The Odyssey

October 27, 2014
British actor Stevens of Downton Abbey fame brings Homer’s epic poem to life with this well-executed reading of the classic tale of the Greek hero Odysseus and his 10-year journey home. When Odysseus is presumed dead after the Trojan War, his wife, Penelope, is awash with suitors looking to court her and in turn take over the land. While Penelope stalls the persistent suitors, her husband is cursed to wander the seas encountering all manner of mythical beings and even the gods, who all play their part in helping, or mostly hindering, the hero in his quest to find home. Stevens, with a cool, unmannered delivery, brings a modern vocal interpretation to his performance, making this ancient poem engaging to the modern ear and easy to listen to. With his relaxed reading, Stevens proves that this classic poem is definitely not some dry, dusty work of ancient history, but a vibrant exciting story that, like the best tales of adventure, works best when read aloud, as scholars contend it was intended. A Farrar, Straus and Giroux paperback.

With his regal delivery and majestic sense of pacing, Dan Stevens is the ideal narrator for Homer's epic tale. The challenges that Odysseus encounters on his return home from war are as riveting as always--dangers and temptations and obstacles rear up without respite as his family awaits word of his safety. Stevens leaps into the text with apparent relish, enunciating Fitzgerald's fine and comprehensive translation with painstaking precision and infusing the story with life. While the performance is excellent and the text remains timeless, the recording is best appreciated in segments rather than long listening stretches. The grandiose style, while suited to the audio format, can become overwhelming after a while, not unlike Odysseus's journey did for the hero and his family. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine


Every library should own this wonderful translation of THE ODYSSEY. The introduction provides an overview of Greek verse and explains its rhythmic scheme. Rodney Merrill then launches into a performance that is as close as most listeners can get to hearing the poem in the original. Merrill's cadence is wonderful; he has a visceral understanding of how these lines are shaped for the ear, and he delivers them faithfully, with enthusiasm and love. He shifts tones occasionally to differentiate individual speakers but, for the most part, allows Homer's dominant voice to carry listeners on this mythic journey. G.T.B. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine

Starred review from February 1, 2015

Scholars and poets regard Fitzgerald's translations of The Iliad and The Odyssey as among the best published and are seen as great poems in English on their own. Now they are available as audiobooks, narrated by actor Dan Stevens. The Iliad places the listener amid the Trojans and Greeks as they engage in a give-and-take warfare before the walls of Troy. Achilles initially refuses to fight, as Agamemnon has taken a Trojan women Achilles claims as a prize. Athena, Hera, and Poseidon side with the Greeks, while Troy finds allies in Apollo and Aphrodite. Zeus oversees all, favoring one side, then the other. The Odyssey recounts the trek of the great warrior Odysseus from the sacked Troy back home to Ithaca. Gods, goddesses, mortals, and monsters conspire to derail the voyage. Both Zeus and Poseidon intervene, destroying Odysseus's ships and killing his crew. In Ithaca, many suitors court Odysseus's wife, Penelope, in hopes to marry the widow of the supposedly fallen hero. Stevens's (of Downton Abbey fame) superb narration brings both stories to vivid life, giving the listener a feel for what it was like to hear it recited back in ancient Greece. Both audiobooks include bonus tracks of portions of the poem recited the original Greek. VERDICT Among the best audiobooks of the year, this set is recommended to all listeners.--Stephen L. Hupp, West Virginia Univ. Parkersburg Lib.

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