The Odyssey

We all survived the first day of co-op which went rather smoothly from my perspective. But we are all pooped. R. had a particularly difficult time when we got home and I think it was sheer fatigue. 

I wanted to share a book with you. (That's actually relevant to the previous paragraph, even though it might seem somewhat random.) One of the classes I'm teaching is called Lost in a Good Book. (Thank you Jasper Fforde for the title as I'm borrowing it directly from one of his Thursday Next books.) Essentially it is a whirlwind tour through the novels of Western literature. (There's a few books from non-European countries as well.) We do one book per week. I introduce the book, place it in its chronological geographical context, tell a little about the author and the outline of the plot, and then I read. I start on page one and read until the class ends about forty minutes later. 

What better way to get the sound of the story in your ears then sitting and listening to it for a good chunk of time? The students will also be reading two of the books on their own as well as writing a couple short papers. But even if they didn't do this school-y stuff, I firmly believe that listening to good stories and good writing is valuable in and of itself. 

Today's book? The Odyssey by Homer. How can you even think about discussing Western stories without starting with either The Illiad or the Odyssey? I don't think you can. The version I chose was translated by Emily Wilson. I remember when this translation was published and how much positive press it got. I didn't look at it then, but I now understand the glowing reviews. It's just a really good version of a really good story.

Ms. Wilson keeps the story in meter with the same number of lines as the Greek text. In her translation, the text feels very contemporary yet still an ancient epic. I've now read the first two books (chapters) out loud and it is exceedingly easy to read because of the meter. It is also very easy to understand. Some older translations of Homer feel ancient and difficult to both read and understand. That was certainly my experience the first time I read it in high school. 

With this translation, The Odyssey becomes a story someone would voluntarily pick up to read for fun rather than a tired dusty literature requirement. If you've never actually read The Odyssey, pick this translation up and give it a try.