Review
Odyssey is an epic poem attributed to Homer. I should preface this before I detail further, that the translation of Odyssey that I read was translated to prose by Samuel Butler. In this edition, the hero is referred to as Ulysses. Other editions of the text or references from other Ancient Greek literature may cite the character to be Odysseus. The names are often used interchangeably but can be considered to have characteristic differences between them - here I will not explore. In this review, I will refer to the character as Ulysses, as described in the text.
The story of Odyssey details the events that follow Ulysses and his journey back home to Ithica after the siege of Troy, which concluded the ten year-long Trojan war which resulted in Greek victory. He faces many challenges and trials throughout his voyage back home require him to test his cunning and wit, often being faced with lethal danger that threatens the lives of himself and his men. Parallel to his voyage back home, the story also follows his son, Telemachus. Telemachus faces struggles and burdens as he attempts to resolve destructive issues that threaten his estate and his family.
Translations differ between editions and translations. The First Edition of Odyssey translated by Samuel Butler employs an effective way of translating that stays faithful to the original poem and also to the language of Ancient Greece during that time period. The writing is epic, masculine and very direct. There are rarely any frills in this edition. Dialogues are written as one can imagine how the characters actually spoke. The description of events is very brute and raw, with no intention of watering down the details or hiding anything from the reader.
The story is very straightforward. For a story of this length, it is very well packed with a lot of plot. There is very rarely a moment’s rest. Ulysses faces a large number of trials and tribulations, all testing his cunning and scheming ways. He faces adversity after adversity, loss after loss, but pulls through for his desire to see his home nation again.
There isn’t actually much to detail about this epic at all. At least not one I can find that doesn’t spoil a large part of the story. Everything is straightforward. The characters are epic and raw; the journey is epic and raw; the writing is epic and raw. One could analyse deeper into the text to really make connections within the story, however I find this not necessary, as I feel the epic already lays everything out for you. This is also supported by the fact that this epic was initially in spoken form, rather than written. So the details about all the events had to be laid out for the listeners to fully enjoy. The fact that story managed to maintain a lot of detail after many iterations and generations post-Homer is very astounding, as surely some detail would have been lost to time.
Odyssey is an enjoyable and fun read that explores Ulysses and his trials to make his way back home. However the brute and raw writing may not appeal to everyone, and some may actually find such writing to be unbearable and boring. If you have an appreciation for Ancient Greek literature, you will not be disappointed whatsoever.