The Odyssey

RobertFagles,winnerofthePEN/RalphManheimMedalforTranslationanda1996AcademyAwardinLiteraturefromtheAmericanAcademyofArtsandLetterspresentsuswithHomer'sbest-lovedandmostaccessiblepoeminastunningnewmodern-versetranslation."Singtomeoftheman,Muse,themanoftwistsandturnsdriventimeandagainoffcourse,oncehehadplunderedthehallowedheightsofTroy."SobeginsRobertFagles'magnificenttranslationoftheOdyssey,whichJasperGriffininTheNewYorkTimesReviewofBookshailsas"adistinguishedachievement."IftheIliadistheworld'sgreatestwarepic,theOdysseyisliterature'sgrandestevocationofeveryman'sjourneythroughlife.Odysseus'relianceonhiswitandwilinessforsurvivalinhisencounterswithdivineandnaturalforces,duringhisten-yearvoyagehometoIthacaaftertheTrojanWar,isatoncethetimelesshumanstoryandanindividualtestofmoralendurance.Inthemythsandlegendsthatareretoldhere,FagleshascapturedtheenergyandpoetryofHomer'soriginalinabold,contemporaryidiom,andgivenusanOdysseytoreadaloud,tosavor,andtotreasureforitssheerlyricalmastery.RenownedclassicistBernardKnox'ssuperbIntroductionandtextualcommentaryprovidenewinsightsandbackgroundinformationforthegeneralreaderandscholaralike,intensifyingthestrengthofFagles'translation.ThisisanOdysseytodelightboththeclassicistandthepublicatlarge,andtocaptivateanewgenerationofHomer'sstudents.