Adaptations of Homer’s the Iliad and Odyssey
Translator: Robert Fagles
Publication Date October 1998
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Robert Fagles, winner of the PEN/Ralph Manheim Medal for Translation and a 1996 Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters presents us with his universally acclaimed modern verse translation of the world's greatest war story. Rage-Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus' son Achilles, murderous, doomed, that cost the Achaeans countless losses, hurling down to the House of Death so many sturdy souls… Thus begins the stirring story of the Trojan War and the rage of Achilles that has gripped listeners and readers for 2,700 years. This timeless poem still vividly conveys the horror and heroism of men and gods wrestling with towering emotions and battling amidst devastation and destruction, as it moves inexorably to its wrenching, tragic conclusion. Renowned classicist Bernard Knox observes in his superb Introduction that although the violence of the Iliad is grim and relentless, it co-exists with both images of civilized life and a poignant yearning for peace. Combining the skills of a poet and scholar, Robert Fagles brings the energy of contemporary language to this enduring heroic epic. He maintains the drive and metric music of Homer's poetry, and evokes the impact and nuance of the Iliad's mesmerizing repeated phrases in what Peter Levi calls "an astonishing performance.
Translator: Samuel Butler
Publication Date: August 1999
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Two of the greatest adventure stories of all time, these timeless epics of war, duty, honor, and revenge are filled with magic, mystery, and an assortment of gods and goddesses who meddle freely in the affairs of men. The Iliad recounts the war between the Trojans and Achaeans and the personal and tragic struggle of the fiery-tempered Achilles. The Odyssey chronicles Odysseus's return from the Trojan War and the trials he endures on his journey home.
Translator: Stanley Lombardo
Publication Date: August 1997
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Helen, queen of Sparta and the most beautiful woman in the world, is kidnapped by Paris, a Trojan prince. Hungry for revenge, the Greek Army lays siege on Troy. For nine long years they are unsuccessful -- until they come up with a plan for their greatest-ever attack on the city. For victory or death the two armies will collide for the final time.
FROM THE CRITICS
James Davidson
Stanley Lombardo's new Iliad has a photograph of a D-Day landing on the cover and makes a reckless dash for the idiomatic. It is generally a fine and enjoyable version, but its colloquialism sometimes lapses jarringly, occasionally amusingly, into cliché.
Copyright 1983 The H.W. Wilson Company. All rights reserved. - The London Review of BooksDaniel Mendelsohn
Lombardo manages to be respectful of Homer's dire spirit while providing on nearly every page some wonderfully fresh refashioning of his Greek. The result is a vivid and sometimes disarmingly hard-bitten reworking of a great classic. . . . Not all of Lombardo's gambles pay off, and his attention-grabbing colloquialisms sometimes undermine the force of the original. . . . Still, the success of so many of Lombardo's choices more than makes up for the false notes. . . . That {Lombardo's} daring new 'Iliad' is so specifically of and for our time reminds us--and right now it's a point worth being reminded of--that Homer's poem is for all time. - The New York Times
Children's Literature - Ravay Snow-Renner, Ph. D.
This work uses fast-paced prose to tell the epic tale of the ten-year siege of Troy by the Greeks after Paris' abduction of the beautiful Helen, wife of King Menelaus of Greece. True to the original by Homer, the role of the gods is emphasized throughout, from the prologue, which describes Paris' encounter with Athene, Hera and Aphrodite, through the epilogue, in which Athene is credited with the idea for the Trojan Horse. This version emphasizes the epic's high adventure aspect—focusing on battles, heroes and the role of the gods. The author demonstrates considerable familiarity with the original and achieves an admirable fluency in combining the original's formal poetic language patterns and imagery and an engaging, swift narrative style. Victor Ambrus' distinctive style and active illustrations do credit to the story, although, in some instances, the transition from full-color (in previous editions) to black and white has resulted in unclear images: the value ranges in some illustrations are too close for clear distinction among figures. Although it does not address the Iliad's entire scope (leaving out some characters in the interest of brevity and cohesiveness), the work is extremely valuable for teaching young people the basic plot of the Iliad and for providing them with a good approximation of its poetic devices. 2004, Kingfisher/Houghton Mifflin, Ages 8 to 14.
