- 1910: Everyman's Library volume II, translated by William Cowper
- 1935: Humphrey Milford edition, translated by T. E. Shaw
- 1967: First edition of Richmond Lattimore's translation
- 1999: Penguin Classics edition, translated by Robert Fagles
- 2011: Simon & Brown edition
- 2013: JiaHu Books edition
- 2018: W. W. Norton edition, translated by Emily Wilson
- 2020: Standard Ebooks edition, translated by Samuel Butler
The Odyssey
A hard road home, with gods, monsters, and a house worth winning back.
Overview
The Odyssey is an ancient Greek epic about a king trying to get home after the Trojan War. Odysseus has monsters, storms, tempting islands, and angry gods in his way. Back in Ithaca, his wife and son must hold off men who think he will never return.
Its hero is brave, but his sharp mind matters just as much as his sword. The poem moves from one strange stop to another, then slows down for the fight over his home. It has sea danger, family drama, and a lot of talk about what a guest or ruler owes other people.
A prose translation is a good way in. The story is clear, but its old epic shape can feel distant. Expect speeches, repeated names, and detours before the final return pays off.
Is This Book for You?
Yes, if...
- You want a voyage full of shipwrecks, monsters, gods, and clever escapes.
- You like stories about home, loyalty, and a hero who wins by thinking as often as fighting.
- You can enjoy a slow return with many stops, rather than one straight quest.
No, if...
- You want a modern novel with a quick, direct plot.
- You need every scene to stay with the hero instead of shifting to his family and the gods.
- You dislike old epics that pause for speeches, family lines, and formal rituals.
Summary
Notable Quotables
“Tell me, O Muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy.” — translation: Samuel Butler
“Cyclops, you ask my name and I will tell it you; give me, therefore, the present you promised me; my name is Noman; this is what my father and mother and my friends have always called me.” — translation: Samuel Butler
“wine will make even a wise man fall to singing; it will make him chuckle and dance and say many a word that he had better leave unspoken” — translation: Samuel Butler