed by a group of storytellers who worked in the oral tradition.

Regardless, the epics attributed to Homer have become the chief source for world mythology, early human society, and life in ancient Greece.

Edward Smith-Stanley, fourteenth earl of Derby (1799–1869), was the leader of the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party from 1846 to 1868, and served as prime minister three times. A statesman and scholar, he won the chancellor’s Latin verse prize at Oxford. In 1864, he published the translation of The Iliad in blank verse, or unrhymed iambic pentameter, which we enjoy today.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B06XKNHGN1
Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company
Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 7, 2017
Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 8.3 MB
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 586 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393634563
Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 830L

Best Sellers Rank: #16,145 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1 in Contemporary Poetry
- #2 in Epic Poetry (Books)
- #2 in Ancient & Classical Literature

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Homer
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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. Both works attributed to Homer - The Iliad and The Odyssey - are over ten thousand lines long in the original. Homer must have had an amazing memory but was helped by the formulaic poetry style of the time.
In The Iliad Homer sang of death and glory, of a few days in the struggle between the Greeks and the Trojans. Mortal men played out their fate under the gaze of the gods. The Odyssey is the original collection of tall traveller's tales. Odysseus, on his way home from the Trojan War, encounters all kinds of marvels from one-eyed giants to witches and beautiful temptresses. His adventures are many and memorable before he gets back to Ithaca and his faithful wife Penelope.
We can never be certain that both these stories belonged to Homer. In fact 'Homer' may not be a real name but a kind of nickname meaning perhaps 'the hostage' or 'the blind one'. Whatever the truth of their origin, the two stories, developed around three thousand years ago, may well still be read in three thousand years' time.
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Emily R. Wilson
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Emily Wilson grew up in Oxford, UK, and studied Classics at Balliol College, and English Literature at Corpus Christi College. Her PhD. is from Yale in Classics and Comparative Literature. She is currently a Professor of Classical Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. She is interested in literature, story-telling and how ideas and culture play out through narrative and in words, and in the music of language. She cares about poetry, drama and philosophy of all eras, especially ancient Greek, Roman and early modern. She has written books on tragedy and "overliving", the long afterlife of the death of Socrates, and a life of Seneca. She has also done several verse translations of classical verse drama and epic, including Seneca's tragedies, four plays of Euripides, and Homer's Odyssey.
Her approach to translation is discussed here: http://poems.com/special_features/prose/essay_wilson_odyssey.php
Profiled here: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/02/magazine/the-first-woman-to-translate-the-odyssey-into-english.html
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Customers find this Odyssey translation delightful and easy to read as literary fiction, with a thorough introduction that makes it accessible for novices. Moreover, the story is well-told with sly asides, and the rhythm carries readers along effortlessly. Customers appreciate the character development, with one noting how the voice actors bring characters to life, and the book includes helpful notes throughout.

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Translation quality Insight Story length Introduction Rhythm Enjoyment Character development Readability

213 customers mention "Translation quality"200 positive13 negative

Customers praise the translation's readability and find it easy to read like any literary fiction, with one customer noting it's constructed for modern English readers.

"...Emily Wilson is a linguist AND a poet. She knows writing. She tells the story. And it's done so well. Just do it. But the book for school...." Read more

"...has a different feel to it - dare I say a woman's touch - and it is lyrical and flowing in the same way that it might have fallen from the lips of..." Read more

"Beautiful translation and very easy to read. I enjoyed Emily Wilson’s writing of The Odyssey, the Introduction being the most informative...." Read more

"...It was worth the wait. Wilson’s text reads well while retaining a poetic style in translation, a major achievement in itself...." Read more

60 customers mention "Insight"60 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful and informative, describing it as compelling and fascinating, with one customer noting how it keeps the focus on understanding the story.

