Rating: 
Summary: One of the greatest epic ever written
Review: There is no doubt that this work had one of the greatest, if not the greatest impact on western literature. Name any book and you can see elements in which that book is portrayed within The Odyssey. The story takes place some time after the Iliad in which suitors overrun the home of the brave tactician Odysseus. His son, Telemakhos has no recollection of his father since the day he was born was the day that he left to fight the Trojan War. The beautiful wife of Odysseus, Penelope remains steadfast and faithful even though her home is flooded with the most eligible of bachelors. His son had grown to manhood but still not a true man since he grew up without his father guidance. At that time, Athena comes to him in form of a human to help him on his way and suggest he leaves to find news of his father and to be out of harms way because the suitors plan to attack him. During this time his father is trapped on the island of the beautiful nymph which he "reluctantly" beds and but is soon freed by the god Hermes. The rest tells the tales of how Odysseus returns home. Odysseus tells the story that takes place beforehand through storytelling. Odysseus is the pinnacle of Greek heroes. But his character does have it flaws. Odysseus also willingly beds down with not one but two beautiful goddesses during his travels and expresses little remorse for his infidelities - though he rails against the suitors who are trying to capture his wife. But he is blessed with both strength and brains. There is no better "improviser" or "strategist" in Greek mythology, though the label attached is often "cunning" or "deceiver"; indeed, many Greeks saw Odysseus' habit of lying as a vice and a weakness. His penchant for disguise complements his ability to make up plausible stories about his background. Although Odysseus' ingenuity comes across as his chief weapon, his Achilles' heel of sorts is the frequency with which he falls victim to temptation and makes grave tactical errors, none more so than when adding insult to injury to Polyphemos and revealing his true name. Still, Odysseus is aware of this flaw, and bids his men to tie him up when they pass by the Seirenes, the paragons of temptation. By the end of his journey, he has learned to resist temptation, willingly suffering abuse by the suitors to meet his eventual goal of destroying them. At the end, (not to give it away) poetic justice is served. But you knew that.
Rating:
Summary: War and Penelope.
Review: I hope that those who read my review will forgive me because I would like to talk mainly about Penelope, the wife of Odysseus.
When I read the Odyssey for the first time, I thought it was a wonderful adventure book with beautiful and dangerous women and I laughed with that half-wit of a Polyphemus, one of the cyclops. But near the end something was missing, it was not what it should be. Odysseus came home. His son Telemachus and his swineherd were glad and his dog could finally die with the comforting knowledge that it's master was among the living.
Why didn't Penelope make a joyful sound ? Why was she so silent ? I shrugged my shoulders and said:'women!'.
It's only years later I began to understand a little. So many people died in the Trojan war. The many adorers of Penelope were slaughtered by Odysseus with no compassion at all. The silence of Penelope was a reproachful silence. She was wondering how many more dead people it would take before men could live in peace. We still ask that question.
Rating: 
Summary: A classic
Review: The Odyssey is one of the finest pieces of literature ever written. To put Homer's text in perspective, it is Shakspeare's parallel. Heroic characters with unwavering values, avengers of love, and a quest with danger, monsters, and mythical beings are a few of the elements that enabled The Odyssey to survive over three thousand years. This piece of work enticed my mind and the flow of words is incredible. This story takes the reader through the tribulations of each character. I would suggest The Odyssey to all kinds of readers; it is not stereotypical of any one person. I was required to read this book in my 8th grade class, and I was lucky to have read it before. Reading it again in a different environment in which we discussed and evaluated the book made it that much more intriguing. I highly recommend this book and find out why it has lasted all these years.
Rating:
Summary: Not too shabby
Review: There is a lot to say about this book. I just finished it and it was required reading for upcoming freshman. I must say.. It could have been much worse. the plot was confusing at times because there were 3 different subplots. One with Telemakus, One on odysseus travels and then odysseus' return home and being home. The end was pretty cool. It was hard to get into at the begginning though because it was like "sing me a song muse" or something like that.. that just really confused me but as you read it gets better and better.I wish you could just read a book and not have to like identify the themes and stuff.. I just want to write a report on how I veiwed it.. tell the story from beginning to end then forget about it. Life would be so much easier that way
Rating:
Summary: How do you rate Homer?
