The Odyssey

Audible Iliad & Odyssey, Book 2

De: Homer, Emily Wilson - translator

Narrado por: Claire Danes

Acclaimed actress Claire Danes burnishes an epic story of heroes, gods, and monsters in a groundbreaking translation of The Odyssey, the first great adventure story in the Western literary tradition. When the wily warrior-king Odysseus sets off for home after the Trojan War, he doesn’t realize this simple undertaking will become a perilous journey of 10 years. Beset at every turn, he encounters obstacles, detours, and temptations—both supernatural and human—while his wife Penelope fends off would-be suitors desperate to take the throne.

Emily Wilson is the first woman to take on the daunting task of translating over 100,000 lines of a three-millennium-old poem from Ancient Greek to modern-day English. Her breathtaking rendition captures the poetic immediacy of the original text, while allowing listeners to experience The Odyssey with an honesty and directness few other versions have achieved. The result is a lean, fleet-footed translation that recaptures Homer’s “nimble gallop” and brings an ancient epic to new life. A fascinating introduction provides an informative overview of the Bronze Age milieu that produced the epic, the major themes of the poem, the controversies about its origins, and the unparalleled scope of its impact and influence.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2018 Emily Wilson (translation), Adrian Kitzinger (maps copyright) (P)2018 Audible, Inc.

Excellent Translation and Narration

A few years ago this was the first version of the ODYSSEY I’d ever read, and now I’ve returned to the Wilson/Danes edition after familiarizing myself pretty heavily with Homer’s writing and reading his two stories about a dozen times between them. Now I can recognize the subtleties of Wilson’s translational decisions, and I think she did an excellent job. The use of ‘slave’ for many of the roles usually translated with softer words really lends a different perspective to the story. I’m not as much a fan of her using various versions of a single epithet, as I think the epithets’ repetition is part of the charm. However, many of her choices create a very concise and high readable text, but without overusing colloquialisms. Her translator’s note is also very good. Danes does an excellent job as narrator. [AUDIBLE]

Slow start!

The introduction is over an hour...this almost got me to the point of quitting and returning the purchase. Fortunately, I slogged through it. Ms Danes has a pleasant voice, but there was no differentiation between the character voices (male or female) so at times it was challenging to be aware of what characters had lines of dialogue.

All that noted it was well worth my time to listen.

A new translation!

A terrific story told in prose. Read by a woman with clear diction and characterizations. I recommend it.

A 3 hour Prologue?

Ok, I took on this book because it truly is one of the great classics of all time and I never made it through the book when I attempted it years ago. Rating this title was next to impossible as the performance of the narrator was spot on and the translation of the story itself was excellent.

Where I take issue is the 3 hour long prologue that is not only out of place, as it explains major plot lines, characters, and events that we have not been introduced to yet, but also takes alot of liberty in what people are looking for in this story. For example, the over use of the term "quasi" during the prologue in an attempt to sophisticate what is essentially a 3 hour explanation of how the Odyessy is sexist work of literature was truly unnecessary and felt entirely forced. To top things off, I find the parallel of being run through with a sword being used as a sexist /sexualized analogy in the greek world to be downright laughable and it goes to show how disconnected the translator truly is from the importance of this story and the world in which it takes place. In reality, it seems as if the only reason the translators thoughts and remarks were placed in the prologue was to avoid people caring less about them in the epilogue and it truly does a disservice to an otherwise incredible work of literature and a great translation. In all, the prologue sounded like a really bad college paper for a gender studies degree that slapped me in the face when I wasn't looking. I'm sure there as are plenty of people who will disagree with me, but this is just how I feel on the matter. The translator has a right to their opinion and I have a right to mine.

On the bright side, if you can manage to listen through the prologue or just skip in entirely, the narration was superb and made for very easy listening. This interpretation of the Odyessy is one I plan to keep and I highly reccomend it for anyone that is looking to revisit a timeless classic. I also highly reccomend Mythos by Stephen Fry for anyone trying to gain a better understanding of Greek mythology as a means to better understand The Odyssey and the world it takes place in.

The Odyssey

The Odyssey as translated by Emily Wilson and performed by Claire Danes is captivating. This ancient story is easily accessible to audiences today.

My First and Only Adaptation of the Great Poem

I can only say that I wish this translation were longer. I cannot believe there to be a better telling of Homer's The Oddysey. Feel free to contact me with recommendations though. ⚡⚡

Epic

The background information is interesting. The chapters immediately following are a bit dull, but slowly and surely the story and performance gripped me and I couldn’t stop listening

Beautiful

It was a wonderful and enticing story telling; it was beautifully poetic. Well narrated and I truest enjoyed the opening backstory and history of the oddest

Best Translation

Amazing, exciting, readable translation of The Odyssey. Terrific performance. Classic, riveting epic story. I love this book.

Highly accessible

Narration left much to be desired but I really liked the translation and the cadence. Overall a very good version of the Odyssey if you don’t mind the narration.