Odyssey by Homer

Hi Bee Members! We'll be reading the OG classic, the literary crusade for all readers; The Odyssey. Yes, folks we'll feast on the behemoth that is this book in honor of the long-awaited film adaptation from Christopher Nolan. I'm excited to hear your perspective and takeaways from this classic epic before jumping into theatres.

I'll be reading the Emily Wilson translation; but feel free to read any translated works.

You're welcome to attend even if you haven't quite finished the book, as long as you don't mind spoilers being discussed. Attendees should generally expect to order something to eat or drink.

Here's a description of the book:

Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns

driven time and again off course, once he had plundered
the hallowed heights of Troy.

So begins Robert Fagles' magnificent translation of the Odyssey.

If the Iliad is the world's greatest war epic, then the Odyssey is literature's grandest evocation of everyman's journey though life. Odysseus' reliance on his wit and wiliness for survival in his encounters with divine and natural forces, during his ten-year voyage home to Ithaca after the Trojan War, is at once a timeless human story and an individual test of moral endurance.

In the myths and legends that are retold here, Fagles has captured the energy and poetry of Homer's original in a bold, contemporary idiom, and given us an Odyssey to read aloud, to savor, and to treasure for its sheer lyrical mastery.

Renowned classicist Bernard Knox's superb Introduction and textual commentary provide new insights and background information for the general reader and scholar alike, intensifying the strength of Fagles' translation.

This is an Odyssey to delight both the classicist and the public at large, and to captivate a new generation of Homer's students.

Rated: 3.83 on Goodreads

If you're not interested in being the organizer but you'd like to host a one-time meeting, it's easy! Just pick a book, a date, and a venue, and commit to attending! Message the organizer to find out more. Don't be shy: We have over 2,000+ members, so there are sure to be a few people who want to read whatever book you're excited about. We're always looking for hosts to help keep the book club vibrant!