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The Odyssey
- Audible Iliad & Odyssey, Book 2
- Narrated by: Claire Danes
- Length: 13 hrs and 32 mins
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Summary
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.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
What listeners say about The Odyssey
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- Colin
- 22-07-21
A classic
Glad I listened to this story. The explanation at the beginning helped put it into context.
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- scotjess
- 20-10-21
Great translation of a much loved text.
Emily Wilson's translation creates a beautiful text. I'm no expert, but I felt it fits Homer so well. There is no self importance, instead, a language fit for oral tradition and poetry.
Claire Danes preformes the text fluently, with
emotion and rhythm.
As for the story? I've loved Homer's Odyssey since I was little. It is a pleasure to listen to this current translation.
The introduction and author's notes are a great addition.
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- Julia Bysshe
- 08-01-23
accessible translation.
A fast-moving and exhilerating story made simple to follow by a democratised translation.
Read in an American accent by Clare Danes.
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- W J Smith-Bowers
- 26-03-23
A modern voice for Homer
Outstanding modern and playful translation- while other translate as if they swallowed the Elgin Marbles before they write Wilson let’s Homer sing to the modern world and Claire Danes voices the ancient and the modern with a perfect manner - waiting for Wilson’s translation of the Iliad.
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- Vashik Armenikus
- 28-12-18
First two hours are introduction to odyssey.
Intro could be much shorter , it felt as if author wants to tell her entire autobiography instead. But the translation is excellent, and it’s the best for an audio version
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17 people found this helpful
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- Hironimus
- 01-12-20
Claire Danes nails this excellent new translation
Claire Danes gets just the right level of intensity in to this excellent new translation. The translation in modern in that it uses 21st century vocabulary but it doesn't miss the underlying meaning in the text.
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- KT
- 06-02-21
Timeless story excellently translated
Enjoyed this translation very much and thought Claire read it with passion and skill. A lot of background information which helped me understand context, and some rationale regarding this translation. Would recommend this version of these ancient tales.
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- Anonymous User
- 10-07-22
A must listen
A must listen for those wanting to understand the influence of the old Greek stories. Recommended to listen to most of the preface material, as a lot of the explanations and discussions really add to the story.
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- Mark Bratton
- 12-12-23
The quality of the narration.
Nothing really to report on this score. I thought the translation was something. Sonorous. Dramatic.
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- colin
- 14-01-19
Good story. Well read
enjoyable listen book well read challenging to remember all characters and locations though. worth a second listen.
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6 people found this helpful