The Odyssey

Synopsis:
The Odyssey is perhaps Western literature's first adventure story. It describes King Odysseus of Ithaca's epic quest to return home after the Trojan War. He encounters giants, sorceresses, sea monsters, and sirens, while his wife Penelope is forced to resist the suitors who besiege her on Ithaca. Both an enchanting fairy tale and a gripping drama, The Odyssey remains immensely influential. This Macmillan Collector's Library edition uses the translation by T. E. Lawrence, now remembered as 'Lawrence of Arabia'. First published in 1932, it took four years to complete and is recognized as the first translation to be both faithful to the text and written in accessible language. With an afterword by Ben Shaw.

Authors: Homer; Lawrence, T. E. (Trans.)
The identity of the writer of The Odyssey is a matter of some speculation. The ancients were convinced it was Homer, although they tended to disagree on his biographical details. Many believe he lived in Chios, an island off the west coast of Turkey, sometime between 1100 and 700 BCE. Traditionally portrayed as revered, old, and blind, he composed The Iliad and The Odyssey and possibly the Homeric Hymns, a series of choral addresses to the gods.