The Odyssey of Homer (Bantam Classics)

Rating:
Summary: This Applies only to the Audio CD
Review: Another example of employing a format without considering the means by which it will likely be used. The CDs have no internal "tracking" or programs. Thus, if you listen to the book in your car and don't finish the entire disk before turning the engine off, you'd better hope that you have a newer CD player than I possess. Otherwise, the player will default to the beginning of the last track that was played--in this case skipping back to where you were when you started the 45 minute drive. Even if you have a newer player, if the book is being listened too during a commute to your children's school, they would be unable to take the CDs with them to continue the book in another car on the way home.

Aaaarrrgghhh.

Note, however, that the translation and performance struck me as being well done (at least for the first 45 minutes!).

Rating:
Summary: Jacobi's Narration As Brilliant As The Epic Itself!
Review: I first read this beautiful epic as a little girl, held captive from start to finish, and then again in my tenth grade English class,so when I discovered it on audio tape, my heart danced for joy! I am also a great fan of Derek Jacobi, so it made perfect sense to purchase this literary gem for my growing collection. Jacobi's narration is as brilliant as the epic itself, and if you listen closely, you will begin to imagine yourself having the same adventures Odysseus had, as well as spending time getting to know Penelope, his wife, and their only child, a son named Telemachus. In conclusion, just like the works of Shakespeare, this beautiful piece of literature was meant to be enjoyed by everybody! Get thee to Amazon.com or thy nearest bookstore and buy a copy!

Rating:
Summary: Hear the Sirens sing.
Review: When I was a younger lad, I bought Richard Lattimore's translation, which is a grandiose bore. Then I had the good fortune to read Mandelbaum's Aeneid, which shines. This brought me to Mandelbaum's Odyssey. And it is the ideal Odyssey for scholarship and pleasure:

-The language is simple and strong. Mandelbaum knows his job--he tells the story simply and brings the ancient genius of Homer through with vigor and clarity. Occasionally Mandelbaum goes on a stint of rhyme and that's distracting, but overall the translation is beautiful.

-There's a well-drawn map of Ancient Greece in the beginning that really sets the scene for the wild sea adventures.

-One of the complaints I often hear about epics is that the many characters are difficult to keep straight. Mandelbaum solves this by giving us a comprehensive glossary in the back of the book that explains who everyone is and lists the page numbers of where they occur in the book.

-Another thing makes this a swift read is that, at the beginning of each book, Mandelbaum gives a quick summary of what's about to happen (a fantastic feature for reference and review).

Thus, with the book summaries, the glossary, and the map, you always know where you are in the epic--so while Odysseus wanders, you are never lost.