Emily Wilson has succeeded in making me like The Odyssey, after years of other translators have failed. She has created a refreshing and easily readable text that maintains its poetic sense without beating you in the face with rhyme.
It features a succinct
glossary and an interesting translator’s notes section that brings
to life some of the choices one is presented with when translating
such an epic and well-known work.
Book
one begins with “Tell the old story for our modern times,” and
the translation succeeds. Lines are easy to read, without losing
nuance or character.
The heart of the story remains, not dumbed down
to insipidness or cluttered with obscure wordage. It was made with
real people in mind; for a world where anyone can buy and enjoy the
work.
We are presented with a world where names may be unfamiliar,
but the tribulations of life are not. Parents worry about children,
wars cause chaos at home and abroad. If you prefer a more fantastical
tale, it has monsters and gods, as well.
Now,
some of you may say, “It is 24 books. It is a poem from a million
years ago; it must be hard!” Let me point a few things out: a
“Book” in The
Odyssey is
roughly equal to a modern chapter; with lines being not a full page
in width.
Taking that into account, and not dealing with the notes
sections, you are left with something roughly the size of a small
novel. Do not let your unfamiliarity with epic verse drive you from
learning a story that has been told for ages and is one of the
earliest adventures. Dig in, and enjoy.
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original review on: www.bleedingcool.com
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