The Odyssey
Audible Iliad & Odyssey, Book 2
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The Odyssey
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Narrated by:
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Claire Danes
About this listen
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.
©2018 Emily Wilson (translation), Adrian Kitzinger (maps copyright) (P)2018 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about The Odyssey
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- 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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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- 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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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- 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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Story4 out of 5 stars
- 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
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mike Rowland
- 24-01-24
Homer - translation and narration are perfect
The first disclaimer is that I didn't read the three hour introduction after some reviews. i will later but as of now, I can't comment.
Reading Homer always seemed to be a mountainous hurdle,
We are lucky enough to be able to stand on the shoulders of giants of translation and narration. I feel privileged to be able to listen to a text that was written around 3000 years ago, possibly more. I wondered what to do in later life, Well another door has opened - late, but not too late. Why not try to understand what Homer wrote and how it enriched all our languages and customs if you have an opportunity?
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Ms T
- 09-12-19
Surprisingly enjoyable
When I bought this audiobook I was expecting a story translated into old fashioned and heavy English, dense with complicated imagery and challenging to the ear. How wrong I was! This translation by Emily Wilson is a joy to listen to and sounds so modern considering the age of the original poem. I’m not especially a Greek mythology lover but I really enjoyed the adventure and scale of this story. A very pleasant surprise!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Heather
- 16-06-21
Enjoyable story
Enjoyed the story. Read it first, then read the translator's notes. I think I would have found it hard the other way around.
The reader took a bit of getting used to, but after a while I didn't notice a problem. Initially I found her downward inflection at the end of sentences a bit annoying. Likewise the American pronunciation of words.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ana Kinsella
- 13-06-19
Amazing
Banging performance by Claire Danes I have to say. Highly recommend. I learned a lot.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lucy Rosa
- 20-07-24
3000 year old diary of a man who loved to nap
Read incredibly by Claire Danes. Homer (whoever they/them were) could have pinched it off much sooner… Sh*t got weird at the end. Penelope was a legend.
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