Translator: Robert Fitzgerald
Publication Date: January 2004
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Helen, queen of Sparta and the most beautiful woman in the world, is kidnapped by Paris, a Trojan prince. Hungry for revenge, the Greek Army lays siege on Troy. For nine long years they are unsuccessful -- until they come up with a plan for their greatest-ever attack on the city. For victory or death the two armies will collide for the final time.
FROM THE CRITICS
James Davidson
Stanley Lombardo's new Iliad has a photograph of a D-Day landing on the cover and makes a reckless dash for the idiomatic. It is generally a fine and enjoyable version, but its colloquialism sometimes lapses jarringly, occasionally amusingly, into cliché.
Copyright 1983 The H.W. Wilson Company. All rights reserved. - The London Review of BooksDaniel Mendelsohn
Lombardo manages to be respectful of Homer's dire spirit while providing on nearly every page some wonderfully fresh refashioning of his Greek. The result is a vivid and sometimes disarmingly hard-bitten reworking of a great classic. . . . Not all of Lombardo's gambles pay off, and his attention-grabbing colloquialisms sometimes undermine the force of the original. . . . Still, the success of so many of Lombardo's choices more than makes up for the false notes. . . . That {Lombardo's} daring new 'Iliad' is so specifically of and for our time reminds us--and right now it's a point worth being reminded of--that Homer's poem is for all time. - The New York Times
Children's Literature - Ravay Snow-Renner, Ph. D.
This work uses fast-paced prose to tell the epic tale of the ten-year siege of Troy by the Greeks after Paris' abduction of the beautiful Helen, wife of King Menelaus of Greece. True to the original by Homer, the role of the gods is emphasized throughout, from the prologue, which describes Paris' encounter with Athene, Hera and Aphrodite, through the epilogue, in which Athene is credited with the idea for the Trojan Horse. This version emphasizes the epic's high adventure aspect—focusing on battles, heroes and the role of the gods. The author demonstrates considerable familiarity with the original and achieves an admirable fluency in combining the original's formal poetic language patterns and imagery and an engaging, swift narrative style. Victor Ambrus' distinctive style and active illustrations do credit to the story, although, in some instances, the transition from full-color (in previous editions) to black and white has resulted in unclear images: the value ranges in some illustrations are too close for clear distinction among figures. Although it does not address the Iliad's entire scope (leaving out some characters in the interest of brevity and cohesiveness), the work is extremely valuable for teaching young people the basic plot of the Iliad and for providing them with a good approximation of its poetic devices. 2004, Kingfisher/Houghton Mifflin, Ages 8 to 14.
Translator: Andrew Lang
Publication Date: March 2004
FROM THE PUBLISHER
The Iliad is one of the finest of all the great works that have been handed down to us from Classical Antiquity. Paris, a Trojan prince, having won Helen as his prize for judging a beauty contest between the goddesses Hera, Athena and Aphrodite, abducted her from her Greek husband Menelaus and transported her to Troy. The Greeks, enraged by this audacity and devastated by the loss of the most beautiful woman in the world, set sail to Troy and began the long siege of the city. The Iliad narrates the events ten years into the war, describing the anger of Achilles which results in the death of Patroclus and Achilles' mourning of him and avenging of his murder. It has had a far-reaching impact on Western literature and culture, inspiring writers, artists and classical composers across the ages. Even though it was written more than 2,700 years ago, The Iliad remains both powerful and enthralling.
