The ace who launched a thousand books, 25 Nov 2008
I will avoid hubris by not attempting to rate "the Odyssey" per se! My five stars are for the translation by E.V. Rieu in the Penguin Classics edition, updated by his son and Peter Jones to make it even more readable for the current generation. The transparent, joyful prose makes this a superb experience for child or adult. It doesn't read like a translation. There is no tortured struggle with the Greek. There are no King James' bible archaisms. I can't see how it could be made more accessible or joyful for modern readers. If a teenager watches a film of this epic and asks for the "book version", give them this this! They will instantly get the message that the film version is never better than the original book.

One reviewer had trouble digesting some paragraphs. Were they reading a different translation? I had little trouble digesting this; the only (slight) difficulty was with the large cast of characters. Greek Gods are dropped in without much explanation, and as I'm not an expert on Ancient Greek Myth I needed some help with placing these endlessly interesting characters. Fortunately the editors provide a superb glossary! This gives you a short sentence about every place and person involved -- no more or less than you need to get on with the story.

Rieu's translation was the first of the Penguin Classics,the series which he and Sir Andrew Lane founded. His aim was to translate classics into good modern English. So I guess he thought he had to to a really good job on this first book. And he did! The vision of founding the Penguin Classics came to him while translating the Odyssey aloud to his wife and daughters while bombs dropped on London during the blitz. You might call him "the ace who launched a thousand books".

Better left at sea, 27 Jun 2008
I thought this book would be great, an interesting adventure and my first step into the literary world of greek classics. But after this, I am not rushing out to buy another greek classic.

The story is good, and the interesting mythological creatures and encounters are what kept me reading it. The characters make a square look less two dimensional and I can't, in all honesty, say I liked the good ones. I found Odysseus very arrogant and the gods hypocritical and the actions of them morally questionable. The style was also patronizing in places, by always addressing characters with an adjective describing their character, which we should make our own minds about, and not be force fed what we should think of them.

Perhaps if I was born at the time this was written, I might have enjoyed it more, however, in this century, I can't understand what is particularly good about it as a piece of literature. Therefore, for a good novel in its own right, avoid this.

Excellent story but hard to read, 18 Nov 2007
I recently finished this book and although I thoroughly enjoyed it, I also found it hard to read. I read this book regularly but often couldn't remember what I had just read. I would also end up re-reading paragraphs I had read only minutes before, as I couldn't remember reading them at all! The funny thing however, is that I could tell you exactly what happens in the correct order so clearly it was being absorbed. This appears to be a problem that affected only myself however, so maybe the style of writing wasn't quite suited to me.

If you have an interest in Classics or are working your way through the classic novels (such as myself), I highly recommend this book. I can guarantee that you will really enjoy it.

The Odyssey in 24 words, 03 Sep 2007
Mediterranean cruise with divine beauties and blind shepherds, swine and swingers, Scylla and Charybdis and Hades minitour. With wife at home taking double turns.

A classic at its best, 13 Aug 2007
The Odyssey covers the twenty years Odysseus is away from his family and friends in Ithica. The first ten years or so are spent in Troy where he fights on the side of the Greeks against the Trojans (see The Iliad) and concieves the idea of the famous "wooden horse". The remainder of his time away is spent on an ill-fated journey home where he looses all of his crew at various stages.

The main cause of delay is due to Poseidan the Earth-Shaker after he blinds his son, Cyclops Polyphemus. He is then detained by Circe (a demi-Goddess who is a witch). After an incident where she turns some of his crew into pigs, she sends him to the Underworld to speak to the seer Teiresias to learn how to return homw. After he leaves he faces the Sirens and the monsters Scylla and Charybdis who carry off some of his crew. The rest of his crew are killed after eating the Sun-Gods cattle on the island Thrinacia as punnishment. Odysseus is then detained 7 more years on the island of Ogygia where he washes up by Calypso. She is trying to get him to marry her and become immortal.

Eventally he gets back to his homeland with a little help from the Phaeacians and the Goddess Athena disguises him. While he has been away his wife has been beset by suitors who are trying to win her hand (assuming Odysseus is dead) in marriage and are treating his house and son Telemachus with disresect. Eventually father and son team up to kill all the suitors and all are finally reunited.

I really enjoyed this book, more so than The Iliad. I definately recommend reading The Iliad and then The Odyssey, not just because it makes sense chronologically but also because this is a more enjoyable story. The only problem I really had was that poor sensible Penelope is never consulted or trusted by her son or husband. Telemachus runs off and doesn't tell her and then Odysseus returns and tells his son and old nurse, but not his wife who has spent the last twenty years crying and mourning his loss. Pretty heartless really!

The ace who launched a thousand books, 25 Nov 2008
I will avoid hubris by not attempting to rate "the Odyssey" per se! My five stars are for the translation by E.V. Rieu in the Penguin Classics edition, updated by his son and Peter Jones to make it even more readable for the current generation. The transparent, joyful prose makes this a superb experience for child or adult. It doesn't read like a translation. There is no tortured struggle with the Greek. There are no King James' bible archaisms. I can't see how it could be made more accessible or joyful for modern readers. If a teenager watches a film of this epic and asks for the "book version", give them this this! They will instantly get the message that the film version is never better than the original book.

One reviewer had trouble digesting some paragraphs. Were they reading a different translation? I had little trouble digesting this; the only (slight) difficulty was with the large cast of characters. Greek Gods are dropped in without much explanation, and as I'm not an expert on Ancient Greek Myth I needed some help with placing these endlessly interesting characters. Fortunately the editors provide a superb glossary! This gives you a short sentence about every place and person involved -- no more or less than you need to get on with the story.

Rieu's translation was the first of the Penguin Classics,the series which he and Sir Andrew Lane founded. His aim was to translate classics into good modern English. So I guess he thought he had to to a really good job on this first book. And he did! The vision of founding the Penguin Classics came to him while translating the Odyssey aloud to his wife and daughters while bombs dropped on London during the blitz. You might call him "the ace who launched a thousand books".

Better left at sea, 27 Jun 2008
I thought this book would be great, an interesting adventure and my first step into the literary world of greek classics. But after this, I am not rushing out to buy another greek classic.

The story is good, and the interesting mythological creatures and encounters are what kept me reading it. The characters make a square look less two dimensional and I can't, in all honesty, say I liked the good ones. I found Odysseus very arrogant and the gods hypocritical and the actions of them morally questionable. The style was also patronizing in places, by always addressing characters with an adjective describing their character, which we should make our own minds about, and not be force fed what we should think of them.

Perhaps if I was born at the time this was written, I might have enjoyed it more, however, in this century, I can't understand what is particularly good about it as a piece of literature. Therefore, for a good novel in its own right, avoid this.

Excellent story but hard to read, 18 Nov 2007
I recently finished this book and although I thoroughly enjoyed it, I also found it hard to read. I read this book regularly but often couldn't remember what I had just read. I would also end up re-reading paragraphs I had read only minutes before, as I couldn't remember reading them at all! The funny thing however, is that I could tell you exactly what happens in the correct order so clearly it was being absorbed. This appears to be a problem that affected only myself however, so maybe the style of writing wasn't quite suited to me.

If you have an interest in Classics or are working your way through the classic novels (such as myself), I highly recommend this book. I can guarantee that you will really enjoy it.

The Odyssey in 24 words, 03 Sep 2007
Mediterranean cruise with divine beauties and blind shepherds, swine and swingers, Scylla and Charybdis and Hades minitour. With wife at home taking double turns.

A classic at its best, 13 Aug 2007
The Odyssey covers the twenty years Odysseus is away from his family and friends in Ithica. The first ten years or so are spent in Troy where he fights on the side of the Greeks against the Trojans (see The Iliad) and concieves the idea of the famous "wooden horse". The remainder of his time away is spent on an ill-fated journey home where he looses all of his crew at various stages.

The main cause of delay is due to Poseidan the Earth-Shaker after he blinds his son, Cyclops Polyphemus. He is then detained by Circe (a demi-Goddess who is a witch). After an incident where she turns some of his crew into pigs, she sends him to the Underworld to speak to the seer Teiresias to learn how to return homw. After he leaves he faces the Sirens and the monsters Scylla and Charybdis who carry off some of his crew. The rest of his crew are killed after eating the Sun-Gods cattle on the island Thrinacia as punnishment. Odysseus is then detained 7 more years on the island of Ogygia where he washes up by Calypso. She is trying to get him to marry her and become immortal.

Eventally he gets back to his homeland with a little help from the Phaeacians and the Goddess Athena disguises him. While he has been away his wife has been beset by suitors who are trying to win her hand (assuming Odysseus is dead) in marriage and are treating his house and son Telemachus with disresect. Eventually father and son team up to kill all the suitors and all are finally reunited.

I really enjoyed this book, more so than The Iliad. I definately recommend reading The Iliad and then The Odyssey, not just because it makes sense chronologically but also because this is a more enjoyable story. The only problem I really had was that poor sensible Penelope is never consulted or trusted by her son or husband. Telemachus runs off and doesn't tell her and then Odysseus returns and tells his son and old nurse, but not his wife who has spent the last twenty years crying and mourning his loss. Pretty heartless really!

Great little book, 12 Sep 2008
This is a great little book, for a very fair price.

I'm sure many of you know this already, great to read back over the stories from years and years ago!

Contains around 210 little stories with the moral written underneath. It has a little introduction too!

For the price, you've got nothing to lose!

