The Odyssey

By: Homer

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 11 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

In this classic epic chronicle of the Greek Hero on his travels home from the Trojan War, Odysseus survives storm and shipwreck, the cave of the Cyclops, and the isle of Circe. He withstands the lure of the Sirens’ song and a trip to the Underworld, only to find his most difficult challenge at home, where treacherous suitors seek to steal his kingdom and his loyal wife, Penelope.

Favorite of the gods, Odysseus embodies the energy, intellect, and resourcefulness that were of highest value to the ancients and that remain ideals to this day.

In this audiobook recording, translated by Samuel Butler, realize again the power and beauty of the original Greek verse, which demonstrates why the epic tale of The Odyssey inspired such writers as Virgil and James Joyce, and captured the human imagination for nearly 3,000 years.

Public Domain (P)2006 Books on Tape

Herculean Labor

John Lee’s performance was fantastic. He is obviously Shakespeare trained, and does a wonderful job suggesting the different voices of characters without having that performance overshadow the work he’s reading. If it weren’t for him, I would have driven my car off a cliff! And I live in Florida!!! Homeric style is maddening to modern readers. I found myself constantly shouting “GET TO THE POINT!” The only reason I suffered through this Herculean labor of tedium was in preparation for reading Ulysses. Hopefully, that flower will have more bloom!

Always a classic!

This is a timeless classic. Wonderful to listen to the story again. I had not read it since College.

Terrific! Absorbing!

I thought this was very nicely read! I found Odysseus believable (even though sometimes I wanted to slap him in the face), and Athena cool. I found Penelope something of a long-suffering bore - WHY didn't she send those horrid suitors packing? She was just BEGGING for trouble. I wanted to tear my hair out that O's only solution to the suitor problem was to KILL them all! Whoa, fella! Didn't you learn to play nice in kiddie garden? Now I have to go back and read/listen to the Illiad to see how it started! I LIKE this narrator!

Excellent performance of a required text.

Illiad may be the more important book, but this one is much more approachable.

Magnificent Story

I loved listening to this classic
The narrator was excellent. It is amazing that this literature dates back to the 8th century BCE. The story is timeless, about the human condition, how the numerous characters in the story handled their numerous obstacles. I learned that in ancient Greek times, it was expected to be kind to strangers and offer them food and lodging, otherwise it would raise the anger of Zeus, as Zeus is the god of travelers.

Great reading, but not Fitzgerald

This is an excellent, strong reading of the Odyssey; but despite the blurb here, it is NOT the Robert Fitzgerald translation, but the Samuel Butler prose version (edited to replace the Roman names Butler used with their Greek originals). Five stars anyway for being well done, but you should know what you're getting.

odyssesy

This was the perfect way for me to "read" this classic. It's a terrific translation, and John Lee is my favorite reader, with just the right mix of warmth, humor and serious to his voice.

Good British Sound

A very good reading by Mr. Lee, who has a hint of Sean O'Connery in his voice at times. For these American ears, the slight British (I should say Scottish) accent does the trick in making me imagine the poetry of a hightened foreign language. The reading moves along at a fast enough clip to keep you focused on the action. And Lee doesn't overdo voices for different characters, so it is always Homer coming through. The only drawback was that I was looking for the Fitzgerald translation, as it is advertized, but it is actually the Samuel Butler prose translation. I'm not disappointed though: it took me a while to realize I was'nt even hearing poetry, Butler does such a good job with idiomatic repetitions ("child of dawn" for example) and a certain elevated style. He captures the dactylic hexameter, if I correctly recall the meter of the Greek, quite well, and, although he was writing this in the early 20th Century, again if my memory serves right, it reads very up-to-date. Butler, by the way, believed that the Odyssey was not written by Homer but by a young girl, hence the poem's focus on proper family life. This belief doesn't affect the translation.

Narrator makes it

Homer's works can often be dry and boring when read aloud. John Lee brings The Odyssey to life - I can't wait to listen to it again!

Only So So.....

I had high hopes going into this. I didn't remember reading this in High School and Greek mythology interests me. Honestly, I ended up being somewhat disappointed. While it was great in some parts with a lot of interest, there were large parts of what I can only term as fluff. The beginning and end really hampered the story for me, while the middle was truly enjoyable. I could be wrong and this is a good translation of an interesting myth and I just don't know how to appreciate it. In truth, it's probably best to seek out an abridged version as that will keep your interest piqued.

On another note, the narrator is more than admirable. The comparison to Sean Connery is there and he reads with very well pronounced words and feeling behind him.