The Odyssey Audiobook By Homer cover art

The Odyssey

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The Odyssey

By: Homer
Narrated by: Ian McKellen
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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 treasuring for its sheer lyrical mastery. This audiobook is sure to delight both the classicist and the general reader, and to captivate a new generation of Homer's students.(P) and ©1996 Penguin Books USA Inc. Classics Epic Places Poetry Themes & Styles Mythology Thought-Provoking Collections Ancient, Classical & Medieval Literature Funny

Critic reviews

“[Robert Fitzgerald’s translation is] a masterpiece . . . An Odyssey worthy of the original.” –The Nation

“[Fitzgerald’s Odyssey and Iliad] open up once more the unique greatness of Homer’s art at the level above the formula; yet at the same time they do not neglect the brilliant texture of Homeric verse at the level of the line and the phrase.” –The Yale Review

“[In] Robert Fitzgerald’s translation . . . there is no anxious straining after mighty effects, but rather a constant readiness for what the occasion demands, a kind of Odyssean adequacy to the task in hand, and this line-by-line vigilance builds up into a completely credible imagined world.”
–from the Introduction by Seamus Heaney

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Timeless Classic • Epic Adventure • Masterful Narration • Rich Mythology • Captivating Journey • Expressive Voice Acting

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No-one can beat Sir Ian at this kind of thing. He's probably one of the greatest performers of classical text. He doesn't just recite the verse, he speaks it. He speaks every sentence with immaculately chosen intonations that communicate meaning and emotion perfectly. I can't imagine a better reader to bring out the depth and magic of Homer.

Perfect

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Any additional comments?

Sadly, I do not understand Greek so I must settle for the next best thing: this gloriously musical translation spoken by THE master of English diction. Absolutely enthralling. Gorgeous. Only Homer himself could have done it better.

Only a blind Greek could do it better

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Sir Ian McKellen does a wonderful job working through Fagle’s translated version of Homer’s classic story. The adventures of Odysseus are brought to life in all of their grandeur. The second half is by far the most entertaining, leading to a bold and bloody climax that would make George R. R. Martin proud.

My only real complaint was the widely inconsistent playback from “chapter” to “chapter”. Obviously the Audible version was copied from previous analog tape or CD recordings that were limited in their playback length. There is a melody that plays at the end of such transitions and this doesn’t always coincide with the end of a particular book. The troublesome part about this is that when the next section plays there is a noticeable change in the volume of Sir McKellen’s voice and/or playback speed. I would have to adjust the volume on my stereo or Audible app, and occasionally adjust playback speed on the Audible app. Not a huge problem, per se, but worth noting nonetheless.

Great story and performance; inconsistent playback

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

Long, Interesting, Difficult

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

When Odysseus and his cronies slaughter Penelope's suitors.

What does Ian McKellen bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Ian's voice brought the characters to life. He eliminated the need to sound out words I did not recognize and made the repetitiveness of the text more bearable.

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

Yes, I had to because I was given two days to read it.

Really helped with World Lit course

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Great read by Ian McKellen.

The music is very annoying between some chapters. Other than that, a great great read.

Great Read

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