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Homer
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The Odyssey (Macmillan Collector's Library Book 83) Main Market Edition, Kindle Edition

by Homer (Author), T. E. Lawrence (Translator) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 124 ratings
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Homer's great epic, The Odyssey, is perhaps Western literature's first adventure story, and certainly remains one of its finest. It describes King Odysseus of Ithaca's epic, ten-year quest to return home after the Trojan War. He encounters giants, sorceresses, sea-monsters and sirens, while his wife Penelope is forced to resist the suitors who besiege her on Ithaca. Both an enchanting fairy tale and a gripping drama, The Odyssey is immensely influential, not least for its rich complexity and the magnetism of its hero.

This Macmillan Collector's Library edition uses a translation by T. E. Lawrence, now remembered as 'Lawrence of Arabia' and the author of Seven Pillars of Wisdom. First published in 1932, his translation took four years to complete and has been continuously in print ever since. It is recognized as the first translation to be both faithful to the original text and written in accessible language. This edition also features an afterword by Ben Shaw.

Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover.

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  1. ISBN-13
    978-1909621459
  2. Edition
    Main Market
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Macmillan Collector's Library
  5. Publication date
    September 8, 2016
  6. Language
    English
  7. File size
    2733 KB
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The point of comparison between these two volumes is that neither will be well received by serious classicists. There have been at least ten previous editions of Lawrence's prose translation of the Odyssey . When it was first published in 1932, Lawrence's admittedly "free" translation was criticized by many as being too fast and loose with the original text. This and the colloquialisms that bothered critics then are all the more pronounced 60 years later. Nor does Bernard Knox give any discernible reason for the reissue of the work in his preface to the volume. Billed as a rediscovery, this is just new packaging of an old translation. Believing that the topography and the meteorology of the Mediterranean does not mesh with its descriptions in the Odyssey and the Iliad , Wilkens presents a compelling argument that moves the Trojan War to Western Europe and Troy to East Anglia near Cambridge. The "Trojan War," he contends, was actually a Celtic battle that was fought hundreds of years before Homer's time and passed down to him by oral tradition. Wilkens redraws the map of the Trojan War, justifying each location with archaeological evidence or etymological analysis of place-names. The volume makes for interesting reading, albeit somewhat frustrating for one who is a Homerian by enthusiasm but not scholarship because most of the cited references are in languages other than English (this work has been translated from French). Libraries without Lawrence's translation can do without it, and only large libraries will want to consider adding Wilkens.
- Marjorie F. MacKenzie, Washington State Univ. Libs., Pullman
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Homer is a legendary ancient Greek epic poet, traditionally said to be the creator of the epic poems the Iliad and the Odyssey. Homer's works form the groundwork of the Western Canon and are universally praised for their genius. Their formative influence in shaping many key aspects of Greek culture was recognized by the Greeks themselves, who considered him as their instructor.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01CGMBVS4
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Macmillan Collector's Library; Main Market edition (September 8, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 8, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2733 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 410 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1909621455
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 124 ratings

About the author

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Homer

Homer

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Homer was probably born around 725BC on the Coast of Asia Minor, now the coast of Turkey, but then really a part of Greece. Homer was the first Greek writer whose work survives.

He was one of a long line of bards, or poets, who worked in the oral tradition. Homer and other bards of the time could recite, or chant, long epic poems. Both works attributed to Homer - The Iliad and The Odyssey - are over ten thousand lines long in the original. Homer must have had an amazing memory but was helped by the formulaic poetry style of the time.

In The Iliad Homer sang of death and glory, of a few days in the struggle between the Greeks and the Trojans. Mortal men played out their fate under the gaze of the gods. The Odyssey is the original collection of tall traveller's tales. Odysseus, on his way home from the Trojan War, encounters all kinds of marvels from one-eyed giants to witches and beautiful temptresses. His adventures are many and memorable before he gets back to Ithaca and his faithful wife Penelope.

We can never be certain that both these stories belonged to Homer. In fact 'Homer' may not be a real name but a kind of nickname meaning perhaps 'the hostage' or 'the blind one'. Whatever the truth of their origin, the two stories, developed around three thousand years ago, may well still be read in three thousand years' time.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
124 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

a Seeker
5.0 out of 5 stars Lawrence of Arabia’s translation . . .
Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2023
Verified Purchase
This is a very small prose translation of Homer’s second epic. It is a beautiful pocket sized book to carry on your person where ever you go. It will be my constant companion along with a pocket sized Iliad in the Pope translation. Wonderful things to have with a person always!
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Dr. Diane Cheney
5.0 out of 5 stars Most exciting translation of the Odyssey ever written!
Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2020
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This book, as all translations of ancient books, uses the special knowledge of its translator, Lawrence of Arabia, due to his archaeological expertise, knowledge of ancient Greek, and fight for the rights of Arabians at Aqaba, to make this book exciting. You've gotta read the part where Odysseus comes home after ten years to find all the suitors for his wife and how he reacts. You'll love it. Lawrence died shortly after doing this book when he tried to avoid some youngsters on the road and had a fatal wreck. So sad because they wanted him to do more of this kind of work.
3 people found this helpful
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Christine
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful edition
Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2021
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Exquisite edition of TE Lawrence's translation of "The Odyssey." The book was also carefully packaged and mailed much earlier than expected from the UK.
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Desert Rat
5.0 out of 5 stars Great translation
Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2018
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Reading the Odyssey can be a pain depending on the translation, this one however is poetic and flows easily and beautifully
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Fred Isaacs
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Book
Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2024
Item arrived on time, well packaged, and exactly as described.
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Jake
3.0 out of 5 stars Smaller Than I Thought
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2012
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This is the entire text, however, please note that the book size is similar or slightly less than that of a reader's digest booklet.
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kenneth
5.0 out of 5 stars Love these smaller books
Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2018
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Very nicely made
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Chris Kopel
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2016
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A flawless translation that is full of breadth and imagination. A journey I will not forget.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Raymond
5.0 out of 5 stars Un livre d'importance
Reviewed in Canada on December 8, 2022
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Un livre facile à lire , sans complication
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Jim Pilgrim
5.0 out of 5 stars Homer - Lawrence
Reviewed in France on November 25, 2018
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TE Lawrence, desert hero & scholar & lucid writer.. What can you NOT like about this prose translation? THIS is my favorite. Just read it like a novel. Read it on the bus. This should be the standard modern text. You dont have to be a classicist to enjoy this.. Anyone can read it. If you don't know the Odyssey, start here.
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lucinda
5.0 out of 5 stars For those interested in T E Lawrence rather than Homer
Reviewed in Australia on June 6, 2018
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This is an historical curiosity and is of enormous interest to those folk who have an interest in T E Lawrence. I have given it 5 stars for this aspect of its value to me.
As a translation of Homer is does not rate. It is old fashioned, ornate and often clumsy.
If you want an elegant and strong version try Emily Wilson's recent translation.
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ken
5.0 out of 5 stars compair to the OLD and New testament interesting parralells which is the original
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 2, 2016
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Old but eye opening
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Kim
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 30, 2016
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Classic read
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