The ace who launched a thousand books, 25 Nov 2008
I will avoid hubris by not attempting to rate "the Odyssey" per se! My five stars are for the translation by E.V. Rieu in the Penguin Classics edition, updated by his son and Peter Jones to make it even more readable for the current generation. The transparent, joyful prose makes this a superb experience for child or adult. It doesn't read like a translation. There is no tortured struggle with the Greek. There are no King James' bible archaisms. I can't see how it could be made more accessible or joyful for modern readers. If a teenager watches a film of this epic and asks for the "book version", give them this this! They will instantly get the message that the film version is never better than the original book.

One reviewer had trouble digesting some paragraphs. Were they reading a different translation? I had little trouble digesting this; the only (slight) difficulty was with the large cast of characters. Greek Gods are dropped in without much explanation, and as I'm not an expert on Ancient Greek Myth I needed some help with placing these endlessly interesting characters. Fortunately the editors provide a superb glossary! This gives you a short sentence about every place and person involved -- no more or less than you need to get on with the story.

Rieu's translation was the first of the Penguin Classics,the series which he and Sir Andrew Lane founded. His aim was to translate classics into good modern English. So I guess he thought he had to to a really good job on this first book. And he did! The vision of founding the Penguin Classics came to him while translating the Odyssey aloud to his wife and daughters while bombs dropped on London during the blitz. You might call him "the ace who launched a thousand books".

Better left at sea, 27 Jun 2008
I thought this book would be great, an interesting adventure and my first step into the literary world of greek classics. But after this, I am not rushing out to buy another greek classic.

The story is good, and the interesting mythological creatures and encounters are what kept me reading it. The characters make a square look less two dimensional and I can't, in all honesty, say I liked the good ones. I found Odysseus very arrogant and the gods hypocritical and the actions of them morally questionable. The style was also patronizing in places, by always addressing characters with an adjective describing their character, which we should make our own minds about, and not be force fed what we should think of them.

Perhaps if I was born at the time this was written, I might have enjoyed it more, however, in this century, I can't understand what is particularly good about it as a piece of literature. Therefore, for a good novel in its own right, avoid this.

Excellent story but hard to read, 18 Nov 2007
I recently finished this book and although I thoroughly enjoyed it, I also found it hard to read. I read this book regularly but often couldn't remember what I had just read. I would also end up re-reading paragraphs I had read only minutes before, as I couldn't remember reading them at all! The funny thing however, is that I could tell you exactly what happens in the correct order so clearly it was being absorbed. This appears to be a problem that affected only myself however, so maybe the style of writing wasn't quite suited to me.

If you have an interest in Classics or are working your way through the classic novels (such as myself), I highly recommend this book. I can guarantee that you will really enjoy it.

The Odyssey in 24 words, 03 Sep 2007
Mediterranean cruise with divine beauties and blind shepherds, swine and swingers, Scylla and Charybdis and Hades minitour. With wife at home taking double turns.

A classic at its best, 13 Aug 2007
The Odyssey covers the twenty years Odysseus is away from his family and friends in Ithica. The first ten years or so are spent in Troy where he fights on the side of the Greeks against the Trojans (see The Iliad) and concieves the idea of the famous "wooden horse". The remainder of his time away is spent on an ill-fated journey home where he looses all of his crew at various stages.

The main cause of delay is due to Poseidan the Earth-Shaker after he blinds his son, Cyclops Polyphemus. He is then detained by Circe (a demi-Goddess who is a witch). After an incident where she turns some of his crew into pigs, she sends him to the Underworld to speak to the seer Teiresias to learn how to return homw. After he leaves he faces the Sirens and the monsters Scylla and Charybdis who carry off some of his crew. The rest of his crew are killed after eating the Sun-Gods cattle on the island Thrinacia as punnishment. Odysseus is then detained 7 more years on the island of Ogygia where he washes up by Calypso. She is trying to get him to marry her and become immortal.

Eventally he gets back to his homeland with a little help from the Phaeacians and the Goddess Athena disguises him. While he has been away his wife has been beset by suitors who are trying to win her hand (assuming Odysseus is dead) in marriage and are treating his house and son Telemachus with disresect. Eventually father and son team up to kill all the suitors and all are finally reunited.

I really enjoyed this book, more so than The Iliad. I definately recommend reading The Iliad and then The Odyssey, not just because it makes sense chronologically but also because this is a more enjoyable story. The only problem I really had was that poor sensible Penelope is never consulted or trusted by her son or husband. Telemachus runs off and doesn't tell her and then Odysseus returns and tells his son and old nurse, but not his wife who has spent the last twenty years crying and mourning his loss. Pretty heartless really!

Great little book, 12 Sep 2008
This is a great little book, for a very fair price.

I'm sure many of you know this already, great to read back over the stories from years and years ago!

Contains around 210 little stories with the moral written underneath. It has a little introduction too!

For the price, you've got nothing to lose!

Real history in the making, 21 Mar 2001
Many books have been penned about Ancient Rome. Some are well written and know what the're talking about - whilst others are long-winded and can bore you to tears in thirty seconds. Well, how about slicing through all that - and reading the words of a man who was actually there?

Pliny (the Younger) was a Roman nobleman born around 61AD. He served as a magistrate under the emperor Trajan, and was the nephew of Pliny (the Elder) the famous statesman and writer. It's refreshing to read the words of an actual Roman for a change instead of those of ancient or modern historians, and Pliny's letters cover many fascinating aspects of roman life. Also gratifying is that often we are also given the replies.

Among the topics covered are; family, villas, court cases, hobbies, and poetry (his own verses, it must be said, stink!). How refreshing to get inside a Roman nobleman's head, and share his thoughts (even though his letters were written perhaps with "one eye" on their eventual publication).

The most famous letter is addressed to his friend the roman historian Tacitus who has asked for an account of his uncle's death in the eruption of Vesuvius. This of course took place in 79AD and caused the destruction of both Pompeii and other towns in the Bay of Naples).

The translator Betty Radice has done a very good job rendering the letters into modern english and her twenty-two page introduction makes interesting reading. Brief appendices include a short glossary and three maps. If "real" roman history is your thing - you can't beat this collection!

Here are just a few excerpts:-

To: Valerius Paulinus "I am furious with you, rightly or not I don't know, but it makes no difference. You know very well that love is sometimes unfair, often violent, and always quick to take offence, but I have good reason, whether or not it is a just one, to be as furious as I would be in a just cause. It is so long since I had a letter from you. The only way to placate me is to write me a lot of letters now, at long last - lengthy ones, too."

To: Sempronius Rufus "I had gone down to the Basilica Julia to listen to the speeches in a case where I had to appear for the defence at the next hearing. The court was seated, the presiding magistrates had arrived and counsel on both sides were coming and going; then there was a long silence, broken at last by a message from the Praetor. The court adjourned and the case was suspended, much to my delight for I am never so well prepared as not to be glad of a delay"

To: Cornelius Tacitus "I should like to obey your orders,but when you tell me I ought to honour Diana along with Minerva I find it impossible - there is such a shortage of boars. So I can only serve Minerva, and even her in the lazy way to be expected during a summer holiday.

On my way here I made up some bits of nonesense (not worth keeping) in the conversational style one uses when travelling, and I added something to them once I was here and had nothing better to do; but peace reigns over the poems which you fancy are only too easy to finish in the woods and groves. I have revised one or two short speeches, though this is the sort of disagreeable task I detest and is more like one of the hardships of country life than it's pleasures."

An accessable and enjoyable book, 19 Mar 2001
Many books have been penned about Ancient Rome. Some are well written and know what the're talking about - whilst others are long-winded and can bore you to tears in thirty seconds. Well, how about slicing through all that - and reading the words of a man who was actually there?

Pliny (the Younger) was a Roman nobleman born around 61AD. He served as a magistrate under the emperor Trajan, and was the nephew of Pliny (the Elder) the famous statesman and writer. It's refreshing to read the words of an actual Roman for a change instead of those of ancient or modern historians, and Pliny's letters cover many fascinating aspects of roman life. Also gratifying is that often we are also given the replies.

Among the topics covered are; family, villas, court cases, hobbies, and poetry (his own verses, it must be said, stink!). How refreshing to get inside a Roman nobleman's head, and share his thoughts (even though his letters were written perhaps with "one eye" on their eventual publication).

The most famous letter is addressed to his friend the roman historian Tacitus who has asked for an account of his uncle's death in the eruption of Vesuvius. This of course took place in 79AD and caused the destruction of both Pompeii and other towns in the Bay of Naples).

The translator Betty Radice has done a very good job rendering the letters into modern english and her twenty-two page introduction makes interesting reading. Brief appendices include a short glossary and three maps. If "real" roman history is your thing - you can't beat this collection!...

The ace who launched a thousand books, 25 Nov 2008
I will avoid hubris by not attempting to rate "the Odyssey" per se! My five stars are for the translation by E.V. Rieu in the Penguin Classics edition, updated by his son and Peter Jones to make it even more readable for the current generation. The transparent, joyful prose makes this a superb experience for child or adult. It doesn't read like a translation. There is no tortured struggle with the Greek. There are no King James' bible archaisms. I can't see how it could be made more accessible or joyful for modern readers. If a teenager watches a film of this epic and asks for the "book version", give them this this! They will instantly get the message that the film version is never better than the original book.