"...The build up and the atmosphere is woinderfully done. The revelation is stunning...." Read more

"...Her introduction is very detailed, and I became a bit impatient to get to the text...." Read more

"...The book starts with a lenghty but interesting discussion of the how and why of her translation as well as sharing many insights into the nature and..." Read more

"...I feel I can connect to what has come to us as "Homer" in an emotionally evocative way; it allows one to taste the imagination of hope in the..." Read more

49 customers mention "Story length"42 positive7 negative

Customers appreciate the length of the story, noting it is well-told with sly asides and drives the narrative forward, while being clear and alive to the storyteller's touch.

"...Emily Wilson is a linguist AND a poet. She knows writing. She tells the story. And it's done so well. Just do it. But the book for school...." Read more

"...I read the book on Kindle, and it worked well as an epic narrative...." Read more

"...citizens, tired from work, came to relax and hear a good story well told with sly asides, a wry touch, side eyed sexual innuendos, and even bits of..." Read more

"...Barnes and Noble publishing/ I became enamoured with the soap opera feel of the story and the morality it supported (or didn't)...." Read more

45 customers mention "Introduction"45 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the introduction of the book, which is thorough and well-structured in four parts, providing background information that makes it accessible to novices.

"...This translation actually makes sense... it's straightforward...." Read more

"...I enjoyed Emily Wilson’s writing of The Odyssey, the Introduction being the most informative...." Read more

"...It's all about style, hers is simple on the surface, a clear window that reveals the multiple layers of meaning in the text...starting with line one..." Read more

"...This is one is awesome for beginners and intermediate people. I loved it." Read more

28 customers mention "Rhythm"28 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the rhythm of the book, noting that it carries readers along effortlessly and flows quickly, with one customer specifically mentioning how well it works in both read and listened-to formats.

"...feel to it - dare I say a woman's touch - and it is lyrical and flowing in the same way that it might have fallen from the lips of the narrator...." Read more

"The five stars are for the lovely rhythmic English in Emily Wilson's fluent translation...." Read more

"...This one is my new favorite. Rich and flowing, The audiobook version is also one of my favorites...." Read more

"...In part by using iambic pentameter, whose rhythm carries the reader along effortlessly; in part by the choice of plain, direct, modern English words..." Read more

22 customers mention "Enjoyment"22 positive0 negative

Customers find the book thrilling and fun, describing it as a great adventure that keeps them engaged until the end.

"...by elitist academics, I found it to be really interesting even exciting...." Read more

"...reason is that, in comparison to the others, it is best at creating the mood of an ancient, epic, poem...." Read more

"...Dr. Wilson's version is BY FAR the best, most readable, exciting, and interesting translation you will find...." Read more

"...In short this is more than well made, it is actually fun - and I actually bought it to have it my hands rather than reading it in a pdf." Read more

17 customers mention "Character development"17 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with one noting how the voice actors bring the characters to life and another highlighting how it brings complexity to its female characters.

"...I don't mind it, it adds some character to the book, but I am sure it might turn people off." Read more

"...The voice actors bring the characters to life. I haven't finished listening to the story." Read more

"...The narrator was also excellent...." Read more

"...to read, gripping in its urgent use of prose, and brings complexity to its female characters." Read more

14 customers mention "Readability"11 positive3 negative

Customers find the book easy to read, with helpful notes provided for each chapter and lots of additional information in the back. One customer mentions that extra 100 pages were added, while another appreciates the contextual notes in the preface.

"...read any Greek literature and with this one, there will be many titles to read...." Read more

"...Emily Wilson’s translation makes reading the epic very enjoyable!..." Read more

"...The book is beautifully produced with a terrific introduction and notes...." Read more

"Excellent translation. Pages are missing…blank…at the end of the penultimate chapter on the olive tree bed." Read more

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Gonzalo Martinez
Great Reading
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2025
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This book is so good! I've never read any Greek literature and with this one, there will be many titles to read. And thanks to the author who made the best of this translation from Greek to English!

