The Odyssey

I picked up Emily Wilson’s translation of The Odyssey in hardcover, and it ended up being one of the most unexpectedly engaging reading experiences I’ve had with a classic. What stands out immediately is the clarity. This version reads clean and direct without feeling stripped down or overly modernized. Wilson doesn’t try to imitate archaic English, but she also doesn’t flatten the poetry. The language has rhythm, momentum, and intention. You feel the story moving forward, which matters a lot for a narrative built on journeys, delays, and returns. The pacing is noticeably sharper than in other translations I’ve tried. Scenes that can feel dense or repetitive elsewhere—especially the wanderings or the court scenes—come through with tension and purpose. Odysseus feels less like a distant mythic figure and more like a complicated, sometimes frustrating human being. The same goes for Penelope, who comes across as far more perceptive and controlled than in many older versions. One thing I appreciated was how Wilson handles tone. She doesn’t romanticize everything. There’s a groundedness to the violence, the power dynamics, and the treatment of servants and women that feels more honest to the world the poem is coming from. It doesn’t feel like the text is being “cleaned up” or softened. Physically, the hardcover itself is well made. It has a solid weight, the binding feels durable, and the layout is easy on the eyes. The lines are spaced in a way that supports the flow of the verse rather than making it feel cramped or academic. If you’ve struggled to get through The Odyssey before, this is probably the version that will change that. And if you already know the story, this translation still offers something new—it sharpens the characters and makes the emotional undercurrents more visible without losing the epic scale. Overall, this is one of the most readable and thoughtful translations available right now. It respects the original while actually inviting you into it, which isn’t something every version manages to do.

Just finished reading Homer’s Odyssey and I’m honestly blown away. I’m so glad I finally took the plunge and read this epic as it’s one of the seminal texts to understand art and culture and one of the very first great works of literature the world has, dating back to around 700 BC — and yet it still feels remarkably alive and relevant. I read Emily Wilson’s translation, and I can’t recommend it enough. It’s incredibly readable, and the introduction is clear and helpful — it really grounds you in the story and the world before you begin. I’d put this book off for years because every version I’d picked up before felt dense and intimidating, but this one completely changed that. If you’ve ever been curious about The Odyssey but felt overwhelmed, this is the version to get. Wilson’s translation is widely praised for its clarity and for its contemporary approach — including avoiding the layers of cultural misogyny that crept into many earlier English translations from the 15th–18th centuries. A true foundational classic that finally felt accessible. Highly recommend. 📚✨

This translation makes the poem come alive in a way that none of the others have done for me. As a story, as a reading experience, as an opportunity to be immersed in the magic of another time and place, this translation is better than any other translation I've read. (I've read Fagles, Lattimore, and Lombardo, for comparison). If you've read other English translations and they've left you cold, you need to pick this one up. You will finally understand why Homer's epics have survived as long as they have, and why even now they are so revered. Wilson's translation will make you fall in love (or fall *back* in love) with Homer's imaginative world.

I knew nothing about Homer, the Iliad, or the Odyssey before I picked up this book. If you're in the same boat and are thinking about reading this ahead of Christopher Nolan's movie, here are some thoughts. First, the book is very accessible. The language is direct, forthright, and often beautiful. For newbies, the introduction is illuminating and addresses modern readers directly; Watson does a great job. The story itself is well annotated, but is also refreshingly direct. Even for me, I realized I knew a lot of the plot and many of the characters. Odysseus isn't an obvious hero in a modern sense; he is selfish, vainglorious, violent, proud...his long journey back to Ithaca is plagued by his faults as much as by the whims of the Gods. His eventual return, unrecognized by his own people, and his brutal revenge on those who crossed him don't fit with our modern hero/antihero expectations (I have no idea how Nolan will navigate all this). Some of it felt breathtaking, some of it felt dull. A lot of it felt ancient and from a time very different from ours. Recommended.

I read this last month and found it the most readable version/translation I have ever approached. I noticed so many differences! If you have ever read the Odyssey, or if you haven’t, pick THIS ONE up and read it now. You will not regret doing so.