One reviewer had trouble digesting some paragraphs. Were they reading a different translation? I had little trouble digesting this; the only (slight) difficulty was with the large cast of characters. Greek Gods are dropped in without much explanation, and as I'm not an expert on Ancient Greek Myth I needed some help with placing these endlessly interesting characters. Fortunately the editors provide a superb glossary! This gives you a short sentence about every place and person involved -- no more or less than you need to get on with the story.

Rieu's translation was the first of the Penguin Classics,the series which he and Sir Andrew Lane founded. His aim was to translate classics into good modern English. So I guess he thought he had to to a really good job on this first book. And he did! The vision of founding the Penguin Classics came to him while translating the Odyssey aloud to his wife and daughters while bombs dropped on London during the blitz. You might call him "the ace who launched a thousand books".

Better left at sea, 27 Jun 2008
I thought this book would be great, an interesting adventure and my first step into the literary world of greek classics. But after this, I am not rushing out to buy another greek classic.

The story is good, and the interesting mythological creatures and encounters are what kept me reading it. The characters make a square look less two dimensional and I can't, in all honesty, say I liked the good ones. I found Odysseus very arrogant and the gods hypocritical and the actions of them morally questionable. The style was also patronizing in places, by always addressing characters with an adjective describing their character, which we should make our own minds about, and not be force fed what we should think of them.

Perhaps if I was born at the time this was written, I might have enjoyed it more, however, in this century, I can't understand what is particularly good about it as a piece of literature. Therefore, for a good novel in its own right, avoid this.

Excellent story but hard to read, 18 Nov 2007
I recently finished this book and although I thoroughly enjoyed it, I also found it hard to read. I read this book regularly but often couldn't remember what I had just read. I would also end up re-reading paragraphs I had read only minutes before, as I couldn't remember reading them at all! The funny thing however, is that I could tell you exactly what happens in the correct order so clearly it was being absorbed. This appears to be a problem that affected only myself however, so maybe the style of writing wasn't quite suited to me.

If you have an interest in Classics or are working your way through the classic novels (such as myself), I highly recommend this book. I can guarantee that you will really enjoy it.

The Odyssey in 24 words, 03 Sep 2007
Mediterranean cruise with divine beauties and blind shepherds, swine and swingers, Scylla and Charybdis and Hades minitour. With wife at home taking double turns.

A classic at its best, 13 Aug 2007
The Odyssey covers the twenty years Odysseus is away from his family and friends in Ithica. The first ten years or so are spent in Troy where he fights on the side of the Greeks against the Trojans (see The Iliad) and concieves the idea of the famous "wooden horse". The remainder of his time away is spent on an ill-fated journey home where he looses all of his crew at various stages.

The main cause of delay is due to Poseidan the Earth-Shaker after he blinds his son, Cyclops Polyphemus. He is then detained by Circe (a demi-Goddess who is a witch). After an incident where she turns some of his crew into pigs, she sends him to the Underworld to speak to the seer Teiresias to learn how to return homw. After he leaves he faces the Sirens and the monsters Scylla and Charybdis who carry off some of his crew. The rest of his crew are killed after eating the Sun-Gods cattle on the island Thrinacia as punnishment. Odysseus is then detained 7 more years on the island of Ogygia where he washes up by Calypso. She is trying to get him to marry her and become immortal.

Eventally he gets back to his homeland with a little help from the Phaeacians and the Goddess Athena disguises him. While he has been away his wife has been beset by suitors who are trying to win her hand (assuming Odysseus is dead) in marriage and are treating his house and son Telemachus with disresect. Eventually father and son team up to kill all the suitors and all are finally reunited.

I really enjoyed this book, more so than The Iliad. I definately recommend reading The Iliad and then The Odyssey, not just because it makes sense chronologically but also because this is a more enjoyable story. The only problem I really had was that poor sensible Penelope is never consulted or trusted by her son or husband. Telemachus runs off and doesn't tell her and then Odysseus returns and tells his son and old nurse, but not his wife who has spent the last twenty years crying and mourning his loss. Pretty heartless really!

Great little book, 12 Sep 2008
This is a great little book, for a very fair price.

I'm sure many of you know this already, great to read back over the stories from years and years ago!

Contains around 210 little stories with the moral written underneath. It has a little introduction too!

For the price, you've got nothing to lose!

Real history in the making, 21 Mar 2001
Many books have been penned about Ancient Rome. Some are well written and know what the're talking about - whilst others are long-winded and can bore you to tears in thirty seconds. Well, how about slicing through all that - and reading the words of a man who was actually there?

Pliny (the Younger) was a Roman nobleman born around 61AD. He served as a magistrate under the emperor Trajan, and was the nephew of Pliny (the Elder) the famous statesman and writer. It's refreshing to read the words of an actual Roman for a change instead of those of ancient or modern historians, and Pliny's letters cover many fascinating aspects of roman life. Also gratifying is that often we are also given the replies.

Among the topics covered are; family, villas, court cases, hobbies, and poetry (his own verses, it must be said, stink!). How refreshing to get inside a Roman nobleman's head, and share his thoughts (even though his letters were written perhaps with "one eye" on their eventual publication).

The most famous letter is addressed to his friend the roman historian Tacitus who has asked for an account of his uncle's death in the eruption of Vesuvius. This of course took place in 79AD and caused the destruction of both Pompeii and other towns in the Bay of Naples).

The translator Betty Radice has done a very good job rendering the letters into modern english and her twenty-two page introduction makes interesting reading. Brief appendices include a short glossary and three maps. If "real" roman history is your thing - you can't beat this collection!

Here are just a few excerpts:-

To: Valerius Paulinus "I am furious with you, rightly or not I don't know, but it makes no difference. You know very well that love is sometimes unfair, often violent, and always quick to take offence, but I have good reason, whether or not it is a just one, to be as furious as I would be in a just cause. It is so long since I had a letter from you. The only way to placate me is to write me a lot of letters now, at long last - lengthy ones, too."

To: Sempronius Rufus "I had gone down to the Basilica Julia to listen to the speeches in a case where I had to appear for the defence at the next hearing. The court was seated, the presiding magistrates had arrived and counsel on both sides were coming and going; then there was a long silence, broken at last by a message from the Praetor. The court adjourned and the case was suspended, much to my delight for I am never so well prepared as not to be glad of a delay"

To: Cornelius Tacitus "I should like to obey your orders,but when you tell me I ought to honour Diana along with Minerva I find it impossible - there is such a shortage of boars. So I can only serve Minerva, and even her in the lazy way to be expected during a summer holiday.

On my way here I made up some bits of nonesense (not worth keeping) in the conversational style one uses when travelling, and I added something to them once I was here and had nothing better to do; but peace reigns over the poems which you fancy are only too easy to finish in the woods and groves. I have revised one or two short speeches, though this is the sort of disagreeable task I detest and is more like one of the hardships of country life than it's pleasures."

An accessable and enjoyable book, 19 Mar 2001
Many books have been penned about Ancient Rome. Some are well written and know what the're talking about - whilst others are long-winded and can bore you to tears in thirty seconds. Well, how about slicing through all that - and reading the words of a man who was actually there?

Pliny (the Younger) was a Roman nobleman born around 61AD. He served as a magistrate under the emperor Trajan, and was the nephew of Pliny (the Elder) the famous statesman and writer. It's refreshing to read the words of an actual Roman for a change instead of those of ancient or modern historians, and Pliny's letters cover many fascinating aspects of roman life. Also gratifying is that often we are also given the replies.

Among the topics covered are; family, villas, court cases, hobbies, and poetry (his own verses, it must be said, stink!). How refreshing to get inside a Roman nobleman's head, and share his thoughts (even though his letters were written perhaps with "one eye" on their eventual publication).

The most famous letter is addressed to his friend the roman historian Tacitus who has asked for an account of his uncle's death in the eruption of Vesuvius. This of course took place in 79AD and caused the destruction of both Pompeii and other towns in the Bay of Naples).

The translator Betty Radice has done a very good job rendering the letters into modern english and her twenty-two page introduction makes interesting reading. Brief appendices include a short glossary and three maps. If "real" roman history is your thing - you can't beat this collection!...

Long but fascinating, 22 Nov 2008
Long winded at times, especially when listing men dying in battle, or crews of ships, complete with family histories and quirks, and it does only cover a few weeks when the Greeks are laying siege to a town, but it is epic in style.
The interaction between the lead characters, the detail and depiction of war in all its brutality, and especially how the Gods intervene and are accepted and sacrificed to continually makes it fascinating. The gulf between their culture and ours is palpable.
The extras in this edition - maps, history, cast - help put the story into proper context.
My favourite part was when the Gods were given a green light to join in the battle and flock to the scene. Just the idea of it is amazing.

Penguin have destroyed a classic, 26 Sep 2008
To be quite honest its hardly worth them calling this the Iliad. They have ripped the poetic beauty out of this Epic and condensed it into a dusty and boring prose. No one would ever consider changing Shakespeares or Byrons poems into novels; why why why have they treated Homer so abominably. This is not an epic anymore and resembles in no way the sonourous verse of Homer. If you want to read a decent version of one of the best poems written, read a differnet translation. I suggest Robert Fagles: his translations of the Iliad and the Odyssey are wonderful and capture all the poetic force of Homer. Please do not waste your money on this pathetic rendition of a wonderful poem.

