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Mr. Fagles has been remarkably successful in finding a style that is of our time and yet timeless. (Richard Jenkyns, "The New York Times Book Review")
Product Description
When Robert Fagles’ translation of the Iliad was published in 1990, critics and scholars alike hailed it as a masterpiece. Now one of the great translators of our time presents us with the Odyssey, Homer’s best-loved poem, recounting Odysseus’ wanderings after the Trojan War.
With wit and wile, the 'man of twists and turns' meets the challenges of gods and monsters, only to return after twenty years to a home besieged by his wife’s suitors. In the myths and legends retold in this immortal poem, Fagles has captured the energy of Homer’s original in a bold, contemporary idiom.
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Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This reads so well. It is the best translation I have read of Homer.
My Homeric Greek is really quite rusty... but this fine translation gives you a sense of the irresistible flow of the original.
Reading it makes you feel really solidly embedded in that ancient world. The characters - gods, legendary heroes, psychotic murderers and monsters... somehow, although they are mythical and removed from the mundane "real" world - come across as real. You can still recognize them.
The timeless themes and rock solid plot are endlessly appealing.
My Homeric Greek is really quite rusty... but this fine translation gives you a sense of the irresistible flow of the original.
Reading it makes you feel really solidly embedded in that ancient world. The characters - gods, legendary heroes, psychotic murderers and monsters... somehow, although they are mythical and removed from the mundane "real" world - come across as real. You can still recognize them.
The timeless themes and rock solid plot are endlessly appealing.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
26 reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Fagles Is the Best Translation Available
26 Jun 2010
Format:Paperback
This review is not a review of the story of Odysseus, but rather a review of Robert Fagles's translation of the Odyssey. Fagles's work in this translation is sparkling. I absolutely love the way he's revived this classic tale.
Let me begin with nuts and bolts. The Penguin Classics version of Fagles's translation is simply a great book to hold in your hand. The book FEELS good. Also, the book has some extras that make it essential. First, Barnard Knox has written an excellent introduction to the text. He explains Homer's cultural and literary context, and he covers the various debates regarding the poem's creation and transmission in a thorough, non-technical manner. Highly recommended reading. Second, the book has some helpful maps of the Greek-speaking lands to help orient the reader. Third, in the back of the book is a pronunciation guide and glossary. Some of these names are a bit strange, so it's helpful to refer to the back sometimes to get some help. Every character and place in the book, no matter how minor, is explained in the back.
In addition to all these benefits, this translation of the text is my absolute favorite. Fagles has produced a verse translation, which preserves the poetic nature of the original. If you're looking for a prose version of Homer, then this book might not be for you (but I'd suggest you give the verse a try). Fagles's main competition for a verse version of the Odyssey is Richard Lattimore's which was published in the 1960s. Some people feel that Lattimore's version is still superior, but I think those people are just being snobby. Lattimore's version is a little more rigid, maybe a little closer to the Greek, but not as poetic and enjoyable.
One of my favorite things about Fagles over Lattimore is that Fagles has abandoned the pretentious adherence to Greek spellings. In Lattimore we read about Athene, Kalypso, Aithiopians, Kronos, and Ithaka, while in Fagles we read about Athena, Calypso, Ethiopians, Cronus, and Ithaca. It's an Enlish translation so translating the names into their traditional English forms makes for a superior reading experience. Also, Fagles has a better ear for English poetry. So he refers to Odysseus as "the man of twists and turns," while Lattimore calls him "the man of many ways." Lattimore is more literal, but he doesn't capture the essence of the Greek meaning or poetic nature as well as Fagles does. One more example from the first page, Lattimore says that those who made it home from the Trojan War "escaped the sea and the fighting." Compare this with Fagles's far more literary "escaped the wars and waves."
Buy this Fagles translation. Read this Falges translation. Love this Fagles translation.
Let me begin with nuts and bolts. The Penguin Classics version of Fagles's translation is simply a great book to hold in your hand. The book FEELS good. Also, the book has some extras that make it essential. First, Barnard Knox has written an excellent introduction to the text. He explains Homer's cultural and literary context, and he covers the various debates regarding the poem's creation and transmission in a thorough, non-technical manner. Highly recommended reading. Second, the book has some helpful maps of the Greek-speaking lands to help orient the reader. Third, in the back of the book is a pronunciation guide and glossary. Some of these names are a bit strange, so it's helpful to refer to the back sometimes to get some help. Every character and place in the book, no matter how minor, is explained in the back.
