Book Review: The Odyssey

In today's video I'll be reviewing The Odyssey.

The Odyssey Written Reviews:

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[kurtfox]

Odysseus and Telemachus are better known by their rapper names O-Daddy and T-Mack

[anthonysuppa]

I reread The Odyssey in the spring of 2020 when the whole world was in lockdown. There I was, stuck at home, dreaming about being able to go on adventures and reading about a man living an adventurous life desperate to go home. This 3, 000 year old story helped get me through the pandemic and I will never forget that experience.

[kurtfox]

If you haven't read these classics, I agree that The Odyssey is very approachable, and the source of so much of Western culture, directly and indirectly (probably in the top 10 most influential works). The Odyssey is a like a fantasy quest (quest of returning home after along absence), and The Iliad is a militant, war drama. Two different genres with several characters in common, like many other Greek plays. Highly recommended!

[DaZlehrerin]

This is such perfect timing. After reading Song of Achilles earlier this year, I went back to reread The Odyssey and The Iliad. ❤ I can also recommend Mythos and Hero’s by Stephen Fry, although the audiobooks of him reading the books is even better.

[aldovergara]

I just got a copy of The Odyssey translated by Emily Wilson, and now you drop this video, good omen. I'm all geeked out about a three-thousand-year-old book! It's very cool that you emphasize the pure enjoyment of reading The Odyssey, and letting it be known that it's not just some academic exercise, excellent video.

[sandystories]

Amazing video, will definitely read the Odyssey 😊

[marksheneman]

Alana, I loved The Odyssey, too. It's been said it was written in 12, 000+ lines in Hexameter verse, so that's how I approached it. It flowed like honey. I'm currently reading Circe by Madeline Miller, a remarkable read. If you haven't read it, you may want to look into it. Food for thought from one book bum to another. Thank you for the review. As always, well done.

[jamesduggan]

Thanks Alana: I think maybe the biggest difference is today men - even people in general - live longer than they did thousands of years ago. Thus, the thirst for adventure, excitement and heroism is balanced against the opportunity of becoming old. To become old and acquire family, wealth, wisdom, and respect is great inducement to exercising rational judgement before joining into combat or going on a quest for adventure and riches. Ulysses makes choices consistent with someone not tethered to the benefits of long and relatively comfortable life.

[apocalypsereading]

two things i vibed with most are hospitality as a great theme (zeus knows we need a bit more of the ancient greek version in our world) and agamemnon being a badass name (one of my favs too)

[Tolstoy]

If you’ve read Homer and Virgil you should read Ovid! The Metamorphoses is great!

[JamesI]

Have you read The Aenid? I highly suggest it if you enjoyed both The Iliad and the Odyssey. It felt like a mix of the best parts of both of those for me.

[ErnieCT]

Epictetus would say the only thing you have control over is Reason. The suffering of humans comes in trying to control what is not in our control (externals). Not what we do, but the way we do what we do. How we see it. That is the extent of our choice. It is a Stoic school of thought, but Epictetus (and Marcus Aurelius) does speak of "the gods". In reading a book like this I would keep the stoic viewpoint in mind.

[martasoltys]

What? No update on allergies? No comments on being a minimalist. No thirsty Alana in this review. No "getting hungry here"... I'm so disappointed. I love your ramblings. Thanks for the review. I remember having to read Aeneid. It took a while. I don't know how Nietzsche learned both ancient Greek and Latin. I need to get into my Alpha frequency more often I think. Great review as always.

[GeneMTBros]

How many times have you read it? I have not read it yet . . .for some reason I'm saving it?

[julioulloa]

Did you read clash of kings again? Have you finnished the asoiaf serie?

[kurtfox]

q: what translation(s) have you read? Have you read other translations?

[FrankOdonnell-ejhd]

read both of them back to back as a kid in a trans. by samuel butler and have always preferred the odyssey to the illiad even though the latter is supposed to be the greater book⚛😀❤