Buy this book, 17 Mar 2007
This story began to circulate as part of an oral tradition around 3000 years ago. It is based on the military values of the Greeks and espouses the issues of valour, bravey, and honour that were an integral part of society in the ancient Greek world, and in numerous centuries of previous generations. Achilles, although considered a hero by the Greeks, shuns participation in the fighting because of a desire to protect his honour. Hector experiences numerous sucesses in leading campaigns against the Greeks but is eventually defeated when Achilles re-joins the war and uses his influence with the gods to defeat him. This text epitomizes the iniquities and uncertainties of war. If you read past the mythical fairytale of gods and heroes then you can truely understand the terrifying experiences of hand-to-hand combat that men faced in the ancient world. You can understand the bitterness involved in conflict and the pain experienced by compatriates of the casualties of war. The issues involved in this book are timeless and even in the age of modern combat the pain that radiates around them remains.

The rise of Western literature, 17 Feb 2005
The subject of this book may not have been seen as something new. Since hundreds of stories and tales had been already told and written down by the time that Homerus started this one which where very similar in style and storyline. So what is that makes Iliad so special.

Well for one thing it is the first real work of Western literature but that doesn't make it great does it?

No the thing that makes this piece of work is first of all some of the ideas that are hidden behind it which where very radical at the time that this story first occurred. The most important one of them from my point of view is the fact that in this story war isn't seen as something glorious as it was still seen by many in those days (and sadly enough still is seen by many in our time.) The mane hero of this story Achilles is even trying to avoid its horrors during the whole of the story. Some of the actions in the course of story aren't even heroic but rather degrading for the characters in the story. Like for instance the night attack in book 10.

Second of all Homer is the guy who helped to shape the whole Greek religion by giving the Gods background stories and explaining their connections whit each other. And giving them numerous human qualities like the fact that they are forced to eat, drink and sleep. They show human emotions like hatred, love and pain.

Homerus has also asked us a very important question during the coarse of this book namely what is ones life worth? What is friendship worth?

And finally he has delivered us a human tragedy which remains relevant even although ages have passed by between its creation and Homer himself has fallen into oblivions for the only thing known about him remain his works and we aren't even certain wheatear he has written them.

So don't hesitate about whether to purchase this book (or borrow it from your local library). And as for the translation although it is over 50 years in age it is surprisingly modern and easy to read (although I have doubts about the added in my opinion completely useless notes and arguments.)

Thousands of years old, and still relevent, 27 May 2003
There are many theories and arguements over did Homer actually tell the story or was is someone else, or many people etc - but it doesnt taint the powerful story that the Illiad is.
It is a good book because the themes addressed are still relevent to todays society, especially at this time of war and conflict in the world. It is a tale about war, and how it affects the human mind. The world was a beautiful, peaceful place untill the Trojan war started over just one girl, and the honour she represents - and now the war has been fought for so long, it looks like that the war will not only kill people, warriors, women and children, but will kill a civilisation and destruct a way of life and serenity that will never be felt again by anyone. But the gods remain as aloof as ever before.
This tale of Achilles and the war is powerful, and the touching moments of Hector and Andromache, or the lonely death of Patroclus will make even the coldest heart cry out.
So let out a wild war cry - let the gods meddle with your world and let this powerful poem overwhelm you

The ace who launched a thousand books, 25 Nov 2008
I will avoid hubris by not attempting to rate "the Odyssey" per se! My five stars are for the translation by E.V. Rieu in the Penguin Classics edition, updated by his son and Peter Jones to make it even more readable for the current generation. The transparent, joyful prose makes this a superb experience for child or adult. It doesn't read like a translation. There is no tortured struggle with the Greek. There are no King James' bible archaisms. I can't see how it could be made more accessible or joyful for modern readers. If a teenager watches a film of this epic and asks for the "book version", give them this this! They will instantly get the message that the film version is never better than the original book.

One reviewer had trouble digesting some paragraphs. Were they reading a different translation? I had little trouble digesting this; the only (slight) difficulty was with the large cast of characters. Greek Gods are dropped in without much explanation, and as I'm not an expert on Ancient Greek Myth I needed some help with placing these endlessly interesting characters. Fortunately the editors provide a superb glossary! This gives you a short sentence about every place and person involved -- no more or less than you need to get on with the story.

Rieu's translation was the first of the Penguin Classics,the series which he and Sir Andrew Lane founded. His aim was to translate classics into good modern English. So I guess he thought he had to to a really good job on this first book. And he did! The vision of founding the Penguin Classics came to him while translating the Odyssey aloud to his wife and daughters while bombs dropped on London during the blitz. You might call him "the ace who launched a thousand books".

Better left at sea, 27 Jun 2008
I thought this book would be great, an interesting adventure and my first step into the literary world of greek classics. But after this, I am not rushing out to buy another greek classic.

The story is good, and the interesting mythological creatures and encounters are what kept me reading it. The characters make a square look less two dimensional and I can't, in all honesty, say I liked the good ones. I found Odysseus very arrogant and the gods hypocritical and the actions of them morally questionable. The style was also patronizing in places, by always addressing characters with an adjective describing their character, which we should make our own minds about, and not be force fed what we should think of them.

Perhaps if I was born at the time this was written, I might have enjoyed it more, however, in this century, I can't understand what is particularly good about it as a piece of literature. Therefore, for a good novel in its own right, avoid this.

Excellent story but hard to read, 18 Nov 2007
I recently finished this book and although I thoroughly enjoyed it, I also found it hard to read. I read this book regularly but often couldn't remember what I had just read. I would also end up re-reading paragraphs I had read only minutes before, as I couldn't remember reading them at all! The funny thing however, is that I could tell you exactly what happens in the correct order so clearly it was being absorbed. This appears to be a problem that affected only myself however, so maybe the style of writing wasn't quite suited to me.

If you have an interest in Classics or are working your way through the classic novels (such as myself), I highly recommend this book. I can guarantee that you will really enjoy it.

The Odyssey in 24 words, 03 Sep 2007
Mediterranean cruise with divine beauties and blind shepherds, swine and swingers, Scylla and Charybdis and Hades minitour. With wife at home taking double turns.

A classic at its best, 13 Aug 2007
The Odyssey covers the twenty years Odysseus is away from his family and friends in Ithica. The first ten years or so are spent in Troy where he fights on the side of the Greeks against the Trojans (see The Iliad) and concieves the idea of the famous "wooden horse". The remainder of his time away is spent on an ill-fated journey home where he looses all of his crew at various stages.

The main cause of delay is due to Poseidan the Earth-Shaker after he blinds his son, Cyclops Polyphemus. He is then detained by Circe (a demi-Goddess who is a witch). After an incident where she turns some of his crew into pigs, she sends him to the Underworld to speak to the seer Teiresias to learn how to return homw. After he leaves he faces the Sirens and the monsters Scylla and Charybdis who carry off some of his crew. The rest of his crew are killed after eating the Sun-Gods cattle on the island Thrinacia as punnishment. Odysseus is then detained 7 more years on the island of Ogygia where he washes up by Calypso. She is trying to get him to marry her and become immortal.

Eventally he gets back to his homeland with a little help from the Phaeacians and the Goddess Athena disguises him. While he has been away his wife has been beset by suitors who are trying to win her hand (assuming Odysseus is dead) in marriage and are treating his house and son Telemachus with disresect. Eventually father and son team up to kill all the suitors and all are finally reunited.

I really enjoyed this book, more so than The Iliad. I definately recommend reading The Iliad and then The Odyssey, not just because it makes sense chronologically but also because this is a more enjoyable story. The only problem I really had was that poor sensible Penelope is never consulted or trusted by her son or husband. Telemachus runs off and doesn't tell her and then Odysseus returns and tells his son and old nurse, but not his wife who has spent the last twenty years crying and mourning his loss. Pretty heartless really!

Great little book, 12 Sep 2008
This is a great little book, for a very fair price.

I'm sure many of you know this already, great to read back over the stories from years and years ago!

Contains around 210 little stories with the moral written underneath. It has a little introduction too!

For the price, you've got nothing to lose!

Real history in the making, 21 Mar 2001
Many books have been penned about Ancient Rome. Some are well written and know what the're talking about - whilst others are long-winded and can bore you to tears in thirty seconds. Well, how about slicing through all that - and reading the words of a man who was actually there?

Pliny (the Younger) was a Roman nobleman born around 61AD. He served as a magistrate under the emperor Trajan, and was the nephew of Pliny (the Elder) the famous statesman and writer. It's refreshing to read the words of an actual Roman for a change instead of those of ancient or modern historians, and Pliny's letters cover many fascinating aspects of roman life. Also gratifying is that often we are also given the replies.

Among the topics covered are; family, villas, court cases, hobbies, and poetry (his own verses, it must be said, stink!). How refreshing to get inside a Roman nobleman's head, and share his thoughts (even though his letters were written perhaps with "one eye" on their eventual publication).

The most famous letter is addressed to his friend the roman historian Tacitus who has asked for an account of his uncle's death in the eruption of Vesuvius. This of course took place in 79AD and caused the destruction of both Pompeii and other towns in the Bay of Naples).

The translator Betty Radice has done a very good job rendering the letters into modern english and her twenty-two page introduction makes interesting reading. Brief appendices include a short glossary and three maps. If "real" roman history is your thing - you can't beat this collection!

Here are just a few excerpts:-

To: Valerius Paulinus "I am furious with you, rightly or not I don't know, but it makes no difference. You know very well that love is sometimes unfair, often violent, and always quick to take offence, but I have good reason, whether or not it is a just one, to be as furious as I would be in a just cause. It is so long since I had a letter from you. The only way to placate me is to write me a lot of letters now, at long last - lengthy ones, too."

