Book No. 72 of 2020
Finally got around to reading Emily Wilson’s groundbreaking translation of The Odyssey, and I’m very much in awe—Wilson’s introduction and translator’s note does a phenomenal job giving you a lot of cultural and historical context for the Odyssey, Greek myths in general, and the whole business of translating an Ancient Greek epic. I had an “omg” moment when I read Wilson’s assertion that the opaque, intentionally archaic feel of traditional English translations of The Odyssey are an arbitrary and imperfect way of approximating the style of Ancient Greek. She also offers a lot of insight into her approach to the translation, as well as the level of interpretation involved, particularly with female characters, their motivations, and how people project their era’s gender norms on old stories.
The result is an Odyssey that is direct, complex, rich, and compelling. It’s far easier to read and understand than the version I studied in high school, but isn’t remotely lacking in beauty or poetry. On the contrary, Wilson does really clever things with the English language, using double entendres and sly humor, all within the structure of iambic pentameter. The whole thing has a liquid flow to it as a result; rhythmic but not stilted, and layered with meaning without requiring that you rack your brain to figure out what’s actually happening. (I will note that as with all Greek myths, The Odyssey is extremely self-referential, so if you’re not well-acquainted with Greek/Roman mythology it’ll probably be a bit more confusing for you.)
Similar Reads
I of course thought often of Madeline Miller’s Circe—which in addition to fleshing out that part of The Odyssey, is also a quietly radical take on Greek mythology.
I think this would also pair well with Madeline Miller’s Song of Achilles, which you could read as a prequel to The Odyssey, and whose themes of the afterlife are echoed in this narrative.