In her 2017 translation, Emily Wilson worked hard within the constraints of trying to keep English to same rhythm and line length. I loved the rhythm and pace of that one.
The other theme which is all throughout the Odyssey and moves the plot constantly, is hospitality. From the start, the suitors trample and pervert the practice of hospitality by taking advantage of Penelope and Odysseus' house. In Telemachus' travels, hospitality is the first and most important aspect of strangers meeting, as seen in Menelaus' treatment of Telemachus. The poem in fact begins with Odysseus' eating Hyperion's cattle, without permission, and this starts them out on their series of troubles. They eat the cyclops's cheese, invade his cave, and he eats some of the men in turn, in a horrific upturning of hospitality. Circe upturns hospitality by turning the men into pigs and erasing their memories of home, but the drug doesn't work on Odysseus. He accepts her hospitality for one year, becoming her lover. It continues through the poem, we keep seeing hospitality as the plot mover. It's central to understanding the nuanced motivations of all the characters.
Perhaps this is an unfair question(s) but which translation do you recommend everyone should read initially? Those who haven't read it since High School English. Which translation do you prefer personally?
at the the end of everything we realise our story was always about leaving and returning from where we came from. physically and / or emotionally. I learned that with age.
ah, this is splendid and it drove me back to Wilson's translation, which I prefer but de gustibus non est disputandum. And so it continues for many of us to go find something of our fathers
which should give you a good idea of the issues surrounding choices in & of translations. FWIW, of the five I've read (Fitzgerald, Fagles, Lombardo, Verity, Wilson), I liked Verity best. But I read them at different times & circumstances, beginning 50 years ago,
The Laertes scene is the one adaptations always drop. They end on the suitors, because that's the payoff, and then the poem keeps going into an orchard where an old man is dressed against brambles. Your Pope reading is why it's there. Ruins of himself, and it cuts both ways.
I'm writing an Odyssey retelling at the moment, a Brazilian one, a man trying to get back to the badlands he came from. The hardest thing in the whole book has been that delay. Why does he test the old man instead of just saying it's me. I don't think I'll solve it, and I've started to suspect Homer left it unsolved on purpose.
Is the Mendelsohn translation your favorite? I vaguely remember you not liking his use of long lines. Is there another translation you prefer?
https://bibliothekai.ktema.org/
There are almost 50 different translations. Which one(s) do you prefer?
In her 2017 translation, Emily Wilson worked hard within the constraints of trying to keep English to same rhythm and line length. I loved the rhythm and pace of that one.
The other theme which is all throughout the Odyssey and moves the plot constantly, is hospitality. From the start, the suitors trample and pervert the practice of hospitality by taking advantage of Penelope and Odysseus' house. In Telemachus' travels, hospitality is the first and most important aspect of strangers meeting, as seen in Menelaus' treatment of Telemachus. The poem in fact begins with Odysseus' eating Hyperion's cattle, without permission, and this starts them out on their series of troubles. They eat the cyclops's cheese, invade his cave, and he eats some of the men in turn, in a horrific upturning of hospitality. Circe upturns hospitality by turning the men into pigs and erasing their memories of home, but the drug doesn't work on Odysseus. He accepts her hospitality for one year, becoming her lover. It continues through the poem, we keep seeing hospitality as the plot mover. It's central to understanding the nuanced motivations of all the characters.
Perhaps this is an unfair question(s) but which translation do you recommend everyone should read initially? Those who haven't read it since High School English. Which translation do you prefer personally?
You can see what resonates with you here
https://bibliothekai.ktema.org/
Of the four I've read I enjoyed Verity most FWIW
at the the end of everything we realise our story was always about leaving and returning from where we came from. physically and / or emotionally. I learned that with age.
For me it was an eye-opener. Thanks!
Excellent!
ah, this is splendid and it drove me back to Wilson's translation, which I prefer but de gustibus non est disputandum. And so it continues for many of us to go find something of our fathers
Hi Adrian. The nice thing about this site is that you can compare passages side by side. Classics education substack recently ran a two-part series
https://substack.com/home/post/p-201944094
which should give you a good idea of the issues surrounding choices in & of translations. FWIW, of the five I've read (Fitzgerald, Fagles, Lombardo, Verity, Wilson), I liked Verity best. But I read them at different times & circumstances, beginning 50 years ago,
The Laertes scene is the one adaptations always drop. They end on the suitors, because that's the payoff, and then the poem keeps going into an orchard where an old man is dressed against brambles. Your Pope reading is why it's there. Ruins of himself, and it cuts both ways.
I'm writing an Odyssey retelling at the moment, a Brazilian one, a man trying to get back to the badlands he came from. The hardest thing in the whole book has been that delay. Why does he test the old man instead of just saying it's me. I don't think I'll solve it, and I've started to suspect Homer left it unsolved on purpose.
My gosh, that is wonderful and interesting. Thank you.
I love this piece! Looking forward to the film