To: Sempronius Rufus "I had gone down to the Basilica Julia to listen to the speeches in a case where I had to appear for the defence at the next hearing. The court was seated, the presiding magistrates had arrived and counsel on both sides were coming and going; then there was a long silence, broken at last by a message from the Praetor. The court adjourned and the case was suspended, much to my delight for I am never so well prepared as not to be glad of a delay"

To: Cornelius Tacitus "I should like to obey your orders,but when you tell me I ought to honour Diana along with Minerva I find it impossible - there is such a shortage of boars. So I can only serve Minerva, and even her in the lazy way to be expected during a summer holiday.

On my way here I made up some bits of nonesense (not worth keeping) in the conversational style one uses when travelling, and I added something to them once I was here and had nothing better to do; but peace reigns over the poems which you fancy are only too easy to finish in the woods and groves. I have revised one or two short speeches, though this is the sort of disagreeable task I detest and is more like one of the hardships of country life than it's pleasures."

An accessable and enjoyable book, 19 Mar 2001
Many books have been penned about Ancient Rome. Some are well written and know what the're talking about - whilst others are long-winded and can bore you to tears in thirty seconds. Well, how about slicing through all that - and reading the words of a man who was actually there?

Pliny (the Younger) was a Roman nobleman born around 61AD. He served as a magistrate under the emperor Trajan, and was the nephew of Pliny (the Elder) the famous statesman and writer. It's refreshing to read the words of an actual Roman for a change instead of those of ancient or modern historians, and Pliny's letters cover many fascinating aspects of roman life. Also gratifying is that often we are also given the replies.

Among the topics covered are; family, villas, court cases, hobbies, and poetry (his own verses, it must be said, stink!). How refreshing to get inside a Roman nobleman's head, and share his thoughts (even though his letters were written perhaps with "one eye" on their eventual publication).

The most famous letter is addressed to his friend the roman historian Tacitus who has asked for an account of his uncle's death in the eruption of Vesuvius. This of course took place in 79AD and caused the destruction of both Pompeii and other towns in the Bay of Naples).

The translator Betty Radice has done a very good job rendering the letters into modern english and her twenty-two page introduction makes interesting reading. Brief appendices include a short glossary and three maps. If "real" roman history is your thing - you can't beat this collection!...

Long but fascinating, 22 Nov 2008
Long winded at times, especially when listing men dying in battle, or crews of ships, complete with family histories and quirks, and it does only cover a few weeks when the Greeks are laying siege to a town, but it is epic in style.
The interaction between the lead characters, the detail and depiction of war in all its brutality, and especially how the Gods intervene and are accepted and sacrificed to continually makes it fascinating. The gulf between their culture and ours is palpable.
The extras in this edition - maps, history, cast - help put the story into proper context.
My favourite part was when the Gods were given a green light to join in the battle and flock to the scene. Just the idea of it is amazing.

Penguin have destroyed a classic, 26 Sep 2008
To be quite honest its hardly worth them calling this the Iliad. They have ripped the poetic beauty out of this Epic and condensed it into a dusty and boring prose. No one would ever consider changing Shakespeares or Byrons poems into novels; why why why have they treated Homer so abominably. This is not an epic anymore and resembles in no way the sonourous verse of Homer. If you want to read a decent version of one of the best poems written, read a differnet translation. I suggest Robert Fagles: his translations of the Iliad and the Odyssey are wonderful and capture all the poetic force of Homer. Please do not waste your money on this pathetic rendition of a wonderful poem.

Buy this book, 17 Mar 2007
This story began to circulate as part of an oral tradition around 3000 years ago. It is based on the military values of the Greeks and espouses the issues of valour, bravey, and honour that were an integral part of society in the ancient Greek world, and in numerous centuries of previous generations. Achilles, although considered a hero by the Greeks, shuns participation in the fighting because of a desire to protect his honour. Hector experiences numerous sucesses in leading campaigns against the Greeks but is eventually defeated when Achilles re-joins the war and uses his influence with the gods to defeat him. This text epitomizes the iniquities and uncertainties of war. If you read past the mythical fairytale of gods and heroes then you can truely understand the terrifying experiences of hand-to-hand combat that men faced in the ancient world. You can understand the bitterness involved in conflict and the pain experienced by compatriates of the casualties of war. The issues involved in this book are timeless and even in the age of modern combat the pain that radiates around them remains.

The rise of Western literature, 17 Feb 2005
The subject of this book may not have been seen as something new. Since hundreds of stories and tales had been already told and written down by the time that Homerus started this one which where very similar in style and storyline. So what is that makes Iliad so special.

Well for one thing it is the first real work of Western literature but that doesn't make it great does it?

No the thing that makes this piece of work is first of all some of the ideas that are hidden behind it which where very radical at the time that this story first occurred. The most important one of them from my point of view is the fact that in this story war isn't seen as something glorious as it was still seen by many in those days (and sadly enough still is seen by many in our time.) The mane hero of this story Achilles is even trying to avoid its horrors during the whole of the story. Some of the actions in the course of story aren't even heroic but rather degrading for the characters in the story. Like for instance the night attack in book 10.

Second of all Homer is the guy who helped to shape the whole Greek religion by giving the Gods background stories and explaining their connections whit each other. And giving them numerous human qualities like the fact that they are forced to eat, drink and sleep. They show human emotions like hatred, love and pain.

Homerus has also asked us a very important question during the coarse of this book namely what is ones life worth? What is friendship worth?

And finally he has delivered us a human tragedy which remains relevant even although ages have passed by between its creation and Homer himself has fallen into oblivions for the only thing known about him remain his works and we aren't even certain wheatear he has written them.

So don't hesitate about whether to purchase this book (or borrow it from your local library). And as for the translation although it is over 50 years in age it is surprisingly modern and easy to read (although I have doubts about the added in my opinion completely useless notes and arguments.)

Thousands of years old, and still relevent, 27 May 2003
There are many theories and arguements over did Homer actually tell the story or was is someone else, or many people etc - but it doesnt taint the powerful story that the Illiad is.
It is a good book because the themes addressed are still relevent to todays society, especially at this time of war and conflict in the world. It is a tale about war, and how it affects the human mind. The world was a beautiful, peaceful place untill the Trojan war started over just one girl, and the honour she represents - and now the war has been fought for so long, it looks like that the war will not only kill people, warriors, women and children, but will kill a civilisation and destruct a way of life and serenity that will never be felt again by anyone. But the gods remain as aloof as ever before.
This tale of Achilles and the war is powerful, and the touching moments of Hector and Andromache, or the lonely death of Patroclus will make even the coldest heart cry out.
So let out a wild war cry - let the gods meddle with your world and let this powerful poem overwhelm you

inferior to the previous penguin version, 08 Nov 2008
the Jackson Knight translation previously available in Penguin Classics is vastly superior...and should be sought out in 2nd hand shops...Quite why penguin thought it a good idea to change a classic version of a classic is beyond me; that said at least it isn't as bad as the awful Seamus Heaney version.

Complex, ambivalent and very Roman, 30 Jul 2006
Vergil's epic used to be read as the traditional moral propaganda that justified the Roman empire and Augustus' rule, but it's a far more complex and problematic poem than that. Yes, as a previous reviewer, has stated, he takes Homer as his starting point, but Vergil's intention is not to 'top' Homer but to question and reflect on Rome's self-identity and the values that Roman culture has been built upon.

It is possible to read this is a simple, rousing epic of war and the heroic ethos, but the other 'voices' question the very values that the poem purports to support. Ultimately this is a poem of profound grief and loss and mourning for the past and for the price that has been paid in order to move forward into the future, and in this sense, it is a comment on the fall of the Republic and the emergence of the Principate under Augustus.

Having said that, it's also a good story, picking up from the end of the Iliad and telling the fall of Troy, Aeneas' escape with a group of Trojans and his search for Italy where he will found the city that will become Rome. The most famous incident is the tragic story of Dido (Book 4) which even in Vergil's own day was regarded as the best bit of the whole poem.

Together with the Iliad and the Odyssey, this is one of the foundation stones of European literature, and the Penguin translation is clear, easy and fluent. For a more poetic and rhythmic translation I would recommend the Allen Mandelbaum version which tends to be the one used by academics. Enjoy.



very good, but not Homer, 15 Jun 2006
The Aeneid at its core is propaganda written by Virgil in the name of Augustus. That aside it is skillfuly done and gives insight into the times.
Virgil uses Homer's work as a prelude to his own taking many of the characters, plot and themes. For example Aeneas encounters on his journey the very same sea creatures, as in the ODYSSEY, as well as the iconic cyclops. Also the shield given to Aeneas is reminisant of the one given to Achilles in the ILIAD.
Although a great story teller and an obvious epic, if feels as though Virgil with his almost ready made plot, has to get one over Homer in every way, while in my opinion not quite managing it.

Enjoyable and easy to read, 03 Mar 2004
I am new to the classical works of Greece and Rome, however I've recently challenged myself to become more well acquainted with the works that have shaped story telling.

The fairly recent (mid nineties) Penguin translations of The Iliad and The Odyssey were where I began, and both books artfully represented the behemoths that these particular stories are in the world of literature. It was then with some trepidation that I picked up this volume, clear that this Roman book would not come up to scratch. I am glad to say I was completely wrong. West's translation is rich and readable. I even managed to read this on a busy bus on the way to work!

