The odyssey is literatures grandest evocation of every mans journey through life. Nov 02, 2006 robert fagles, whose acclaimed translations of homers iliad and odyssey were welcomed as major publishing events, brings the aeneid to a new generation of readers, retaining all of the gravitas and humanity of the original latin as well as its powerful blend of poetry and myth. The result, the winner of the 1991 academy of american poets landon translation award, is a wonderfully accessible iliad that preserves. The story begins when paris, son of priam, king of troy, carries off the beautiful helen, thereby precipitating the bitter trojan war. Here, one of the great modern translators presents us with the odyssey, homers bestloved poem, recounting odysseus wanderings after the trojan war. The great war epic of western literature, in a stunning translation by acclaimed classicist robert fagles a penguin classic dating to the ninth century b. As bernard knox argues in the introduction to robert fagless translation of the odyssey, the obligation of assisting and entertaining travelers and wayfarers is the closest the odyssey comes to asserting an absolute moral principle. Listen to homers epic poem the odyssey which follows the greek hero odysseus on his journey from troy to his home of ithaca after the trojan war. The poem is commonly dated to the 8th or 7th century bc, and many scholars believe it is the oldest extant work of literature in the greek language, making it the first work of european literature.
Buy the odyssey penguin classics reissue by homer, bernard knox, robert fagles isbn. Robert fitzgeralds translation of the odyssey has been the standard translation for more than three generations of students and poets. The ancient greek poet homer established the gold standard for heroic quests and sweeping journeys with his pair of classic epic poems, the iliad and the odyssey. The result, the winner of the 1991 academy of american poets landon translation award, is a wonderfully accessible iliad that preserves every nuance of homers genius.
If the iliad is the worlds greatest war story, then the odyssey is literatures greatest evocation of every mans journey through life. The odyssey audiobook by homer, robert fagles translator. The iliad, together with the odyssey, is one of two ancient greek epic poems traditionally attributed to homer. If you enjoyed the iliad, you might like the odyssey, also available in penguin. The iliad, by homer full audiobook homers iliad is the first great work of western literature. Chronicling events in the greek bronze age, this magnificent pair of poems forms the cornerstone of western litera. A glorious boxed set featuring robert fagless awardwinning translations of the three great epics of western literature to ask other readers questions about the iliadthe odysseythe aeneid, please sign up. Buy the iliad by robert fagles, homer from amazons fiction books store. Composed in twentyfour books of greek hexameter poetry, it portrays the events of the last year. Homer must have had an amazing memory but was helped by the formulaic poetry style of the time. Many cities of men he saw and learned their minds, many pains he suffered, heartsick on the open sea. He attended amherst college, graduating in 1955 with a bachelor of arts degree. The iliad audiobook by homer, robert fagles translator audible. The poem is commonly dated to between 800 and 600 bc.
Although the story covers only a few weeks in the final year of the war, the iliad mentions or alludes to many of the greek legends about the siege. Zeus, king of the gods, is depicted as the enforcer of this code of hospitality. Review listen to homers ancient greek epic poem the iliad, translated by samuel butler. If it is to hard to go through iliad translated by robert fagles, then just grab this book. Robert fagles, the renowned translator of latin and greek whose. It is not just about the homers the iliad and the odyssey biography but can be a quick references to all the book chapters in both book. The iliad audiobook by homer, robert fagles translator. It was fun to remember the books, though, and dig a little deeper.
