RobertFagles,winnerofthePEN/RalphManheimMedalforTranslationanda1996AcademyAwardinLiteraturefromtheAmericanAcademyofArtsandLetterspresentsuswithHomer'sbest-lovedandmostaccessiblepoeminastunningnewmodern-versetranslation.
"Singtomeoftheman,Muse,themanoftwistsandturnsdriventimeandagainoffcourse,oncehehadplunderedthehallowedheightsofTroy."
SobeginsRobertFagles'magnificenttranslationoftheOdyssey,whichJasperGriffininTheNewYorkTimesReviewofBookshailsas"adistinguishedachievement."
IftheIliadistheworld'sgreatestwarepic,theOdysseyisliterature'sgrandestevocationofeveryman'sjourneythroughlife.Odysseus'relianceonhiswitandwilinessforsurvivalinhisencounterswithdivineandnaturalforces,duringhisten-yearvoyagehometoIthacaaftertheTrojanWar,isatoncethetimelesshumanstoryandanindividualtestofmoralendurance.
Inthemythsandlegendsthatareretoldhere,FagleshascapturedtheenergyandpoetryofHomer'soriginalinabold,contemporaryidiom,andgivenusanOdysseytoreadaloud,tosavor,andtotreasureforitssheerlyricalmastery.
RenownedclassicistBernardKnox'ssuperbIntroductionandtextualcommentaryprovidenewinsightsandbackgroundinformationforthegeneralreaderandscholaralike,intensifyingthestrengthofFagles'translation.
ThisisanOdysseytodelightboththeclassicistandthepublicatlarge,andtocaptivateanewgenerationofHomer'sstudents.