The accessibility of this work is its strength and I would recommend this story, and in particular this artful translation, to anyone who has no real specialist knowledge, but enjoys a good story and revels in the ancient greatness such tales can evoke.

Recommended

Enjoyable and easy to read, 03 Mar 2004
I am new to the classical works of Greece and Rome, however I've recently challenged myself to become more well acquainted with the works that have shaped story telling.

The fairly recent (mid nineties) Penguin translations of The Iliad and The Odyssey were where I began, and both books artfully represented the behemoths that these particular stories are in the world of literature. It was then with some trepidation that I picked up this volume, clear that this Roman book would not come up to scratch. I am glad to say I was completely wrong. West's translation is rich and readable. I even managed to read this on a busy bus on the way to work!

The accessibility of this work is its strength and I would recommend this story, and in particular this artful translation, to anyone who has no real specialist knowledge, but enjoys a good story and revels in the ancient greatness such tales can evoke.

Recommended

The ace who launched a thousand books, 25 Nov 2008
I will avoid hubris by not attempting to rate "the Odyssey" per se! My five stars are for the translation by E.V. Rieu in the Penguin Classics edition, updated by his son and Peter Jones to make it even more readable for the current generation. The transparent, joyful prose makes this a superb experience for child or adult. It doesn't read like a translation. There is no tortured struggle with the Greek. There are no King James' bible archaisms. I can't see how it could be made more accessible or joyful for modern readers. If a teenager watches a film of this epic and asks for the "book version", give them this this! They will instantly get the message that the film version is never better than the original book.

One reviewer had trouble digesting some paragraphs. Were they reading a different translation? I had little trouble digesting this; the only (slight) difficulty was with the large cast of characters. Greek Gods are dropped in without much explanation, and as I'm not an expert on Ancient Greek Myth I needed some help with placing these endlessly interesting characters. Fortunately the editors provide a superb glossary! This gives you a short sentence about every place and person involved -- no more or less than you need to get on with the story.

Rieu's translation was the first of the Penguin Classics,the series which he and Sir Andrew Lane founded. His aim was to translate classics into good modern English. So I guess he thought he had to to a really good job on this first book. And he did! The vision of founding the Penguin Classics came to him while translating the Odyssey aloud to his wife and daughters while bombs dropped on London during the blitz. You might call him "the ace who launched a thousand books".

Better left at sea, 27 Jun 2008
I thought this book would be great, an interesting adventure and my first step into the literary world of greek classics. But after this, I am not rushing out to buy another greek classic.

The story is good, and the interesting mythological creatures and encounters are what kept me reading it. The characters make a square look less two dimensional and I can't, in all honesty, say I liked the good ones. I found Odysseus very arrogant and the gods hypocritical and the actions of them morally questionable. The style was also patronizing in places, by always addressing characters with an adjective describing their character, which we should make our own minds about, and not be force fed what we should think of them.

Perhaps if I was born at the time this was written, I might have enjoyed it more, however, in this century, I can't understand what is particularly good about it as a piece of literature. Therefore, for a good novel in its own right, avoid this.

Excellent story but hard to read, 18 Nov 2007
I recently finished this book and although I thoroughly enjoyed it, I also found it hard to read. I read this book regularly but often couldn't remember what I had just read. I would also end up re-reading paragraphs I had read only minutes before, as I couldn't remember reading them at all! The funny thing however, is that I could tell you exactly what happens in the correct order so clearly it was being absorbed. This appears to be a problem that affected only myself however, so maybe the style of writing wasn't quite suited to me.

If you have an interest in Classics or are working your way through the classic novels (such as myself), I highly recommend this book. I can guarantee that you will really enjoy it.

The Odyssey in 24 words, 03 Sep 2007
Mediterranean cruise with divine beauties and blind shepherds, swine and swingers, Scylla and Charybdis and Hades minitour. With wife at home taking double turns.

A classic at its best, 13 Aug 2007
The Odyssey covers the twenty years Odysseus is away from his family and friends in Ithica. The first ten years or so are spent in Troy where he fights on the side of the Greeks against the Trojans (see The Iliad) and concieves the idea of the famous "wooden horse". The remainder of his time away is spent on an ill-fated journey home where he looses all of his crew at various stages.

The main cause of delay is due to Poseidan the Earth-Shaker after he blinds his son, Cyclops Polyphemus. He is then detained by Circe (a demi-Goddess who is a witch). After an incident where she turns some of his crew into pigs, she sends him to the Underworld to speak to the seer Teiresias to learn how to return homw. After he leaves he faces the Sirens and the monsters Scylla and Charybdis who carry off some of his crew. The rest of his crew are killed after eating the Sun-Gods cattle on the island Thrinacia as punnishment. Odysseus is then detained 7 more years on the island of Ogygia where he washes up by Calypso. She is trying to get him to marry her and become immortal.

Eventally he gets back to his homeland with a little help from the Phaeacians and the Goddess Athena disguises him. While he has been away his wife has been beset by suitors who are trying to win her hand (assuming Odysseus is dead) in marriage and are treating his house and son Telemachus with disresect. Eventually father and son team up to kill all the suitors and all are finally reunited.

I really enjoyed this book, more so than The Iliad. I definately recommend reading The Iliad and then The Odyssey, not just because it makes sense chronologically but also because this is a more enjoyable story. The only problem I really had was that poor sensible Penelope is never consulted or trusted by her son or husband. Telemachus runs off and doesn't tell her and then Odysseus returns and tells his son and old nurse, but not his wife who has spent the last twenty years crying and mourning his loss. Pretty heartless really!

Great little book, 12 Sep 2008
This is a great little book, for a very fair price.

I'm sure many of you know this already, great to read back over the stories from years and years ago!

Contains around 210 little stories with the moral written underneath. It has a little introduction too!

For the price, you've got nothing to lose!

Real history in the making, 21 Mar 2001
Many books have been penned about Ancient Rome. Some are well written and know what the're talking about - whilst others are long-winded and can bore you to tears in thirty seconds. Well, how about slicing through all that - and reading the words of a man who was actually there?

Pliny (the Younger) was a Roman nobleman born around 61AD. He served as a magistrate under the emperor Trajan, and was the nephew of Pliny (the Elder) the famous statesman and writer. It's refreshing to read the words of an actual Roman for a change instead of those of ancient or modern historians, and Pliny's letters cover many fascinating aspects of roman life. Also gratifying is that often we are also given the replies.

Among the topics covered are; family, villas, court cases, hobbies, and poetry (his own verses, it must be said, stink!). How refreshing to get inside a Roman nobleman's head, and share his thoughts (even though his letters were written perhaps with "one eye" on their eventual publication).

The most famous letter is addressed to his friend the roman historian Tacitus who has asked for an account of his uncle's death in the eruption of Vesuvius. This of course took place in 79AD and caused the destruction of both Pompeii and other towns in the Bay of Naples).

The translator Betty Radice has done a very good job rendering the letters into modern english and her twenty-two page introduction makes interesting reading. Brief appendices include a short glossary and three maps. If "real" roman history is your thing - you can't beat this collection!

Here are just a few excerpts:-

To: Valerius Paulinus "I am furious with you, rightly or not I don't know, but it makes no difference. You know very well that love is sometimes unfair, often violent, and always quick to take offence, but I have good reason, whether or not it is a just one, to be as furious as I would be in a just cause. It is so long since I had a letter from you. The only way to placate me is to write me a lot of letters now, at long last - lengthy ones, too."

To: Sempronius Rufus "I had gone down to the Basilica Julia to listen to the speeches in a case where I had to appear for the defence at the next hearing. The court was seated, the presiding magistrates had arrived and counsel on both sides were coming and going; then there was a long silence, broken at last by a message from the Praetor. The court adjourned and the case was suspended, much to my delight for I am never so well prepared as not to be glad of a delay"

To: Cornelius Tacitus "I should like to obey your orders,but when you tell me I ought to honour Diana along with Minerva I find it impossible - there is such a shortage of boars. So I can only serve Minerva, and even her in the lazy way to be expected during a summer holiday.

On my way here I made up some bits of nonesense (not worth keeping) in the conversational style one uses when travelling, and I added something to them once I was here and had nothing better to do; but peace reigns over the poems which you fancy are only too easy to finish in the woods and groves. I have revised one or two short speeches, though this is the sort of disagreeable task I detest and is more like one of the hardships of country life than it's pleasures."

An accessable and enjoyable book, 19 Mar 2001
Many books have been penned about Ancient Rome. Some are well written and know what the're talking about - whilst others are long-winded and can bore you to tears in thirty seconds. Well, how about slicing through all that - and reading the words of a man who was actually there?

Pliny (the Younger) was a Roman nobleman born around 61AD. He served as a magistrate under the emperor Trajan, and was the nephew of Pliny (the Elder) the famous statesman and writer. It's refreshing to read the words of an actual Roman for a change instead of those of ancient or modern historians, and Pliny's letters cover many fascinating aspects of roman life. Also gratifying is that often we are also given the replies.

Among the topics covered are; family, villas, court cases, hobbies, and poetry (his own verses, it must be said, stink!). How refreshing to get inside a Roman nobleman's head, and share his thoughts (even though his letters were written perhaps with "one eye" on their eventual publication).

The most famous letter is addressed to his friend the roman historian Tacitus who has asked for an account of his uncle's death in the eruption of Vesuvius. This of course took place in 79AD and caused the destruction of both Pompeii and other towns in the Bay of Naples).

