The Odyssey

IntroductionとTranslator's Noteだけで91ページを割いており、これを読むだけでも十分満足できる内容でした。流石Emily Wilsonの力量を感じます。

日本の高校生でも読めるような英語で書かれている。日本人にも読みやすい。逆に言うと味気ない文体かもしれない。ヨーロッパの原型がわかるような物語である。

The quality of product was bad, the paper cut is very bad, more like a tear than a cut.

I have read and studied many translations of the Odyssey. Emily Wilson's is unique for several reasons. She uses a shorter poetic line than others, which makes the reading fast-paced and concise. She refuses to euphemize the slaves as "servants" and "handmaidens" the way most translators do. She avoids trying to sound archaic. If you have had trouble making it through other translations of the Odyssey, this is the one for you to try. Wilson is incredibly thoughtful about all of her translation choices, and she details these decisions in her introduction (and on her Substack). You will definitely want to read her introduction, which is full of information and ideas that will help readers understand Homer's world, Ancient Greek culture, the themes and characters, and the politics of translation. Wilson is both an amazing translator and a great scholar. I recently wrote Homer's Odyssey Retold for Young Adults (ISBN: 979-8245756035). In doing so, I re-read many translations (Fagles', Lombardo's, Fitzgerald's, and Wilson's). All of them, along with Daniel Mendelsohn's recent one, are worthwhile, often for different reasons. Wilson uses a ten-syllable line, about half as long as Homer's, while limiting herself to the same overall number of lines as he used. That means she has to leave out a lot. Other translators use longer lines and/or allow themselves more lines overall than Wilson does. I encourage readers to sample many translations by using the "Search Inside" feature on Amazon to find the one (or ones!) that best speaks to them. Physically, this edition of the book is well-made and beautiful. Instead of the usual picture of Odysseus, the cover features a detail from an ancient Minoan fresco painting known as "Ladies in Blue," accented with reflective gold, silver, and blue foil. The book's deckel edges give it the feel of a special edition. The pages are thick, the margins ample, and the binding user-friendly. Frank Hering, author of Homer's Odyssey Retold for Young Adults (ISBN: 979-8245756035) and Virgil's Aeneid Retold for Young Adults (ISBN: 978-1687197221).

وصلني الكتاب وبالنصف فيه زي الشق واضح والصفحات داخله ببعض بسببه

Thank you gods and Wilson for this amazing book !! If not for this translation I wouldn't have lasted the first round in the battle of reading homer!

The pages are not cut correctly. This is not a printing error, but it’s deliberately designed that way.

The Odyssey by Homer (Emily Wilson - Translator) - The original 'guy just trying to get home' story. Long before the basic understanding of geography, Odysseus decided to take the world’s most scenic route back to Ithaca after the Trojan War. You would think winning a war would earn him a direct ship home, but no. Instead, he gets cursed by a sea god, seduced by immortals, and stuck in what can only be described as a decade-long episode of Squid Games. Odysseus himself is a curious mix of action hero, con artist, as well as a crybaby who keeps making questionable decisions. One moment he is blinding a Cyclops with a burning stick like an absolute legend, and the next he is weeping on a beach while a goddess provides him food. He tells lies like it is an Olympic sport. But you cannot help but root for him, because who among us has not wanted to stab a giant, eat free food, and avoid responsibility for several years? While Odysseus is out there dodging sea monsters and sleeping with goddesses, Penelope is running his household, raising a kid, and fending off suitors with nothing but her wits and an unfinished tapestry. Telemachus, their son is sailing around the Mediterranean and searching for news of his father. The gods in this story are basically just a bunch of petty busybodies. Athena's constantly popping up to give Odysseus cryptic advice, while Poseidon is just throwing tantrums like a toddler who did not get what he wanted. By the end, everyone is either dead or redeemed, and Odysseus finally gets to sit down at his own dinner table again - with fewer worries and more wine. The Odyssey is a wild, weird and often hilarious adventure, full of wisdom, improbable detours, hubris, magical creatures, and why you should never open mysterious wind bags. It is a reminder that even heroes have their flaws, and sometimes, the best journey is the one that ends with a decent meal and a good night's sleep.