The Odyssey

By: Homer, Robert Fagles - translator

Narrated by: Ian McKellen

Length: 13 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

The Odyssey is literature's grandest evocation of every man's journey through life. In the myths and legends that are retold here, the energy and poetry of Homer's original is captured in a bold, contemporary idiom, giving us an edition of The Odyssey that is a joy to listen to, worth savoring and treasuring for its sheer lyrical mastery.

This audiobook is sure to delight both the classicist and the general listener and to captivate a new generation of Homer's students.

(P) and ©1996 Penguin Books USA Inc.

Critic reviews

"To re-create a world where everything is living...is very nearly as difficult as to create it. Fagles does this with triumphant assurance; every arrowhead flashes lightning, every bush burns; Homer is with us." (James Dickey)

"It's a deeply satisfying experience to listen to McKellen's subtle, resonant voice weave the story. Cherish the images as the web of this great tale is woven before the eyes of the mind." (AudioFile)

Wow, wow, wow.

Just echoing the other reviews here. We all know the story is a classic, but McKellen's reading is just fascinating. No one would have trouble enjoying the classics if they were all presented like this one.

Outstanding performance

Ian McLellan gives an inspired reading of one of the greatest of the Great Books. I found myself unable at times to quit listening until wee hours of the morning.

Truly, this was an Odyssey!

What made the experience of listening to The Odyssey the most enjoyable?

Hands down, Sir Ian's performance. I can't think of a better person to read this book.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Odyssey?

The Cyclops. Even more frightening than in the 1997 television mini-series had portrayed it. By the undying God's that bit was horrifying.

Have you listened to any of Ian McKellen’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not, but I'll certainly be looking for other books he has narrated after listening to this.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I did not laugh or cry at any moment, I'm really not the type. My only arguably extreme reaction is that I find myself talking and typing in the same dialect as the book was written, it's quite amusing really.

Any additional comments?

The only thing keeping this book from a perfect rating is the strange peaks and valley's it takes when it comes to quality. KEEP IN MIND, nothing so bad that I'd shy away from listening to it again, or recommending it to virtually everyone. However, there are chapters where the quality of the audio is strangely bad, and most bizarre is when for whatever reason, Sir Ian's voice drops in pitch, as if it was slowed down. This is hardly a glaring issue, but it seems odd since something so trivial could be fixed in a matter of minutes with a simple program like Audacity or any number of free basic audio software.

Narrator great, recording quality awful

The performer of this recording is very skilled, listening was enjoyable. However, the recording quality varied greatly. Some chapters' quality was flawless, others sounded muffled, distorted, with background\echo noise. Very distracting and hard to endure. Interludes with music were inserted in random places, screeching and unpleasant to listen to. The fast forward button saves the day. Also, why were they not able to adhere to the original structure of the book (24 books) and have the recording subdivided in 24 chapters? The chapters in the audiobook are subdivided in random places, making it hard to find a specific place in the book.....

Great story, but the audio makes it suffer

I absolutely love Ian but there are chapters where it sounds likes they're recording him talking from outside a box. Thankfully not every chapter is like this as there's only a few, but it's hard to be immersive when the audio continuity isnt consistent. Over all the story is great, some boring parts, some great parts, not the best work but great for what it is.

Deathless Story, Mortal Recording

There really is no better translation than Fagles and no better narrator than Ian McKellen - his voice, the individuality he gives to character voices, the gravitas his narration gives to the story (the new, Clair Danes version is...laughable).

It's inexcusable that amazon has not fixed this recording, especially since it could be done so electronically.

Gorgeous

Yes, as other reviewers have mentioned, there are issues with the recording. A weird slowed down section, a clipped word here and there. Please don’t let this dissuade you from listening to this amazing performance of this gorgeous translation. It is worth these small hiccups to spend this time transported to where the dawn is always young with rose red fingers, the sea is always wine dark, and the wine is always ruddy. The poetry and songlike patterns of the language here serve the story beautifully, and Ian McKellen’s performance does it ample justice. This ancient story serves as the basis of so many stories that have followed after. Listen!

great performance, terrible audio quality

I loved Ian MacKellen's performance but the recording was terrible. I could hear background noise some of the time and there was one part when the audio seemed sluggish. like some one slowed down the pace. other than that, this translation was great and not too difficult to follow.

Good oldie

McKellen great as always. Translation jarringly anachronistic. Music awful, like a fax machine. Good story.

Great translator, great narrator!

If you could sum up The Odyssey in three words, what would they be?

I don't think it's really possible to sum up The Odyssey in three words. But if I were pressed to do it, the three words would be: epic, adventure, and compelling.

Have you listened to any of Ian McKellen’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to any of Sir Ian's other performances, but I will be on the look out for them! He's fabulous! I was concerned about listening to this instead of reading the print book since it's assigned for a class, but I believe i'm getting just as much out of it by listening as I would by reading.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It's over 13 hours long!

Any additional comments?

My only issue with this performance is the high pitched tones that are used to signify the beginning and ending of each book. It's quite painful when I'm listening with headphones!