The translator Betty Radice has done a very good job rendering the letters into modern english and her twenty-two page introduction makes interesting reading. Brief appendices include a short glossary and three maps. If "real" roman history is your thing - you can't beat this collection!...

Long but fascinating, 22 Nov 2008
Long winded at times, especially when listing men dying in battle, or crews of ships, complete with family histories and quirks, and it does only cover a few weeks when the Greeks are laying siege to a town, but it is epic in style.
The interaction between the lead characters, the detail and depiction of war in all its brutality, and especially how the Gods intervene and are accepted and sacrificed to continually makes it fascinating. The gulf between their culture and ours is palpable.
The extras in this edition - maps, history, cast - help put the story into proper context.
My favourite part was when the Gods were given a green light to join in the battle and flock to the scene. Just the idea of it is amazing.

Penguin have destroyed a classic, 26 Sep 2008
To be quite honest its hardly worth them calling this the Iliad. They have ripped the poetic beauty out of this Epic and condensed it into a dusty and boring prose. No one would ever consider changing Shakespeares or Byrons poems into novels; why why why have they treated Homer so abominably. This is not an epic anymore and resembles in no way the sonourous verse of Homer. If you want to read a decent version of one of the best poems written, read a differnet translation. I suggest Robert Fagles: his translations of the Iliad and the Odyssey are wonderful and capture all the poetic force of Homer. Please do not waste your money on this pathetic rendition of a wonderful poem.

Buy this book, 17 Mar 2007
This story began to circulate as part of an oral tradition around 3000 years ago. It is based on the military values of the Greeks and espouses the issues of valour, bravey, and honour that were an integral part of society in the ancient Greek world, and in numerous centuries of previous generations. Achilles, although considered a hero by the Greeks, shuns participation in the fighting because of a desire to protect his honour. Hector experiences numerous sucesses in leading campaigns against the Greeks but is eventually defeated when Achilles re-joins the war and uses his influence with the gods to defeat him. This text epitomizes the iniquities and uncertainties of war. If you read past the mythical fairytale of gods and heroes then you can truely understand the terrifying experiences of hand-to-hand combat that men faced in the ancient world. You can understand the bitterness involved in conflict and the pain experienced by compatriates of the casualties of war. The issues involved in this book are timeless and even in the age of modern combat the pain that radiates around them remains.

The rise of Western literature, 17 Feb 2005
The subject of this book may not have been seen as something new. Since hundreds of stories and tales had been already told and written down by the time that Homerus started this one which where very similar in style and storyline. So what is that makes Iliad so special.

Well for one thing it is the first real work of Western literature but that doesn't make it great does it?

No the thing that makes this piece of work is first of all some of the ideas that are hidden behind it which where very radical at the time that this story first occurred. The most important one of them from my point of view is the fact that in this story war isn't seen as something glorious as it was still seen by many in those days (and sadly enough still is seen by many in our time.) The mane hero of this story Achilles is even trying to avoid its horrors during the whole of the story. Some of the actions in the course of story aren't even heroic but rather degrading for the characters in the story. Like for instance the night attack in book 10.

Second of all Homer is the guy who helped to shape the whole Greek religion by giving the Gods background stories and explaining their connections whit each other. And giving them numerous human qualities like the fact that they are forced to eat, drink and sleep. They show human emotions like hatred, love and pain.

Homerus has also asked us a very important question during the coarse of this book namely what is ones life worth? What is friendship worth?

And finally he has delivered us a human tragedy which remains relevant even although ages have passed by between its creation and Homer himself has fallen into oblivions for the only thing known about him remain his works and we aren't even certain wheatear he has written them.

So don't hesitate about whether to purchase this book (or borrow it from your local library). And as for the translation although it is over 50 years in age it is surprisingly modern and easy to read (although I have doubts about the added in my opinion completely useless notes and arguments.)

Thousands of years old, and still relevent, 27 May 2003
There are many theories and arguements over did Homer actually tell the story or was is someone else, or many people etc - but it doesnt taint the powerful story that the Illiad is.
It is a good book because the themes addressed are still relevent to todays society, especially at this time of war and conflict in the world. It is a tale about war, and how it affects the human mind. The world was a beautiful, peaceful place untill the Trojan war started over just one girl, and the honour she represents - and now the war has been fought for so long, it looks like that the war will not only kill people, warriors, women and children, but will kill a civilisation and destruct a way of life and serenity that will never be felt again by anyone. But the gods remain as aloof as ever before.
This tale of Achilles and the war is powerful, and the touching moments of Hector and Andromache, or the lonely death of Patroclus will make even the coldest heart cry out.
So let out a wild war cry - let the gods meddle with your world and let this powerful poem overwhelm you

inferior to the previous penguin version, 08 Nov 2008
the Jackson Knight translation previously available in Penguin Classics is vastly superior...and should be sought out in 2nd hand shops...Quite why penguin thought it a good idea to change a classic version of a classic is beyond me; that said at least it isn't as bad as the awful Seamus Heaney version.

Complex, ambivalent and very Roman, 30 Jul 2006
Vergil's epic used to be read as the traditional moral propaganda that justified the Roman empire and Augustus' rule, but it's a far more complex and problematic poem than that. Yes, as a previous reviewer, has stated, he takes Homer as his starting point, but Vergil's intention is not to 'top' Homer but to question and reflect on Rome's self-identity and the values that Roman culture has been built upon.

It is possible to read this is a simple, rousing epic of war and the heroic ethos, but the other 'voices' question the very values that the poem purports to support. Ultimately this is a poem of profound grief and loss and mourning for the past and for the price that has been paid in order to move forward into the future, and in this sense, it is a comment on the fall of the Republic and the emergence of the Principate under Augustus.

Having said that, it's also a good story, picking up from the end of the Iliad and telling the fall of Troy, Aeneas' escape with a group of Trojans and his search for Italy where he will found the city that will become Rome. The most famous incident is the tragic story of Dido (Book 4) which even in Vergil's own day was regarded as the best bit of the whole poem.

Together with the Iliad and the Odyssey, this is one of the foundation stones of European literature, and the Penguin translation is clear, easy and fluent. For a more poetic and rhythmic translation I would recommend the Allen Mandelbaum version which tends to be the one used by academics. Enjoy.



very good, but not Homer, 15 Jun 2006
The Aeneid at its core is propaganda written by Virgil in the name of Augustus. That aside it is skillfuly done and gives insight into the times.
Virgil uses Homer's work as a prelude to his own taking many of the characters, plot and themes. For example Aeneas encounters on his journey the very same sea creatures, as in the ODYSSEY, as well as the iconic cyclops. Also the shield given to Aeneas is reminisant of the one given to Achilles in the ILIAD.
Although a great story teller and an obvious epic, if feels as though Virgil with his almost ready made plot, has to get one over Homer in every way, while in my opinion not quite managing it.

Enjoyable and easy to read, 03 Mar 2004
I am new to the classical works of Greece and Rome, however I've recently challenged myself to become more well acquainted with the works that have shaped story telling.

The fairly recent (mid nineties) Penguin translations of The Iliad and The Odyssey were where I began, and both books artfully represented the behemoths that these particular stories are in the world of literature. It was then with some trepidation that I picked up this volume, clear that this Roman book would not come up to scratch. I am glad to say I was completely wrong. West's translation is rich and readable. I even managed to read this on a busy bus on the way to work!

The accessibility of this work is its strength and I would recommend this story, and in particular this artful translation, to anyone who has no real specialist knowledge, but enjoys a good story and revels in the ancient greatness such tales can evoke.

Recommended

Enjoyable and easy to read, 03 Mar 2004
I am new to the classical works of Greece and Rome, however I've recently challenged myself to become more well acquainted with the works that have shaped story telling.

The fairly recent (mid nineties) Penguin translations of The Iliad and The Odyssey were where I began, and both books artfully represented the behemoths that these particular stories are in the world of literature. It was then with some trepidation that I picked up this volume, clear that this Roman book would not come up to scratch. I am glad to say I was completely wrong. West's translation is rich and readable. I even managed to read this on a busy bus on the way to work!

The accessibility of this work is its strength and I would recommend this story, and in particular this artful translation, to anyone who has no real specialist knowledge, but enjoys a good story and revels in the ancient greatness such tales can evoke.

Recommended

Shocking, gripping . . . , 29 Mar 2007
I had read - and dismissed - Antigone in high school. Like many of the books I dismissed in my adolescence, it's actually heartbreakingly brilliant. Fagles' translation is beautiful and moving, contemporizing the language without destroying meaning or stretching plausibility to cater for short-attention spans. I found myself circling passages and it's not even part of my University reading list this semester. Reading something like these plays really reminds you how absolutely desolate Hollywood and Theatreland have become these days - almost nothing compares with Sophocles, and even the best of modern literature owes so much to the ancient masters that reading them inevitably changes the way you read everything else. Who can blame Freud for feeling so inspired?
As for Bernard Knox's introductions, I found they ellucidated the subtle nuances of the plays and enriched my reading experience, all while being riveting reads on their own. Perhaps even worth the price of the book alone, particularly the one introducing Oedipus the King.

You must read Oedipus once in your life!, 26 Jul 2006
A seminal work of both literature and theatre, Oedipus still haunts us. Academics argue still over the 'meaning' of Oedipus: is he guilty? is he simply blind? what's the truth of the relationship between him and his mother Jocasta? If we could ever answer all these questions the play would lose its power and drop out of the canon. Read it in this excellent translation and make up your own mind.