Translator: Robert Fagles
Publication Date November 1997
FROM THE PUBLISHER
By its evocation of a real or imaged heroic age, its contrasts of character and its variety of adventure, above all by its sheer narrative power, the Odyssey has won and preserved its place among the greatest tales in the world. It tells of Odysseus' adventurous wanderings as he returns from the long war at Troy to his home in the Greek island of Ithaca, where his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus have been waiting for him for twenty years. He meets a one-eyed giant, Polyphemus the Cyclops; he visits the underworld; he faces the terrible monsters Scylla and Charybdis; he extricates himself from the charms of Circe and Calypso. After these and numerous other legendary encounters he finally reaches home, where, disguised as a beggar, he begins to plan revenge on the suitors who have for years been besieging Penelope and feasting on his own meat and wine with insolent impunity.
Translator: W.H.D. Rouse
Publication Date August 1999
FROM THE PUBLISHER
McCaughrean's fine retelling of Odysseus' wanderings is a heroic tale in the truest sense of the word. It captures all the drama and bloodcurdling action of the original work while making the story accessible to young people in language that is still vigorous and expressive. Odysseus is a commanding figure, a bold leader, able to outwit the strongest monsters, yet so weak he cowers in Calypso's chamber. Readers can follow Odysseus' encounters with Circe, the Lotus-eaters, Poseidon, and Calypso, among others, as well as Penelope's difficulties with her suitors back home. Illustrations by Victor Ambrus complement McCaughrean's style perfectly, their bold colors and lively portrayals displaying all the energy of the text. Ambrus' renderings of the monsters are particularly gruesome. A worthy addition to most library collections.
Horn Book
McCaughrean's adaptation of Homer's epic is both faithful to the original and accessible. Odysseus' perilous adventures on his voyage home from the Trojan War -- including encounters with the Cyclops, Circe, and the Sirens -- will captivate the imagination of a new generation of readers. Pen-and-ink drawings filled with motion alternate with vibrantly colored illustrations.
Library Journal
Translations of Homer tend to fall on a spectrum, ranging from those of Lattimore or Murray and Dimock (Loeb Classics), which aim to be faithful to the subtleties of the Greek, to those of Fagles and Fitzgerald, which aim to be good English poetry as well. This new version of the Odyssey falls in the middle. McCrorie (English, Providence Coll.) is a poet and translator whose accomplishments include a version of Virgil's Aeneid. For his Odyssey, he developed a modified dactyl that allows him to achieve the swiftness and rhythmic variety of Homer. Bringing a sensitive ear to Homer's diction and verbal formulas, he transliterates names rather than using their Latin equivalents in order to remain close to the sound of the Greek. If this translation does not stand out from the others available, it is nevertheless a worthy addition. Recommended for all academic libraries.-T.L. Cooksey, Armstrong Atlantic State Univ., Savannah, GA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
AudioFile
Every library should own this wonderful translation of THE ODYSSEY. The introduction provides an overview of Greek verse and explains its rhythmic scheme. Rodney Merrill then launches into a performance that is as close as most listeners can get to hearing the poem in the original. Merrill's cadence is wonderful; he has a visceral understanding of how these lines are shaped for the ear, and he delivers them faithfully, with enthusiasm and love. He shifts tones occasionally to differentiate individual speakers but, for the most part, allows Homer's dominant voice to carry listeners on this mythic journey. G.T.B. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine
Translator: George Herbert Palmer
Publication Date: May 1999
FROM THE PUBLISHER
The Trojan War is over, and the battle-weary soldier Odysseus sets out for home. On his way Odysseus faces many dangers sent by the gods to test him. Will he outwit the one-eyed giant Cyclops, the cunning enchantress Circe, and the terrifying monsters Scylla and Charybdis?
FROM THE CRITICS
Chris Sherman
McCaughrean's fine retelling of Odysseus' wanderings is a heroic tale in the truest sense of the word. It captures all the drama and bloodcurdling action of the original work while making the story accessible to young people in language that is still vigorous and expressive. Odysseus is a commanding figure, a bold leader, able to outwit the strongest monsters, yet so weak he cowers in Calypso's chamber. Readers can follow Odysseus' encounters with Circe, the Lotus-eaters, Poseidon, and Calypso, among others, as well as Penelope's difficulties with her suitors back home. Illustrations by Victor Ambrus complement McCaughrean's style perfectly, their bold colors and lively portrayals displaying all the energy of the text. Ambrus' renderings of the monsters are particularly gruesome. A worthy addition to most library collections.
