Bite-sized book reviews
Bite-sized book reviews
Read For Fun
I did it. I read The Odyssey! I actually listened to it, which was a deliberate choice because Emily Wilson’s translation is written in iambic pentameter, and the story itself was performed aloud by bards for hundreds of years before it was ever written down. I did some research on which translation and audio version to go with and chose Emily Wilson’s because of her approach to translation.
She wanted it to be in plain English, which makes sense, if you are passing a story down verbally for centuries, it needs to be in language that is clear and accessible. Many other translations go for flowery or overly elaborate language, which I think makes the story lose some of its meaning.
I am glad I have been on my Greek mythology kick already because it helped me recognize the characters and anticipate some of the stories that were coming. Here are a few of the books that helped me along the way: Circe, The Song of Achilles, and She.
It was a fun story and a fun experience, much less daunting than I expected. I listened to the version narrated by Claire Danes (this one), and I think it was the right choice. Overall, it made me even more excited to keep going with Greek mythology. The Iliad is probably in my future!