In addition to all these benefits, this translation of the text is my absolute favorite. Fagles has produced a verse translation, which preserves the poetic nature of the original. If you're looking for a prose version of Homer, then this book might not be for you (but I'd suggest you give the verse a try). Fagles's main competition for a verse version of the Odyssey is Richard Lattimore's which was published in the 1960s. Some people feel that Lattimore's version is still superior, but I think those people are just being snobby. Lattimore's version is a little more rigid, maybe a little closer to the Greek, but not as poetic and enjoyable.
One of my favorite things about Fagles over Lattimore is that Fagles has abandoned the pretentious adherence to Greek spellings. In Lattimore we read about Athene, Kalypso, Aithiopians, Kronos, and Ithaka, while in Fagles we read about Athena, Calypso, Ethiopians, Cronus, and Ithaca. It's an Enlish translation so translating the names into their traditional English forms makes for a superior reading experience. Also, Fagles has a better ear for English poetry. So he refers to Odysseus as "the man of twists and turns," while Lattimore calls him "the man of many ways." Lattimore is more literal, but he doesn't capture the essence of the Greek meaning or poetic nature as well as Fagles does. One more example from the first page, Lattimore says that those who made it home from the Trojan War "escaped the sea and the fighting." Compare this with Fagles's far more literary "escaped the wars and waves."
Buy this Fagles translation. Read this Falges translation. Love this Fagles translation.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
an excellent translation
2 Jan 2008
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
It wasn't easy, but I have to admit I had a great time reading Robert Fagles' translation of the Odyssey. I thought his translation offered just the right compromise between using "elevated language" and readability. Also, I liked the traditional verse format Fagles retained, even though the English version had no rhyme scheme or strict metric format found in the original. The shorter lines made it easier to read.
The 70-page introduction by Bernard Knox also helped quite a bit. It focused mostly on higher themes of the Odyssey, which was great. There are also excellent explanatory notes on specific lines at the end of the book. I read all these notes before I read that particular section to avoid flipping back and forth too much. I also kept a copy of Cliff's notes along side me, reading the upcoming chapter in Cliff's before reading the real text.
As I was saying, it wasn't easy, but the Odyssey and the Iliad are such basic texts that all this effort was well worth it. I still have a hard time accepting that the text was written in roughly 800 BC, yet the insight into what it's like to be human seemed so real. No wonder this edition was a best seller when it came out 20 years ago, re-inspiring movies and television shows.
Fagles' Iliad is next!
The 70-page introduction by Bernard Knox also helped quite a bit. It focused mostly on higher themes of the Odyssey, which was great. There are also excellent explanatory notes on specific lines at the end of the book. I read all these notes before I read that particular section to avoid flipping back and forth too much. I also kept a copy of Cliff's notes along side me, reading the upcoming chapter in Cliff's before reading the real text.
As I was saying, it wasn't easy, but the Odyssey and the Iliad are such basic texts that all this effort was well worth it. I still have a hard time accepting that the text was written in roughly 800 BC, yet the insight into what it's like to be human seemed so real. No wonder this edition was a best seller when it came out 20 years ago, re-inspiring movies and television shows.
Fagles' Iliad is next!
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
A great translation.
15 May 2008
Format:Paperback
I recommend this translation for anyone who loves this story, and tried to read it before and gave up. This book is an easy, flowing, beautiful read. Some readers may disagree with some of the translator's choices. For instance, the scene where Odysseus must carefully explain to Calypso why he wants to leave her - this translation has him say that he longs to travel home and see the dawn of his return. I prefer it translated as he longs for his homecoming. There are some very ancient-Greek reasons why that way of saying it conveys a fuller meaning, and also explains why Calypso doesn't press him further. But, unless you're a scholar of Homerian epics, you probably won't feel cheated by this translation. Instead, you will be transported by the poetry, excited by the adventure, and delighted by the fact that you are reading this great work of art without struggle.
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