Horn Book
McCaughrean's adaptation of Homer's epic is both faithful to the original and accessible. Odysseus' perilous adventures on his voyage home from the Trojan War -- including encounters with the Cyclops, Circe, and the Sirens -- will captivate the imagination of a new generation of readers. Pen-and-ink drawings filled with motion alternate with vibrantly colored illustrations.
Library Journal
Translations of Homer tend to fall on a spectrum, ranging from those of Lattimore or Murray and Dimock (Loeb Classics), which aim to be faithful to the subtleties of the Greek, to those of Fagles and Fitzgerald, which aim to be good English poetry as well. This new version of the Odyssey falls in the middle. McCrorie (English, Providence Coll.) is a poet and translator whose accomplishments include a version of Virgil's Aeneid. For his Odyssey, he developed a modified dactyl that allows him to achieve the swiftness and rhythmic variety of Homer. Bringing a sensitive ear to Homer's diction and verbal formulas, he transliterates names rather than using their Latin equivalents in order to remain close to the sound of the Greek. If this translation does not stand out from the others available, it is nevertheless a worthy addition. Recommended for all academic libraries.-T.L. Cooksey, Armstrong Atlantic State Univ., Savannah, GA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Translator: Stanley Lombardo
Publication Date: April 2000
FROM THE PUBLISHER
The Trojan War is over, and the battle-weary soldier Odysseus sets out for home. On his way Odysseus faces many dangers sent by the gods to test him. Will he outwit the one-eyed giant Cyclops, the cunning enchantress Circe, and the terrifying monsters Scylla and Charybdis?
FROM THE CRITICS
Chris Sherman
McCaughrean's fine retelling of Odysseus' wanderings is a heroic tale in the truest sense of the word. It captures all the drama and bloodcurdling action of the original work while making the story accessible to young people in language that is still vigorous and expressive. Odysseus is a commanding figure, a bold leader, able to outwit the strongest monsters, yet so weak he cowers in Calypso's chamber. Readers can follow Odysseus' encounters with Circe, the Lotus-eaters, Poseidon, and Calypso, among others, as well as Penelope's difficulties with her suitors back home. Illustrations by Victor Ambrus complement McCaughrean's style perfectly, their bold colors and lively portrayals displaying all the energy of the text. Ambrus' renderings of the monsters are particularly gruesome. A worthy addition to most library collections.
Horn Book
McCaughrean's adaptation of Homer's epic is both faithful to the original and accessible. Odysseus' perilous adventures on his voyage home from the Trojan War -- including encounters with the Cyclops, Circe, and the Sirens -- will captivate the imagination of a new generation of readers. Pen-and-ink drawings filled with motion alternate with vibrantly colored illustrations.
Library Journal
Translations of Homer tend to fall on a spectrum, ranging from those of Lattimore or Murray and Dimock (Loeb Classics), which aim to be faithful to the subtleties of the Greek, to those of Fagles and Fitzgerald, which aim to be good English poetry as well. This new version of the Odyssey falls in the middle. McCrorie (English, Providence Coll.) is a poet and translator whose accomplishments include a version of Virgil's Aeneid. For his Odyssey, he developed a modified dactyl that allows him to achieve the swiftness and rhythmic variety of Homer. Bringing a sensitive ear to Homer's diction and verbal formulas, he transliterates names rather than using their Latin equivalents in order to remain close to the sound of the Greek. If this translation does not stand out from the others available, it is nevertheless a worthy addition. Recommended for all academic libraries.-T.L. Cooksey, Armstrong Atlantic State Univ., Savannah, GA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
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