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Brianna
Why are all the reviews bad? I am far more than pleased.... please read
Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2022
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Many people are saying the way the pages look (not perfectly aligned) is bad... but that's how a lot of books are bound in this day and age. I can see why someone who is obsessed with the Odyssey and is a book snob would be upset because it wouldn't match the other books on their shelf aesthetic-wise. Some books I saw cam missing parts/starting in the wrong spot... mine is perfectly fine! No idea why that happened to a few people's books... just contact the seller to get a new one! I needed this class for a western lit class in college and books are so SO SO expensive so to pay $8 for a $20.00 book is beyond me amazing. The Emily Wilson translation has brought me to tears. Out of all the translations... this is the first one translated by a female. That's crazy. And it's important you know that because a key aspect of The Odyssey and Greek mythology is women being powerful and dominant... Emily's translation is in no way a feminist translation... but because she is a female her bias is put aside and she tells the story as it is. And if you miss that then you are reading the book through a lens that maybe you should do some inner reflection on. This translation actually makes sense... it's straightforward. So for college students trying to learn about greek mythology and about the origin of storytelling... this is the perfect translation. So many people were upset because they were comparing it to other translations. But perhaps they shouldn't compare and instead, see all the beauty and unique features that Emily Wilson brings to the table. Did you know that Robert Fagles was only a linguist... and NOT a writer. Emily Wilson is a linguist AND a poet. She knows writing. She tells the story. And it's done so well. Just do it. But the book for school. I hope you see this comment and trust me when I say you won't find a cheaper version of this work of art.

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David Harvey
A New Translation
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2023
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First - a confession. I studied Latin but not Classical Greek. But that said I have read Homer in many different translations. Some are literary works. The translation of "The Iliad" by Robert Fagles is raw, brutal, bloody and violent. Peter Green's "Odyssesy" was a joy to read until I came to Emily Wilson's translation. I first read about this in the London Review of books in which Ms Wilson wrote of the challenges of translation, giving examples. It is always a good idea to start at the beginning and she gave one of the transaltion difficulties in the description of Odysseus that appears in the first line.
But what a joy to read her translation - it has a different feel to it - dare I say a woman's touch - and it is lyrical and flowing in the same way that it might have fallen from the lips of the narrator.
There was a TV mini-series some time ago starring Armand Assante as Odysseus. In that rendering the scene in the hall when Odysseus strings the bow and shoots the arrow throuigh the line of axes is brilliantly rendered and for me that is the "go to" piece in translation. The build up and the atmosphere is woinderfully done. The revelation is stunning. In that scene, indeed thougout the whole of her work, Ms Wilson puts the arrow of her translation accurately and beautifulkly through the line of axes. Highly recommended

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Louise D. Somes
Easy to read
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2025
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Beautiful translation and very easy to read.
I enjoyed Emily Wilson’s writing of The Odyssey, the Introduction being the most informative.
Four stars because I thought the language and use of certain phrases and words were too contemporary for the time of the epic

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D. Kristofferson
A great translation!
Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2024
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I’ve read the Odyssey several times dating back to high school over 50 years ago. Emily Wilson’s translation makes reading the epic very enjoyable! Her introduction is very detailed, and I became a bit impatient to get to the text. I might suggest reading the original text first, then the intro, and then reread the Odyssey if one has sufficient time to do so.

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12 people found this helpful

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Arthur Digbee
A wonderful, readable translation
Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2022
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In high school and college, I had been assigned extracts from Homer, translated in stiff and stuffy styles. I was not impressed. I did not pursue his books further further until I read about this new translation by Emily Wilson. It was worth the wait.

Wilson’s text reads well while retaining a poetic style in translation, a major achievement in itself. Even better, she does so while avoiding the masculine-centered assumptions of other translators. This does not mean changing Homer, who wrote in and about a patriarchal world, but instead trying to see the women as Homer did, and not as a Victorian Englishman would. (I exaggerate, but you get the idea.)

You can see Wilson’s perspectives in her extensive introduction, most of which you can see in Amazon’s “Look Inside!” feature. Unfortunately, you can’t preview her “Translator’s Note,” which explains her decisions about style and other matters. The introduction includes passages from her translation, so read those and see what you think.

