The Odyssey

De: Homer

Narrado por: John Lee

In this classic epic chronicle of the Greek Hero on his travels home from the Trojan War, Odysseus survives storm and shipwreck, the cave of the Cyclops, and the isle of Circe. He withstands the lure of the Sirens’ song and a trip to the Underworld, only to find his most difficult challenge at home, where treacherous suitors seek to steal his kingdom and his loyal wife, Penelope.

Favorite of the gods, Odysseus embodies the energy, intellect, and resourcefulness that were of highest value to the ancients and that remain ideals to this day.

In this audiobook recording, translated by Samuel Butler, realize again the power and beauty of the original Greek verse, which demonstrates why the epic tale of THE ODYSSEY inspired such writers as Virgil and James Joyce, and captured the human imagination for nearly three thousand years.(P)2006 Books on Tape

Reseñas de la Crítica

“[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

Herculean Labor

John Lee’s performance was fantastic. He is obviously Shakespeare trained, and does a wonderful job suggesting the different voices of characters without having that performance overshadow the work he’s reading. If it weren’t for him, I would have driven my car off a cliff! And I live in Florida!!! Homeric style is maddening to modern readers. I found myself constantly shouting “GET TO THE POINT!” The only reason I suffered through this Herculean labor of tedium was in preparation for reading Ulysses. Hopefully, that flower will have more bloom!

Always a classic!

This is a timeless classic. Wonderful to listen to the story again. I had not read it since College.

Terrific! Absorbing!

I thought this was very nicely read! I found Odysseus believable (even though sometimes I wanted to slap him in the face), and Athena cool. I found Penelope something of a long-suffering bore - WHY didn't she send those horrid suitors packing? She was just BEGGING for trouble. I wanted to tear my hair out that O's only solution to the suitor problem was to KILL them all! Whoa, fella! Didn't you learn to play nice in kiddie garden? Now I have to go back and read/listen to the Illiad to see how it started! I LIKE this narrator!

Excellent performance of a required text.

Illiad may be the more important book, but this one is much more approachable.

Magnificent Story

I loved listening to this classic
The narrator was excellent. It is amazing that this literature dates back to the 8th century BCE. The story is timeless, about the human condition, how the numerous characters in the story handled their numerous obstacles. I learned that in ancient Greek times, it was expected to be kind to strangers and offer them food and lodging, otherwise it would raise the anger of Zeus, as Zeus is the god of travelers.