The Odyssey (Oxford World's Classics) [Kindle Edition]

I haven't read any other translations of 'The Odyssey', so don't have any grounds for comparison but, in terms of style alone, can heartily recommend Walter Shewring's effort. The language is clear and avoids the trap of being too archaic just because it is an old story (3000 years old, give or take). I read the odd classic and tend to take a deep breath before I start, preparing for the occasional hard slog. 'The Odyssey' was a surprisingly easy and enjoyable read.
The story itself is fairly familiar. Odysseus is delayed on his return home from Troy by the anger of the Gods. He faces many trials, such as the Sirens and the Cyclops before his is reunited with his son (Telemachus) and, ultimately, his wife. Before he can resume his old life, however, he must dispatch the suitors who have gathered to wed his wife, believing that he is dead. All the while he is being helped and hindered by the Gods. Before reading this, I hadn't realised that Odysseus' adventures are told as a flashback after his return to Ithica, and that they take up only about half of the book. The second half concerns the slaughter of the suitors and is slower moving, but still immensely enjoyable. The bloodthirstyness, and body count, rivals an average Schwarzenegger movie, as Odysseus fornicates and hacks his way round the Agean Sea. Not one for the children.
If you, like me, wanted to read 'The Odyssey' because of its status, but weren't really looking forward to it, then go for this translation. It captures the tone brilliantly, but is never over-stuffy or grandiose. I enjoyed it a lot and, like the blurb on the back, don't see how it could be better.

I started reading this book already knowing the outline of Odessus's voyge back home after the battle of Troy through film, articles and reading a condensed version of the tale. I'm very glad I do have some fore-knowledge of the story as some parts of the book are quite ambiguous and confusing. The rich narrative of the text sometimes bogs the action down and it is quite easy to forget what exactly is happening.
The action though, when it comes, is exciting and often quite blood thirsty. The plot devices are also ingenious and completly ruthless in some cases- Odyssus is the only one of his party to arrive home after all his soldiers meet grusome deaths at the hands of his mortal enemies.
Possibly one of the most interesting things about the story is the way modern litrature and culture have frequently mirrored or refered to Homer's plot ideas (if you can say there's a plot, The Odyssey is written as a true story). The classic story of someone trying to return home against enormous odds has been used over and over often with subtle or not so subtle usage of Homer's myth. The images within the book of the sirens and the cyclopes are famous in their own right and it's amusing to see how they all fit into place in the larger scheme.
The split narrative of the story is very interesting as the tale of the journey home is sometimes told in hindsight or fore warning making the structure of the story jump. This seems very unusual in a book pre-twentieth century let alone cica 700BC!
Some parts of the book are repetative, steeped in unecessary narrative and are confusing. The regular descriptions of food and sacrifices to the gods can become dull and will not appeal to those who read for leisure, however, the antiquity of the writing means that The Odyssey is not only a story but also a piece of historic evidence showing how the ancient Greeks lived and what they believed.
As one of the earliest tales written it deserves a high place in anybody's to-read list. In a top 100 of the most important books ever written it would score very highly (top ten) and this is due to the historical rarity of writings of the time and also because it is an interesting, and in many places, exciting story. It is just a pity that the pace of the narrative often plods slowly along and is therefore quite difficult to get through at times.

Shrewing's translation gives readers an accessible version of the Odyssey, yet, importantly, one that is not dumbed down. This classic Homeric epic operates, in my opinion, on more subtle levels than its arguably more 'exciting' counterpart, 'The Iliad'. Therefore, if you are prepared to make the effort and spend some time getting through the more taxing phases of the narrative, this book has a lot to offer. Odysseus is a multi layered character that avoids cliche at various stages, leading to unpredictable actions and emotional shifts.

What's more, The Odyssey still provides the charm, imagination and large scale action that we would expect from Greek myth. Well worth the effort!