Review: Impossible. Everyone should own this book, and this translation. It's simply a classic. I don't like the cover art at all, it makes it look like some kind of new age self-help manual, but...oh well! Homer is where it all began, folks, this is essential.
Rating:
Summary: Ithaca
Review: The highest praise to the Odyssey (except the fact that remains a best seller for more than 3,000 years) was Kavafis' poem, Ithaca: "When you set out on your journey to Ithaca,
pray that the road is long,
full of adventures, full of knowledge.
The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,
the angry Poseidon -- do not fear them:
You will never find such as these on your path,
if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine
emotion touches your spirit and your body.
The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops, the fierce Poseidon you will never encounter,
if you do not carry them within your soul,
if your soul does not set them up before you. Pray that the road is long.
That the summer mornings are many, when,
with such pleasure, with such joy
you will enter ports seen for the first time;
stop at Phoenician markets,
and purchase fine merchandise,
mother-of-pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
and sensual perfumes of all kinds,
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
visit many Egyptian cities,
to learn and learn from scholars. Always keep Ithaca in your mind.
To arrive there is your ultimate goal.
But do not hurry the voyage at all.
It is better to let it last for many years;
and to anchor at the island when you are old,
rich with all you have gained on the way,
not expecting that Ithaca will offer you riches. Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage.
Without her you would have never set out on the road.
She has nothing more to give you. And if you find her poor, Ithaca has not deceived you.
Wise as you have become, with so much experience,
you must already have understood what Ithacas mean" There is nothing more than I could possibly add...
Rating:
Summary: The odyssey
Review: The Odyssey by Homer is about a man fighting in the Trojan War who leaves the war to go home. He has disappointed the gods so they make him pay. It takes him 20 years to reach home. It is a great book. The writing style is poetic and flows nicely together. It has some humor but not much. The language he uses is at points hard to understand but you get used to it after a while. The characters in this book are very interesting. He uses attention grabbing language to dictate the story his characters. The most appealing character to me is Circe, a goddess who turns all of Odysseus' men into swine. The only way Odysseus can get his men out of this is by having sex with her. She is most appealing to me because she can intimidate men and they cannot intimidate her. I greatly enjoyed this book and I recommend it to anyone who likes this kind of story.
Rating:
Summary: Beyond the test of time
Review: This epic poem of Homer is nearly 3,000 years old -- if it weren't worth reading, then it would have died in oblivion ages ago. This enduring work has been the inspiration for James Joyce because it touches upon great truths about humanity. The wandering of Odysseus home after the war with Troy is full of those personal battles that still must be fought on the battlefield of everyday existence. In this epic poem Homer takes on the great themes of fidelity, homecoming, overcoming hardship through persistance and ingenuity, life's fickle nature, the treachery and dignity of men. This poem is about the enduring power of a man's love for his wife and family despite the hardships of distance and isolation. It's about doing battle with powerful demons and omnipotent gods with very human aspects, often with inhuman faces, living invisibly in one's very midst. It's about a man re-inventing himself until he finds the right road that delivers him from defeat and death. It's about what counts in life -- friendship, honor, love, loyalty, family, home and intelligent action. The lyrical nature of Homer's writing and Fitzgerald's translation is enthralling and lovely and memorable. This epic goes well beyond the test of time -- it's more than just a benchmark -- it serves to continue to inspire those who read it. Read Homer's Odyssey -- it can help you immensely to better understand your own.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Quite the Classic It's Considered To Be
Review: I won't be the one to say that Homer was of no literary prowess. He paved the way for some of the greatest literary works of mankind (Without The Odyssey, there wouldn't have been James Joyce's Ulysses...a must-read). I am just saying that The Odyssey wasn't quite the enthralling read that it's made out to be. Certainly it was one of the best works of its time. But the narration becomes stale quite rapidly. Other than that I have no qualms. It has created some truly fascinating characters {i.e. Telemachus, Penelope, and (duh) Odysseus} . But read it if you must. If you get bored like I did, don't say I didn't warn you.
Rating:
Summary: Fitzgerald's Odyssey
Review: Robert Fitzgerald's translation of the Odyssey is my favorite. His images are crisp and nestled in a comfortable approximation of iambic pentameter. Seamus Heaney's introduction is AWESOME: it is worth the price of the book and more.
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