Odyssey

Product Description

Literatures grandest evocation of lifes journey at once an ageless human story & an individual test of moral endurance Homers ancient Greek epic The Odyssey" is translated by Robert Fagles with an introduction & notes by Bernard Knox in " Penguin Classics". When Robert Fagles translation of " The Iliad" was published in 1990 critics & scholars alike hailed it as a masterpiece. Here one of the great modern translators presents us with " The Odyssey" Homers best-loved poem recounting Odysseus wanderings after the Trojan War. With wit & wile the man of twists & turns meets the challenges of the sea-god Poseidon & monsters ranging from the many-headed Scylla to the cannibalistic Cyclops Polyphemus
- only to return after twenty years to a home besieged by his wife Penelopes suitors. In the myths & legends retold in this immortal poem Fagles has captured the energy of Homers original in a bold contemporary idiom. Seven greek cities claim the honour of being the birthplace of Homer (c. 8th-7th century BC) the poet to whom the composition of the " Iliad" & " Odyssey" are attributed. " The Iliad" is the oldest surviving work of Western literature but the identity
- or even the existence
- of Homer himself is a complete mystery with no reliable biographical information having survived. If you enjoyed " The Odyssey" you might like Robert Fagles translation of " The Iliad" also available in " Penguin Classics". " Wonderfully readable.. . Just the right blend of roughness & sophistication." (" Ted Hughes"). "A memorable achievement.. . Mr Fagles has been remarkably successful in finding a style that is of our time & yet timeless." (Richard Jenkyns " The New York Times Book Review"). " His translation of " The Odyssey" is his best work yet." (Garry Wills " New Yorker")."