The Odyssey

Audible Iliad & Odyssey, Book 2

By: Homer, Emily Wilson - translator

Narrated by: Claire Danes

Length: 13 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

Glad I did

Began reading the excellent and informative intro in a copy in the bookstore. Bought the book and read/listened. The introduction is long but enhanced my understanding and enjoyment of the subsequent text. I don’t have a classics background and can’t quibble about this or that translation but can say that I enjoyed this one. I found that having the book available helped me spell some of the names and places mentioned in the audio performance and allowed me to research them. I’ll return to the Odyssey in the future.

Enjoyed the translation, not so much the narration

The translation was great. I also liked the preface giving historical context and info about the translation process, even though it was long. I just didn't enjoy Claire Danes' narration though. Her voice just wasn't suited to it, in my opinion. All in all it was still enjoyable but it could have been great with better narration.

Excellent 21st Century Translation.

Hardcore classicists (who are men) might not appreciate this the same way as a progressive armchair historian and classicist. The story is well-narrated and concise, and I think the author did an amazing job with her translation. An excellent modern interpretation of Homer with an iambic pentameter English contemporary delivery. Well worth the read!

Awesome epic journey

I would definitely recommend this book as it is an awesome epic journey! The performance from Claire Danes is quite pleasing and the book is easy to listen.
Awesome book, awesome performance!!!

The odyssey

A classic tale that is a great and necessary part of a classic education. Second time enjoying the Odyssey and plan on more reads or listen toos.

Excellent!

Emily Wilson's is a fabulous, fresh translation! This recording features a compelling narration by Claire Danes. Highly recommended.

Great for less experienced readers

Once I got used to Claire Danes' voice, this was good, but I would prefer a different reader. This translation is very accessible-- my kids can understand it, but it occasionally slips into diction that feels too pedestrian to me. It loses the timeless quality when this happens. We listened to the lengthy introduction, which I found interesting, but my children were less enthusiastic. Be warned: the introduction is long.

Great story; poor reading

I agree with the translations assessment that using archaic words doesn’t lend “authenticity” to an ancient story. The translation was good. The reading was lackluster. Claire Danes’ reading voice is marginal at best. Her voice crackles as she speaks. She also has a slight lisp on her S. Clair Danes made her living being physically attractive. This is of no benefit in an audiobook. I will not voluntarily listen to another story read by her. Everything else about the book was great.

Excellent performance

So glad I chose this reading of the Odyssey. The performance was riveting and emotional. The introductory chapters were fascinating. I would highly recommend this version.
Toni Simon

Classic with great narration by Claire Danes

I reread The Odyssey as part of the Reading Envy readalong. I think I first read it in high school but I'm questioning now if I finished it because I would've certainly remembered the events in the last few books. Overall, I really enjoyed simultaneously reading the Fagles translation and listening to the Emily Wilson translation. I preferred the Fagles translation. The Wilson translation seemed to simple for me and made it sound too contemporary. Some words seemed out of place, for example has Odysseus tell some one that he couldn't do his "exercise routine" while out at sea. It felt jarring to me, as did a few other words in this poem.

I thought the storytelling was great and our flawed and tricksy hero was captivating. What didn't work for me were the ever-present magical interventions and teleportation of the gods. In my usual reading the characters have to "science the shit" out of something to survive, like Mark Watne in The Martian; in fantasy the characters call up the gods and magic to get them out of a rough spot.

I had a number of parts which I really liked:

- It was neat hearing Homer talk about astronomy as I was walking my dogs predawn. I could see two of the constellations he was talking about: the Plow (the Big Dipper), and Bootes (the plow man); and, of course, the unmoving North Star. Thanks for throwing me some science, Homer.

- The emotional reunions: Odysseus and loyal Eumaeus the swineherd, Odysseus and Telemachus, Telemachus and Penelope - but my favorite one was the reunion between Odysseus and his loyal dog Argos! The poor old(!) dog living on a dung heap hadn't seen Odysseus for 20 years and recognized him even when no human did as Odysseus was in Athena's disguise. Odysseus even shed a tear. A dog lover! Great stuff.

- The Undercover Boss: Ithaca episode, in which its most famous resident, Odysseus, is turned in to an old beggar by Athena and experiences life amongst his faithful servants, and even his unknowing wife! Those who were rewarded at the show's end for kindness to the beggar were Eumaeus the swineherd, Philoetius the cowherd, and Eurcyleia, the old nurse / attendant. Those who were terminated (literally) from Odyssey's employment were Melanthius the goatherd, and Melanto the maid servant. The latter two were brother and sister so I guess their demeanor ran in the family. Melanthius received the worst punishment of all. Too much!

- The REVENGE! I was expecting some unpleasantness when Odysseus carried out his revenge, but not the bloodshed at the level of a Tarantino film which we experienced. He showed no pity at all. No mercy. The mass hanging of the disloyal maids was brutal, and he made them clean up all the other bodies first! Ouch.

I was surprised how much oil the Greeks used. They oiled everything. And if you were a traveler and happened upon a respectable home you were bathed and oiled. Not bad. I was a little disturbed by the amount of animal sacrifices. No animals or age groups were spared. The numbers seemed excessive at times. Did the gods really require that amount of butchering?

I listened to Wilson's Introduction last as it contains spoilers. It is full of interesting insights and is sort of a CliffsNotes summary. In Wilson's Translator's Note she gives us her credentials and background, and explains why her translation is different than ones that came before hers, and even why she chose certain words and descriptions. She wanted her translation to feel more modern and it certainly does. Overall, this was a fun experience. Fantasy and mythology aren't genres I read but I really enjoyed this classic epic