In high school and college, I had been assigned extracts from Homer, translated in stiff and stuffy styles. I was not impressed. I did not pursue his books further further until I read about this new translation by Emily Wilson. It was worth the wait. Wilson’s text reads well while retaining a poetic style in translation, a major achievement in itself. Even better, she does so while avoiding the masculine-centered assumptions of other translators. This does not mean changing Homer, who wrote in and about a patriarchal world, but instead trying to see the women as Homer did, and not as a Victorian Englishman would. (I exaggerate, but you get the idea.) You can see Wilson’s perspectives in her extensive introduction, most of which you can see in Amazon’s “Look Inside!” feature. Unfortunately, you can’t preview her “Translator’s Note,” which explains her decisions about style and other matters. The introduction includes passages from her translation, so read those and see what you think. I read the book on Kindle, and it worked well as an epic narrative. Some reviewers object to Wilson’s style because they don’t like how it sounds when read aloud. Sample some excerpts on the page and out loud and see what works for you. Wilson’s translation is grammatically simpler than those in the critical reviewers’ preferred translations, so try comparing those. The style feels somewhat like a Germanic epic to me, which suggests connections to a shared Proto Indo-European style lost to history. It’s possible that the critical reviewers prefer stuffy translations, and they may prefer them as a matter of English style or as a matter of Homeric Greek (which I don’t read). Read some of the three-star reviews before making a decision. I certainly found this translation a great read.

Many people are saying the way the pages look (not perfectly aligned) is bad... but that's how a lot of books are bound in this day and age. I can see why someone who is obsessed with the Odyssey and is a book snob would be upset because it wouldn't match the other books on their shelf aesthetic-wise. Some books I saw cam missing parts/starting in the wrong spot... mine is perfectly fine! No idea why that happened to a few people's books... just contact the seller to get a new one! I needed this class for a western lit class in college and books are so SO SO expensive so to pay $8 for a $20.00 book is beyond me amazing. The Emily Wilson translation has brought me to tears. Out of all the translations... this is the first one translated by a female. That's crazy. And it's important you know that because a key aspect of The Odyssey and Greek mythology is women being powerful and dominant... Emily's translation is in no way a feminist translation... but because she is a female her bias is put aside and she tells the story as it is. And if you miss that then you are reading the book through a lens that maybe you should do some inner reflection on. This translation actually makes sense... it's straightforward. So for college students trying to learn about greek mythology and about the origin of storytelling... this is the perfect translation. So many people were upset because they were comparing it to other translations. But perhaps they shouldn't compare and instead, see all the beauty and unique features that Emily Wilson brings to the table. Did you know that Robert Fagles was only a linguist... and NOT a writer. Emily Wilson is a linguist AND a poet. She knows writing. She tells the story. And it's done so well. Just do it. But the book for school. I hope you see this comment and trust me when I say you won't find a cheaper version of this work of art.

Perfect for teaching Gen Z students

A new translation that goes back to the original text. It drops some of the sanitized translations, which among other things called household slaves “servant”. It also shows Odysseus as both heroic and a schemer, again something sanitized in earlier translations. I specially like that it maintains the poetic structure rather than turning it into text and storytelling. Well done. Funny observation: in many areas this reads like a 2000 year old version of the “Game of Thrones”.

وصلني الكتاب وبالنصف فيه زي الشق واضح والصفحات داخله ببعض بسببه

Thank you gods and Wilson for this amazing book !! If not for this translation I wouldn't have lasted the first round in the battle of reading homer!

The pages are not cut correctly. This is not a printing error, but it’s deliberately designed that way.

The Odyssey by Homer (Emily Wilson - Translator) - The original 'guy just trying to get home' story. Long before the basic understanding of geography, Odysseus decided to take the world’s most scenic route back to Ithaca after the Trojan War. You would think winning a war would earn him a direct ship home, but no. Instead, he gets cursed by a sea god, seduced by immortals, and stuck in what can only be described as a decade-long episode of Squid Games. Odysseus himself is a curious mix of action hero, con artist, as well as a crybaby who keeps making questionable decisions. One moment he is blinding a Cyclops with a burning stick like an absolute legend, and the next he is weeping on a beach while a goddess provides him food. He tells lies like it is an Olympic sport. But you cannot help but root for him, because who among us has not wanted to stab a giant, eat free food, and avoid responsibility for several years? While Odysseus is out there dodging sea monsters and sleeping with goddesses, Penelope is running his household, raising a kid, and fending off suitors with nothing but her wits and an unfinished tapestry. Telemachus, their son is sailing around the Mediterranean and searching for news of his father. The gods in this story are basically just a bunch of petty busybodies. Athena's constantly popping up to give Odysseus cryptic advice, while Poseidon is just throwing tantrums like a toddler who did not get what he wanted. By the end, everyone is either dead or redeemed, and Odysseus finally gets to sit down at his own dinner table again - with fewer worries and more wine. The Odyssey is a wild, weird and often hilarious adventure, full of wisdom, improbable detours, hubris, magical creatures, and why you should never open mysterious wind bags. It is a reminder that even heroes have their flaws, and sometimes, the best journey is the one that ends with a decent meal and a good night's sleep.