Obviously I had to read this after seeing the latest film, which was visually spectacular, but, to me, felt like ‘a boy’s own adventure’. I selected this version because it was translated by a woman, and I chose an audible version because I thought it would be easier to listen to it than read it myself.
Here’s the blurb …
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.
I enjoyed it. The introduction was extremely informative – it gave me information about the time, location, social history of its creation. It’s a beautiful translation with many mentions of ‘rosy fingered dawn’ and ‘the wine dark seas’. Not to mention all of the weaving of purple cloth, putting sandals on well-oiled feet and a lot of weeping. There is a lovely flow and rhythm to it, and Claire Danes is a fabulous narrator.
I can see now that Nolan removed most of the women’s agency from the film. In my opinion Athena is the architect of everything. She transforms herself into various characters, makes Odysseus look old, handsome and virile, and even taller as required. She convinces Zeus to force Calypso to let Odysseus go – none of that is apparent in the film.
I am going to be one of those people who say ‘the book is better than the film’. However, would I have read it if I hadn’t seen the film? No, so Nolan is bringing new people to the book.