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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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The Odyssey
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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.
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What listeners say about The Odyssey
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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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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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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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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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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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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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- 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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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Morgoth
- 16-10-19
Marathon intro
The intro was was far too self indulgent, long and unnecessary, the story was obviously great tho....
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15 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- S
- 10-03-20
Fantastic translation.
Shame it’s finished, this is probably the first book I would listen too a second time.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 05-12-20
Perfect narration
Amazing narration by Claire Danes of an amazing and timeless classic The Odyssey. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- G Reid
- 04-03-20
Very vivid telling of a classic
A good translation that reads well. Claire Danes doesn’t hold back in her performance, she lives every line and really brings the poem to life. She has a slight lisp that I quickly found charming.
Overall, a thoroughly recommended recording.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Wheezy dancer
- 19-02-20
Fantastic performance by Claire Danes
Great emotion, great narrative drive. Terrific translation. Maybe the best audiobook I’ve listened to, out of very many.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Hannah Davies
- 14-06-23
Great 👍
great narration, and translation. it took me back to my school days studying it .
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