Odyssey (Word Cloud Classics) - Softcover

Homer

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1626864683 ISBN 13: 9781626864689

Publisher: Canterbury Classics, 2015

Synopsis

The story of Odysseus' perilous journey home after the fall of Troy relates allegorical tales of goddesses and sirens, capture and escape, and maneuvering between Scylla and Charybdis. After ten years of travel, Odysseus finally reaches Ithaca to find his family in turmoil. The saga of his efforts to make things right is one of the oldest works of Western literature, and it still offers powerful lessons for modern times.

About this title

Review:

With the Trojan war finally over after many long years, Odysseus wants nothing more than a swift journey home where his throne and beloved wife, Penelope, await him. But Poseidon, the sea god, bears a grudge against him and plans to prevent his return across the wine-dark sea to Ithaca. Many tests of strength and character ensue as Odysseus's journey stretches out over the years, taking in a multitude of strange and wonderful places and creatures. That's the basic plot of the epic poem Homer told nearly 3,000 years ago, but, even now, a new English translation is a true literary event. The ancient story is told in easy-going, beautiful poetry, the characters speak naturally and the action moves along briskly. Even the gods come across as real people, despite the divine powers they constantly exercise. The Odyssey really is a gripping, fast-moving read.

Review:

"A masterpiece . . . An "Odyssey worthy of the original."--William Arrowsmith, "The Nation
"Here there is no anxious straining after mighty effects, but rather a constant readiness for what the occasion demands, a kind of Odyssean adequacy to the task in hand."--Seamus Heaney
"A masterpiece . . . An "Odyssey" worthy of the original."--William Arrowsmith, "The Nation""Here there is no anxious straining after mighty effects, but rather a constant readiness for what the occasion demands, a kind of Odyssean adequacy to the task in hand."--Seamus Heaney

About this edition

• Publisher: Canterbury Classics
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1626864683
• ISBN 13: 9781626864689
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 296