Here again, fagles has performed the translators task magnificently, giving. The iliad audiobook homer, robert fagles translator audible. Listen to the iliad audiobook by homer, robert fagles translator, narrated by derek jacobi, maria. The iliad and the odyssey box set 9780147712554 by homer, bernard knox. Learn about the wrath of achilles, the greek hero of the trojan war, along with a whole cast of greeks, trojans, and gods that battle throughout the final year of the siege of troy. In the myths and legends that are retold here, the energy and poetry of homers original is captured in a bold, contemporary idiom, giving us an edition of the odyssey that is a joy to listen to, worth savoring and treasuring for its sheer lyrical mastery. Combining the skills of a poet and scholar, robert fagles brings the energy of contemporary language to this enduring heroic epic. This unabridged edition is a collaborative effort from librivox involving 16 narrators, and they all seem to have adequate sound quality and narrating ability. Listen to the odyssey audiobook by homer, robert fagles translator, narrated by ian mckellen. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. Although notable translations of the iliad by robert fitzgerald and richmond lattimore had appeared in 1961 and 1965, fagles momentously chose to translate the poem for what he called the channelsurfing age because every decade if not every age needs its own translation, and, as he said, the trojan war ends but it never stops.
The identity of the composer of the odyssey and the iliad is a matter of some speculation. When robert fagles translation of the iliad was published in 1990, critics and scholars alike hailed it as a masterpiece. Along with the odyssey, the iliad is among the oldest extant works of western literature, and its written version is usually dated to around the eighth century bc. In this brilliant translation, robert fagles brings the vigor of contemporary language to homers 2,700yearold tale. Written by homer, robert fagles translator, narrated by ian mckellen. Odysseus reliance on his wit and wiliness for survival in his encounters with divine and natural forces, during his tenyear voyage home to ithaca after the trojan war, is at once the timeless human story and an individual test of moral endurance. The 4 star rating in this case is only for the 2005 penguin audio audiobook edition of robert fagles 1996 translation of homers the odyssey. In this brilliant translation, robert fagles brings the vigor of contemporary language to homers 2,700yearold story of the trojan war.
The odyssey by homer, robert fagles, bernard knox 9780140268867. Aug 17, 2006 combining the skills of a poet and scholar, robert fagles brings the energy of contemporary language to this enduring heroic epic. Be the first to ask a question about the iliadthe odysseythe aeneid i was one of those. The iliad and the odyssey are epic poems traditionally attributed to homer, of which the written versions are dated to the 8th century bce. Crowded with characters, both human and nonhuman, and bursting with action, the epic tales detail the fabled trojan war and the adventures of odysseus as he struggles to return home. The poem is, in part, a sequel to the iliad, and concerns the events that befall the greek hero odysseus in his long journey back to his native land ithaca after the fall of troy. Macmillan audio is delighted to publish the first ever audio edition of this classic work, the greatest of all epic poems.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The nation fitzgeralds odyssey and iliad open up once more the unique greatness of homers art at the level above the formula. Fagles was born in philadelphia, pennsylvania, the son of charles fagles, a lawyer, and vera voynow fagles, an architect. In this brilliant translation, robert fagles brings the vigor of contemporary. The odyssey audiobook homer, robert fagles translator. Jun 03, 2016 the iliad, by homer full audiobook homers iliad is the first great work of western literature.
Book i athena inspires the prince sing to me of the man, muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of troy. Robert fagles, the renowned translator of latin and greek whose versions of homer and virgil were unlikely best sellers and became fixtures on classroom reading lists, died on. The iliad is paired with something of a sequel, the odyssey, also attributed to homer. The iliad, together with the odyssey, is one of two ancient greek epic poems traditionally. The ancients believed it was a bard called homer, although they disagreed about biographical details. As much as any translation can bring about such an effect, robert fagles does successfully teleport the reader. With wit and wile, the man of twists and turns meets the challenges of the seagod poseidon, and monsters ranging from the manyheaded scylla to the cannibalistic cyclops polyphemus only to return after twenty years to. Praise robert fitzgeralds translation is a masterpiece. The odyssey is one of the two major ancient greek epic poems the other being the iliad, attributed to the poet homer.
Feb, 20 although the story covers only a few weeks in the final year of the war, the iliad mentions or alludes to many of the greek legends about the siege. Sing to me of the man, muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of troy. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Written by homer, robert fagles translator, audiobook narrated by derek jacobi, maria. If the iliad is the worlds greatest war epic, the odyssey is literatures grandest evocation of an everymans journey through life.