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Homer's Odyssey
 
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Homer's Odyssey (Paperback)

by Simon Armitage (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
RRP: £12.99
Price: £8.44 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Price For All Three: £19.92

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Product details

  • Paperback: 272 pages
  • Publisher: Faber and Faber (1 Nov 2007)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0571229360
  • ISBN-13: 978-0571229369
  • Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.8 x 2.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 110,697 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #57 in  Books > Poetry, Drama & Criticism > Poetry > Genres > Myths

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Product Description

Product Description
Originally commissioned for BBC Radio, this work recasts Homer's epic as a series of dramatic dialogues.

About the Author
Simon Armitage was born in West Yorkshire in 1963. He works as a freelance writer, broadcaster and playwright, and has written extensively for radio and television. His most recent work, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, is a fantastic revival of an Arthurian classic.

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Homer's Odyssey
48% buy the item featured on this page:
Homer's Odyssey 4.0 out of 5 stars (2)
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Customer Reviews

2 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing take on a classic, 29 Nov 2006
This review is from: Homer's Odyssey (Hardcover)
Lively, jaunty and sympathetic to the protagonists, this is an engaging introduction to the outlines of Odysseus's experiences in a dramatised format that would lend itself well to the classroom.

Odysseus does come across as an irritating sort of leader at points - but in the final section, he provides a satisfying comeuppance for all the rapacious suitors who've been harassing his wife. The relationship between Zeus and Athena is by turns amusing and touching, and there are some unexpectedly vivid characters, such as Queen Arete who is desperate to get Odysseus away from her family and consequently helps him on his way home.

Although in terms of poetic technique, theme and voice, I prefer Armitage's stand alone poetry, this is a fine addition to the poetic interpretations of Homer's great work. It is however, an entertainment rather than a full translation - if you're looking for that, Fagles would be your man, as Armitage himself acknowledges.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Quietly brilliant, 15 Dec 2007
By Jonathan Birch (Manchester) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
These days, The Odyssey is usually seen as more of an historical artefact than a work of fiction. Clunky translations tend to kill the drama and fail to capture why The Odyssey is still a classic after more than 2500 years. Armitage reinvigorates the tale by completely rewriting it in the form of a radio play. Surprisingly, Armitage plays it straight, writing very naturalistic dialogue and resisting the temptation to render everything in pompous poetry. A strange approach, you might think, for one of Britain's leading poets. But it works brilliantly.

In Armitage's version, the timeless themes of the story come in to sharp focus. The story exposes man's weakness when faced with the devastating power of temptation. But we also see the value of courage and loyalty in the face of insurmountable odds - not only from Odysseus, but also from Penelope, forced to wait to for him alone for twenty years. The Odyssey is in many ways a strikingly modern and human story, and that really comes through here. Armitage has put humanity into The Odyssey, allowing us to share Odysseus's pain and longing, as well as his famed cunning.

There's humour here, as well as intense drama, and the whole thing is beautifully readable, compulsive, concise and easy to follow. All the romance and excitement of the adventure and the tension of the decisive moments is captured here. It could nearly be a children's classic, but for a few cases of strong language and sexual references (it's a 12A rating, really). There's plenty for grownups to enjoy here though, regardless of whether or not you've read The Odyssey.
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