Odyssey, by Homer

Hard to believe that it was written nearly 3000 years ago. Together with Iliad, this is one of the greatest works in the history.

Iliad gives me a feeling of grandness and lets me appreciate Homer's world of glory. However, its battle scenes have too many repetitions. Odyssey is more readable and entertaining, but it lacks Iliad's grandness. The messages of the mighty of the gods and the pains of Odysseus (and earthy human beings) seem to be shadowed by the plots.

The book, from my personal collection, was published by Viking in 1996, ISBN-10 0670821624, ISBN-13 978-0670821624. The blank verse translation from Robert Fagles is very good, and even beautiful. However, I suspect that it is exactly his briskly and swift style that loses the grandness of this work (if it is there). I plan to read E. V. Rieu's prose translation (ISBN-10 0140449116 ISBN-13 978-0140449112) next time.