Antigone has been reinterpreted repeatedly: as a feminist play, as a play about political oppression, as a play about a dysfunctional family. Antigone may be a difficult character to sympathise with or understand, but the poetry of the drama excels even that of Oedipus (especially the eerie, haunting 'hymn to Dionysus').

More human than Aeschylus, more stately than Euripides, the greatest tragedy is that only seven of Sophocles plays have come donw to us, and these 2 are the best.

Poetic and harrowing, 23 Mar 2005
Many readers would dismiss classical literature as staid and impenetrable. They couldn't be more wrong and this translation of the Theban Plays proves it. The powerful story of the destruction of a family is told with incredible pace and verve: Oedipus lacks awareness but longs for it and faces the blistering consequences of his straight questions; he and his daughter Antigone are reduced to homelessness and poverty; Antigone, alone eventually, is criminalized for her refusal to compromise to state law. These dramas of individuals facing the often irreversible consequences of their uncompromising actions will always be relevant. This touching, powerful translation in contemporary English is the most accessible to new readers.

Not nice reading, but worth it!, 27 May 2003
Like one of the other reviewers of this book, I only read it because I was studying it at school. However, like them, I came to appreciate the book on its own merits. The suspense in Oedipus Rex is almost unbearable, and it stands out as one of the best plays of all time in my view. The play has a ending to compare with some of the goriest tv murders, as well as having a rather distasteful theme of unwitting incest.

Unfortuantely, the downside to this book is that it contains "Antigone" and "Oedipus at Colonus". While "...Colonus" is moderately entertaining, Antigone is an annoying character due to her extreme stubborness. However, this is saved by the sheer quality of Sophocles' writing. This translation also has notes at the end, to help new readers to undrstand some of the more obscure references.

The greatest plays by any ancient author, 04 Apr 2001
These three plays are the best you'll come across. The finest tragedies ever written.They are also quite controversial for todays standards with some complex inbreeding.A must for anyone of any age. If you know nothing about the Ancient world you'll see it for the controversy, and if you know all about the ancient world you'll know that it surpasses any other work by any other author

The ace who launched a thousand books, 25 Nov 2008
I will avoid hubris by not attempting to rate "the Odyssey" per se! My five stars are for the translation by E.V. Rieu in the Penguin Classics edition, updated by his son and Peter Jones to make it even more readable for the current generation. The transparent, joyful prose makes this a superb experience for child or adult. It doesn't read like a translation. There is no tortured struggle with the Greek. There are no King James' bible archaisms. I can't see how it could be made more accessible or joyful for modern readers. If a teenager watches a film of this epic and asks for the "book version", give them this this! They will instantly get the message that the film version is never better than the original book.

One reviewer had trouble digesting some paragraphs. Were they reading a different translation? I had little trouble digesting this; the only (slight) difficulty was with the large cast of characters. Greek Gods are dropped in without much explanation, and as I'm not an expert on Ancient Greek Myth I needed some help with placing these endlessly interesting characters. Fortunately the editors provide a superb glossary! This gives you a short sentence about every place and person involved -- no more or less than you need to get on with the story.

Rieu's translation was the first of the Penguin Classics,the series which he and Sir Andrew Lane founded. His aim was to translate classics into good modern English. So I guess he thought he had to to a really good job on this first book. And he did! The vision of founding the Penguin Classics came to him while translating the Odyssey aloud to his wife and daughters while bombs dropped on London during the blitz. You might call him "the ace who launched a thousand books".

Better left at sea, 27 Jun 2008
I thought this book would be great, an interesting adventure and my first step into the literary world of greek classics. But after this, I am not rushing out to buy another greek classic.

The story is good, and the interesting mythological creatures and encounters are what kept me reading it. The characters make a square look less two dimensional and I can't, in all honesty, say I liked the good ones. I found Odysseus very arrogant and the gods hypocritical and the actions of them morally questionable. The style was also patronizing in places, by always addressing characters with an adjective describing their character, which we should make our own minds about, and not be force fed what we should think of them.

Perhaps if I was born at the time this was written, I might have enjoyed it more, however, in this century, I can't understand what is particularly good about it as a piece of literature. Therefore, for a good novel in its own right, avoid this.

Excellent story but hard to read, 18 Nov 2007
I recently finished this book and although I thoroughly enjoyed it, I also found it hard to read. I read this book regularly but often couldn't remember what I had just read. I would also end up re-reading paragraphs I had read only minutes before, as I couldn't remember reading them at all! The funny thing however, is that I could tell you exactly what happens in the correct order so clearly it was being absorbed. This appears to be a problem that affected only myself however, so maybe the style of writing wasn't quite suited to me.

If you have an interest in Classics or are working your way through the classic novels (such as myself), I highly recommend this book. I can guarantee that you will really enjoy it.

The Odyssey in 24 words, 03 Sep 2007
Mediterranean cruise with divine beauties and blind shepherds, swine and swingers, Scylla and Charybdis and Hades minitour. With wife at home taking double turns.

A classic at its best, 13 Aug 2007
The Odyssey covers the twenty years Odysseus is away from his family and friends in Ithica. The first ten years or so are spent in Troy where he fights on the side of the Greeks against the Trojans (see The Iliad) and concieves the idea of the famous "wooden horse". The remainder of his time away is spent on an ill-fated journey home where he looses all of his crew at various stages.

The main cause of delay is due to Poseidan the Earth-Shaker after he blinds his son, Cyclops Polyphemus. He is then detained by Circe (a demi-Goddess who is a witch). After an incident where she turns some of his crew into pigs, she sends him to the Underworld to speak to the seer Teiresias to learn how to return homw. After he leaves he faces the Sirens and the monsters Scylla and Charybdis who carry off some of his crew. The rest of his crew are killed after eating the Sun-Gods cattle on the island Thrinacia as punnishment. Odysseus is then detained 7 more years on the island of Ogygia where he washes up by Calypso. She is trying to get him to marry her and become immortal.

Eventally he gets back to his homeland with a little help from the Phaeacians and the Goddess Athena disguises him. While he has been away his wife has been beset by suitors who are trying to win her hand (assuming Odysseus is dead) in marriage and are treating his house and son Telemachus with disresect. Eventually father and son team up to kill all the suitors and all are finally reunited.

I really enjoyed this book, more so than The Iliad. I definately recommend reading The Iliad and then The Odyssey, not just because it makes sense chronologically but also because this is a more enjoyable story. The only problem I really had was that poor sensible Penelope is never consulted or trusted by her son or husband. Telemachus runs off and doesn't tell her and then Odysseus returns and tells his son and old nurse, but not his wife who has spent the last twenty years crying and mourning his loss. Pretty heartless really!

Great little book, 12 Sep 2008
This is a great little book, for a very fair price.

I'm sure many of you know this already, great to read back over the stories from years and years ago!

Contains around 210 little stories with the moral written underneath. It has a little introduction too!

For the price, you've got nothing to lose!

Real history in the making, 21 Mar 2001
Many books have been penned about Ancient Rome. Some are well written and know what the're talking about - whilst others are long-winded and can bore you to tears in thirty seconds. Well, how about slicing through all that - and reading the words of a man who was actually there?

Pliny (the Younger) was a Roman nobleman born around 61AD. He served as a magistrate under the emperor Trajan, and was the nephew of Pliny (the Elder) the famous statesman and writer. It's refreshing to read the words of an actual Roman for a change instead of those of ancient or modern historians, and Pliny's letters cover many fascinating aspects of roman life. Also gratifying is that often we are also given the replies.

Among the topics covered are; family, villas, court cases, hobbies, and poetry (his own verses, it must be said, stink!). How refreshing to get inside a Roman nobleman's head, and share his thoughts (even though his letters were written perhaps with "one eye" on their eventual publication).

The most famous letter is addressed to his friend the roman historian Tacitus who has asked for an account of his uncle's death in the eruption of Vesuvius. This of course took place in 79AD and caused the destruction of both Pompeii and other towns in the Bay of Naples).

The translator Betty Radice has done a very good job rendering the letters into modern english and her twenty-two page introduction makes interesting reading. Brief appendices include a short glossary and three maps. If "real" roman history is your thing - you can't beat this collection!

Here are just a few excerpts:-

To: Valerius Paulinus "I am furious with you, rightly or not I don't know, but it makes no difference. You know very well that love is sometimes unfair, often violent, and always quick to take offence, but I have good reason, whether or not it is a just one, to be as furious as I would be in a just cause. It is so long since I had a letter from you. The only way to placate me is to write me a lot of letters now, at long last - lengthy ones, too."

To: Sempronius Rufus "I had gone down to the Basilica Julia to listen to the speeches in a case where I had to appear for the defence at the next hearing. The court was seated, the presiding magistrates had arrived and counsel on both sides were coming and going; then there was a long silence, broken at last by a message from the Praetor. The court adjourned and the case was suspended, much to my delight for I am never so well prepared as not to be glad of a delay"

To: Cornelius Tacitus "I should like to obey your orders,but when you tell me I ought to honour Diana along with Minerva I find it impossible - there is such a shortage of boars. So I can only serve Minerva, and even her in the lazy way to be expected during a summer holiday.

On my way here I made up some bits of nonesense (not worth keeping) in the conversational style one uses when travelling, and I added something to them once I was here and had nothing better to do; but peace reigns over the poems which you fancy are only too easy to finish in the woods and groves. I have revised one or two short speeches, though this is the sort of disagreeable task I detest and is more like one of the hardships of country