The Odyssey
“Tell me, O Muse, of that ingenious hero who traveled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy.”
Summary
The original adventure story. After ten years of brutal war at Troy, Odysseus just wants to go home. But the gods have other plans. His journey back to Ithaca takes another ten years, a gauntlet of sorrow and supernatural terror: the man-eating Cyclops, the drug-induced stupor of the Lotus Eaters, and the sweet, deadly song of the Sirens. While Odysseus battles monsters, his wife Penelope fights a quiet war at home, unweaving her work every night to delay the suitors who are eating them out of house and home. It is a story about intelligence (Odysseus is the man of 'many turns'), endurance, and the primal, magnetic pull of home.
Why Read This?
Because every story is a retelling of this one. It is the blueprint for the Hero's Journey and the Western imagination. But unlike the Iliad, which is about martial glory and death, the Odyssey is about life and survival. It celebrates the cunning survivor who uses his brain to defeat problems that brawn cannot solve. It is also deeply human. Odysseus is not a god; he is a tired man who misses his wife and son. He sits on a beach and weeps, looking out at the wine-dark sea. It reminds us that no matter how far we roam or what monsters we face, the ultimate goal is always to find our way back to where we belong.
About the Author
Homer is a ghost. We don't know if he was one man, a group of poets, or a tradition spanning centuries. Legend says he was a blind bard from Ionia who wandered Greece singing his epics. Whoever he was, he laid the foundation of Western literature. The Iliad and The Odyssey provided the myths, the values, and the heroes that would shape Greek culture and, by extension, the entire Western world. He is the father of storytelling.
Reading Guide
Ranked #24 among the greatest books of all time, The Odyssey by Homer has earned its place in the literary canon. Originally written in Ancient Greek and published in c. 8th Century BC, this moderate read from Greece continues to resonate with readers today.
This book belongs to our Epics collection, where you can discover more books that share its spirit and themes.
If you enjoy moderate reads like this one, you might also like One Hundred Years of Solitude, Nineteen Eighty Four, or Wuthering Heights.
From the Epics Collection
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