I read the book on Kindle, and it worked well as an epic narrative. Some reviewers object to Wilson’s style because they don’t like how it sounds when read aloud. Sample some excerpts on the page and out loud and see what works for you. Wilson’s translation is grammatically simpler than those in the critical reviewers’ preferred translations, so try comparing those. The style feels somewhat like a Germanic epic to me, which suggests connections to a shared Proto Indo-European style lost to history.

It’s possible that the critical reviewers prefer stuffy translations, and they may prefer them as a matter of English style or as a matter of Homeric Greek (which I don’t read). Read some of the three-star reviews before making a decision. I certainly found this translation a great read.

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Eduardo Lima Aguila
Es un libro con barbas, están bien cortadas sus hojas
Reviewed in Mexico on April 21, 2025
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La gente que dice que están mal cortadas las páginas se exhibe en su desconocimiento editorial. Las páginas están cortadas así a propósito, con barbas asemejando a los libros intonso, libros cuyos pliegos no estaban cortados, luego de cortar sus hojas, lo que le da un aire de antigüedad bien elegabte; en inglés se llama deckled edge. La edición es preciosa y la traducción muy buena, según he comparado con otras.

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Eduardo Lima Aguila

Es un libro con barbas, están bien cortadas sus hojas

Reviewed in Mexico on April 21, 2025
La gente que dice que están mal cortadas las páginas se exhibe en su desconocimiento editorial. Las páginas están cortadas así a propósito, con barbas asemejando a los libros intonso, libros cuyos pliegos no estaban cortados, luego de cortar sus hojas, lo que le da un aire de antigüedad bien elegabte; en inglés se llama deckled edge. La edición es preciosa y la traducción muy buena, según he comparado con otras.

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Feels good
Dirty
Reviewed in the United Arab Emirates on March 21, 2025
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Really dirty

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Tyakal N. Venkataramana
liked it
Reviewed in India on August 24, 2021
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used it for reading

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Elisabetta
A fantastic translation, gives another way of looking at this epic poem
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 21, 2024
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Emily Wilson's translation of The Odyssey is a remarkable achievement. Not only is it the first English version by a woman, but it also captures the beauty, complexity, and diversity of Homer's ancient poem. Wilson uses clear and elegant language, and a rhythmic iambic pentameter that echoes the original Greek meter. She also preserves the number of lines in each book, making her translation faithful to the structure and pace of the original.

Wilson's Odyssey is a creative and insightful interpretation. She brings out the nuances and ambiguities of Homer's characters, especially the "complicated" hero Odysseus, who is both a cunning trickster and a suffering wanderer. She also pays attention to the perspectives and voices of the women, slaves, and foreigners in the poem, who are often marginalized or silenced in other translations. She challenges the traditional readings of the poem that glorify violence, patriarchy, and colonialism, and instead highlights the themes of hospitality, justice, and identity.

This book will enrich the understanding and appreciation of Homer's masterpiece for modern readers. It is a work of art that deserves to be read and enjoyed by anyone who loves literature, poetry, and adventure. I highly recommend this translation to anyone who wants to experience The Odyssey in a new and refreshing way.

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Alessia
Stupendo
Reviewed in Italy on July 14, 2019
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Desideravo da tempo leggere la traduzione dell’Odissea di Emily Wilson, aspettative ampiamente superate! Lavoro stupendo!

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5.0 out of 5 stars Great Reading

5.0 out of 5 stars Why are all the reviews bad? I am far more than pleased.... please read

5.0 out of 5 stars A New Translation

4.0 out of 5 stars Easy to read

5.0 out of 5 stars A great translation!

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful, readable translation

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5.0 out of 5 stars Es un libro con barbas, están bien cortadas sus hojas

Es un libro con barbas, están bien cortadas sus hojas

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5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic translation, gives another way of looking at this epic poem

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Great Reading

Why are all the reviews bad? I am far more than pleased.... please read

A New Translation

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Es un libro con barbas, están bien cortadas sus hojas

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A fantastic translation, gives another way of looking at this epic poem

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