25 Comments
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The Ascent's avatar

Thank you for sharing our article! The Odyssey is a life-changing read.

The Culturist's avatar

Fantastic piece! 🫡

Justin Barber's avatar

Reason 11: Sir Ian McKellen reads the audiobook of the Penguin Classics edition. Enough said.

Jay's avatar

That is truly a selling point!!

HBD's avatar

Try Stanley Lombardo’s reading of his own translation, which is a performance as much as a reading.

Justin Barber's avatar

I'll check that out, thanks!

Barbara's avatar

Great ten list. I read The Odyssey with An Odyssey by Daniel Mendohlson together and it was like being in a classroom plus a touching father/son story to boot. Highly recommend the duo.

Simone Leon's avatar

Do you have a translation you recommend?

The Ascent's avatar

Fagles is good for first time readers - he's poetic, dynamic, but clear. Lattimore is the more literal, classic translation.

vida kayla's avatar

great read!! so excited to start the book and watch the film!

David Lavallee's avatar

Great article. I just started reading it for the first time. I look forward to reading more books suggested from the book club!

ofmars's avatar

To read Homer is to recognize ourselves in our origins. It frames questions we have never stopped asking: who we are, what we owe, and where we belong.

HempFarm's avatar

You and your readers might be interested in my exploration of the “myth of a just war” and a possible truth behind it. https://substack.com/@hempfarm/note/p-200974528?r=1dtjo&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action

Pater Geraldo C.O.'s avatar

After the ashes of Troy, through the wine-dark waters he wandered;

Cyclops and Circe he faced, and the dead, and the songs of the Sirens;

Homeward in beggar’s disguise, he returned to the halls of his longing;

Bending the bow, he restored wife, hearth, and kingdom to order.

Letters from Clara ✨'s avatar

Hii, I’m Clara and I just started my Substack journey. 💛✨

I’ve recently started a series called Clara’s Book Club, and my first piece is a personal reflection on A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 🌙🧚‍♀️

Would love for you to give it a read and hear your thoughts about it 🫶🏼💌📚✨

MajaS's avatar

Thank you for this article! As a classicist, I am absolutely thrilled. The Odyssey truly is a supreme masterpiece of literature.

Angela Dellaporta's avatar

Where can I find the recording of the first discussion of The Odyssey from June 3? Thanks. I am in Kefalonia right now (ancient Same) in close proximity to Ithaca. Some say that the peninsula where I live on Kefalonia is actually ancient Ithaca

Dominik Wieschermann's avatar

Christopher Nolan might have thought the same.

Tanya Scobie's avatar

Thank you. I listened to deepen my understanding of the work of contemporary artist, Stanislava Pinchuk - The Wine Dark Sea

https://stanislavapinchuk.com/artwork/thewinedarksea/

I’m a guide at the Art Gallery of South Australia.

Kai Tang's avatar

I had a very good classics professor who taught us through our reading of the Odyssey. To this day I can't stop thinking about it. No matter what re-adaptation of the Odyssey you were introduced to I have been a firm believer since that you must read the original, because there is so much removed that's too good to go. This is such a wonderful article!

papo correa's avatar

I read The Odyssey as required reading in high school. My friends never understood why I called it “the ultimate adventure.” It’s been a while; back to my to-read list.