So I was quite excited when I heard about this new translation, to the point where I once again went against my own rule and bought a new book while my on-deck shelf is full (been doing this a lot this year). My plan was to take it on our summer trip to Vancouver, both to have as a beach read but also to get in on that Hot Guys Reading Instagram trend. I carried and read it ostentatiously on the plane to absolutely zero effect or reaction. None on the beach either. Hey, I tried!
My experience was similar actually reading it. The Odyssey is a narrative the keeps moving forward. It twists and turns at times and has stylistic repetitions and phrases that tend to keep the modern reader from fully falling into the story. Despite that, you get caught up in it and it becomes very easy to read. The primary emotional driver is much more the suitors storyline then Odysseus' actual journey (all the cool parts are actually told in flashback). Those guys are the worst and the epic draws out there shittiness to the breaking point before you finally get the relief of revenge. This really is the ur-text of revenge that dominates so much of masculine fiction. Bad guys threaten my family/home but I can't get to them yet... There are several side narratives that bolster your emotional connection: Telemakos learning to stand up for himself, Odysseus' super-loyal swineherd, the faithful older maid who reveals the betraying slut maids (this one is quite rough, actually). It really is an expertly crafted story that weaves all these elements together into an immensely rich and satisfying tapestry almost equal to something Athena would have crafted (of course, not equal to Athena's level, which is that of a God).
Strongly recommended. I really do not have the knowledge of Greek mythology nor ancient Greek to comment on the translation but it worked for me!
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