Synopses & Reviews
'I long to reach my home and see the day of my return. It is my never-failing wish' The epic tale of Odysseus and his ten-year journey home after the Trojan War forms one of the earliest and greatest works of Western literature. Confronted by natural and supernatural threats - shipwrecks, battles, monsters and the implacable enmity of the sea-god Poseidon - Odysseus must test his bravery and native cunning to the full if he is to reach his homeland safely and overcome the obstacles that, even there, await him.
E. V. Rieu's translation of the Odyssey was the very first Penguin Classic to be published, and has itself achieved classic status. For this edition, Rieu's text has been revised, and a new introduction by Peter Jones complements the original introduction.
Review
Synopsis
Homer was an ancient Greek epic poet. The ancient Greeks generally believed that Homer was a historical individual, but some modern scholars are skeptical: no reliable biographical information has been handed down from classical antiquity. He is traditionally said to be the author of the epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey. They are commonly dated to the late 9th or early 8th century BC, and many scholars believe The Iliad is the oldest extant work of literature in the ancient Greek language, making it the first work of European literature. It is an epic poem recounting significant events during a portion of the final year of the Trojan War. The Odyssey is, in part, a sequel, centring on the Greek hero Odysseus (or Ulysses, as he was known in Roman myths) and his long journey home following the fall of Troy.
Synopsis
Part of Penguin's beautiful hardback Clothbound Classics series, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith, these delectable and collectible editions are bound in high-quality colourful, tactile cloth with foil stamped into the design.
The epic tale of Odysseus and his ten-year journey home after the Trojan War forms one of the earliest and greatest works of Western literature. Confronted by natural and supernatural threats - shipwrecks, battles, monsters and the implacable enmity of the sea-god Poseidon - Odysseus must use his wit and native cunning if he is to reach his homeland safely and overcome the obstacles that, even there, await him.
Synopsis
Homer's classic epic of survival, revenge, and homecoming, translated by E.V. Rieu, now in a stunning clothbound edition designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith, and featuring an Introduction by Peter V. Jones. The epic tale of Odysseus and his ten-year journey home after the Trojan War, one of the earliest and greatest works of Western literature. Confronted by natural and supernatural threats--shipwrecks, battles, monsters, and the implacable enmity of the sea god Poseidon--Odysseus must use his wit and native cunning if he is to reach his homeland of Ithaca safely and overcome the obstacles that, even there, await him.
Penguin Classics is the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world, representing a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
Synopsis
"I long to reach my home and see the day of my return. It is my never-failing wish."
The epic tale of Odysseus and his ten-year journey home after the Trojan War forms one of the earliest and greatest works of Western literature. Confronted by natural and supernatural threats -- shipwrecks, battles, monsters and the implacable enmity of the sea-god Poseidon -- Odysseus must test his bravery and native cunning to the full if he is to reach his homeland safely and overcome the obstacles that, even there, await him.
E. V. Rieu's translation of the Odyssey was the very first Penguin Classic to be published, and has itself achieved classic status. For this edition, Rieu's text has been revised, and a new introduction by Peter Jones complements the original introduction.
Synopsis
Embrace your inner geek with Puffin Pixels Puffin Pixels is a new collection of classics featuring pixelated, 8-bit video game cover artwork. Whether youre an adult nostalgic for video and computer games of the past, a teen looking for something edgy for your bookshelf, or just someone who tends to divert from the mainstreamPuffin Pixels adds a sophisticated, fresh, flair to the canon to satisfy every reader.
Description
With splendid packaging created by acclaimed designer Coralie Bickford-Smith (Great Books for Boys series), Penguin Classics presents beautiful hardcover editions of the world's favorite books. Featuring gorgeous patterns stamped on linen cases, colored endpapers, and ribbon markers, these are rich and sumptuous volumes that continue what will be one of the most coveted sets of books ever produced.
About the Author
Homer was probably born around 725 BC on the Coast of Asia Minor, now the coast of Turkey, but then really a part of Greece. Homer was the first Greek writer whose work survives.
He was one of a long line of bards, or poets, who worked in the oral tradition. Homer and other bards of the time could recite, or chant, long epic poems. Both works attributed to Homer -- The Iliad and The Odyssey -- are over ten thousand lines long in the original. Homer must have had an amazing memory but was helped by the formulaic poetry style of the time.
In the Iliad Homer sang of death and glory, of a few days in the struggle between the Greeks and the Trojans. Mortal men played out their fate under the gaze of the gods. The Odyssey is the original collection of tall traveller's tales. Odysseus, on his way home from the Trojan War, encounters all kinds of marvels from one-eyed giants to witches and beautiful temptresses. His adventures are many and memorable before he gets back to Ithaca and his faithful wife Penelope.
We can never be certain that both these stories belonged to Homer. In fact ‘Homer’ may not be a real name but a kind of nickname meaning perhaps 'the hostage' or 'the blind one'. Whatever the truth of their origin, the two stories, developed around three thousand years ago, may well still be read in three thousand years' time.