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The Odyssey is a story of bravery and adventure, where the main protagonist, the Trojan hero Odysseus, is trying to travel back to his family and kingdom after 10 years of fighting and 10 years of captivity. He encounters many obstacles on his journey while his son is trying to locate him so that his mother, Odyesseus’s wife, doesn’t have to marry the suitors who are trying to overcome Odyessus’s kingdom. Monsters, sea devils, nymphs, gods, and cyclops add excitement to the story and leave the reader on the edge of his seat at all times, wondering what will happen next. Even through all of this, Odysseus stays strong in his heart no matter what throughout the book and even says with his constant confidence that, “Of all creatures that breathe and move upon the earth, nothing is bred that is weaker than man.”

Homer, the author of The Odyssey, did a splendid job in crafting a heartwarming tale. The reader easily sympathizes with each character’s hardships and desires for him to overcome them. The gifted writer chose the aftermath of the Trojan War as his setting and uses good and honorable people who have been effected by it as his main characters. The protagonists, Odysseus, his wife Penelope, and their son Telemachus, represent a family bound together by love who are determined to return to each other.

All in all, I think that Homer’s Odyssey is a wonderful tale spruced with action and adventure, yet covered with many morals that leave the reader just as determined as the protagonists of the story. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants an exciting read written by one of the greatest composers of the ancient times.

This is on my to-read list, along with The Iliad. I have quite a few books on there at the moment but I would love to read this very soon, especially after reading your views on it.

Homer's Iliad and Odyssey played a large part in education in ancient Greece. I would recommend a modern translation to both or they're very heavy going, but when you read them you'll understand why they've been at the forefront of literature for over two and a half thousand years.

Love this book. But I really like history and mythology so it's basically a given. I wish more people would read it. I feel like it's under appreciated.

I loved this book too- I think it is impossible not to find it interesting and exciting if you enjoy reading about mythology. Like some of the other posters, I would like to read the Iliad as well to see how the stories connect- I have it on my to read pile at the moment.

The Odyssey itself is perhaps one of the best examples of a classic tale that has stood the test of time. It is referenced in so many other places that you come to it for the first time very well prepared for what you will find within. Many of the adventures that occur are familiar from other stories inspired by Homer.

I think the opening poster makes a good point in raising the moral qualities of the story. A lot of moral judgments are made, and the characters tend to end up getting just what they deserve- the fates of Odysseus and his crew are determined by their moral characters and actions. Penelope's side of the story was also very interesting- I felt like it gave me some insight into how women and marriage were thought about in Homer's time.

I loved the book and have watched all movie and TV adaptations -- even the lousy ones. I think that nearly any adventure and fantasy book today is just another branch in the tree planted by this book. It is the origin of all quest stories.

I'm not sure if this is the first secular work that has been preserved to this day, though (and at the time it may not even have been considered secular). I do believe, however, that it has made the greatest contribution to the fiction genre as a whole of any novel.

I enjoyed both 'The Odyssey' and 'The Iliad'. They had been on my list for a while, and I am glad that I finally got around to them. I think they are important to read as they provide so much regarding things that are commonplace sayings or stories nowadays. I believe that much of what is written now has its origins in one or the other of these, such as the quest story. So many people know the names of characters from these books, but often without any knowledge of context.

My dad had a copy of both the Odyssey and the Iliad so I was familiar with the story already before actually reading it. Then I went to college and had to read it again during my World Lit class where I was surprised to find out how many people had never even heard of it!

I read it almost 8 years ago now. I remember liking it more than Virgil's Aeneid, but less than the Iliad.

The Odyssey is about a very long (time-wise) and difficult trip made by the Greek Hero, Odysseus after the Trojan War. Though his travels only covered a short distance (Modern Day Greece to Turkey), the gods and the fates steped in and caused his trip to take ten years. Along the way, Odysseus had to use all of his wit and self-control during encounters with creatures such as the Cyclops and the Siren.

I am sure many of us can relate to such a story; for example, when all luck seems against us, but somehow we pull ourselves together and make it through a very difficult time.

Liked this and the Iliad. Of course I knew the stories to begin with because I'm a huge fan of Greek myths. Still, it was good to read it in its entirety.

I read The Odyssey several years ago for a college course, and I wasn't ever particularly grateful that I'd read it until I started the Percy Jackson series. (So that reveals my maturity level...) I find it interesting how Rick Riordan (author of the Percy Jackson series) includes so much content not only from Greek mythology in general but bits straight from the Odyssey. It's almost like Riordan is hinting at his readers, "read your classics, kids."

AnnaKay99 wrote:The Odyssey is a story of bravery and adventure, where the main protagonist, the Trojan hero Odysseus, is trying to travel back to his family and kingdom after 10 years of fighting and 10 years of captivity. He encounters many obstacles on his journey while his son is trying to locate him so that his mother, Odyesseus’s wife, doesn’t have to marry the suitors who are trying to overcome Odyessus’s kingdom. Monsters, sea devils, nymphs, gods, and cyclops add excitement to the story and leave the reader on the edge of his seat at all times, wondering what will happen next. Even through all of this, Odysseus stays strong in his heart no matter what throughout the book and even says with his constant confidence that, “Of all creatures that breathe and move upon the earth, nothing is bred that is weaker than man.”

Homer, the author of The Odyssey, did a splendid job in crafting a heartwarming tale. The reader easily sympathizes with each character’s hardships and desires for him to overcome them. The gifted writer chose the aftermath of the Trojan War as his setting and uses good and honorable people who have been effected by it as his main characters. The protagonists, Odysseus, his wife Penelope, and their son Telemachus, represent a family bound together by love who are determined to return to each other.

All in all, I think that Homer’s Odyssey is a wonderful tale spruced with action and adventure, yet covered with many morals that leave the reader just as determined as the protagonists of the story. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants an exciting read written by one of the greatest composers of the ancient times.

As a Greek I enjoyed the benefits of studying the Iliad and the Odyssey at school, not very greatly since i went to a public school and y'all know how things go down over yonder. Anyway, the edition we studied was a pretty good adaptation of the classic text (ancient/classic greek is not the same as modern greek for the record :p ), it wasn't exactly modern greek but a modern version of καθαρεύουσα, which is the let's say halfway point between nowadays greek and ancient greek. Where I am trying to get at is that the feeling of the book was very original, the way it's written is about as close as you can get to the Homer's work without painfully learning ancient greek (It sucks, I tried). The way the descriptions are made, the adjectives, the praises and the jests, they are just magical, enthralling and make me so passionate. I remember crying out of joy when Odysseus started killing the suitors, the whole rhapsody developed in such detail... it's a wonder how well made it is. I feel privileged of my position to be able to enjoy this version and if you liked the english adaptation so much imagine what emotion reading it like I did would cause. Reading of Odysseus making his raft and longingly look to the sea with his burning desire to return and as I finish the line I can just look out my window and see the exact same landscape....
Recalling these almost brings tears to my eyes, I took down my copy of the Odyssey, it's siting right next to me at the moment and as I will read the opening prayer to the muse to help me recall, I will add a couple of words for you, for loving this book like I do. Thanks for the memories, peace and health to you and yours like my mom used to say

I really enjoyed the Odyssey. Unfortunately, I think that the experience was slightly ruined by the fact that we had to analyze every passage for school, when not all of it is a complex series of metaphors.

Though I have yet to read Homer, I enjoyed No-Man's Lands: One Man's Odyssey Through The Odyssey by Scott Huler. It's a modern-day travelogue through the Mediterranean locations believed to be represented in Homer's tale, with plenty of discussion of the classic along the way.