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The Odyssey

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The Odyssey

By: Homer
Narrated by: Ian McKellen
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About this listen

 The Odyssey is literature's grandest evocation of every man's journey through life. In the myths and legends that are retold here, the energy and poetry of Homer's original is captured in a bold, contemporary idiom, giving us an edition of The Odyssey that is a joy to listen to, worth savoring treasuring for its sheer lyrical mastery. This audiobook is sure to delight both the classicist and the general reader, and to captivate a new generation of Homer's students.(P) and ©1996 Penguin Books USA Inc. Ancient, Classical & Medieval Literature Classics Collections Epic Poetry Themes & Styles Mythology Ancient History

Critic Reviews

“[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
All stars
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I’ve listened to this several times. Fagles’ translation is thrilling but McKellens performance is simply astonishing. How is it even humanly possibly for him to give such intonation to a sentence is beyond me. Absolutely brilliant.

My vote for the greatest audiobook of all time

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Who better to narrate Poseidon’s zeal of ‘You shall not pass’ that is the story of poor Odysseus & his trials returning home from the Battle of Troy than Ian McKellen.

The oldest & most enduring slow burn story ever told. Whilst the reader is left in no doubt as to the ending from the opening chapter, the protagonist’s thirst for justice & revenge is shared by the reader who shares Odysseus journey. Like the best slow burn stories the payoff is well worth the journey that is filled with wondrous tales.

Superbly performed by Ian McKellen.

‘You shall not pass.’

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Excellent story of one man's journey back home from War, will definitely listen again 👍

Homeward

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Perfectly read, additional touches of music added a regal feel. I would have struggled to finish the book but found myself bingeing this audiobook!

Captivating classic

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I live this story and I loved the performance
Just great got nothing else to say.

Great

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