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I don't think the world (or the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ user base) will gain much by me "reviewing" The Odyssey. Everything that needs to be said about this wonderful epic has been said throughout the ages—and that again and again—by people who were and are much more capable than me.

All there's left for me to say is that I LOVED it, and I didn't expect to. The Odyssey was a much quicker, more thrilling and fun read than I could've ever imagined. With his translation, Fagles ignited my love for Ancient texts, and also removed all the fears I had surrounding these types of lectures. They aren't as scary or hard to understand as I thought. They're actually quite fun... and bloody, and prepostorous, and heart-warming, and and and ...

So instead of rambling about the love I have for Penelope, or my bewildered admiration for Helen, my love-hate relationship to Odysseus and his son Telemachus, and the wrath I feel for the Gods, I will share with you 10 tips on how to tackle this tome:

#1 Read the Verse version, not the Prose ones
The Odyssey has been written and conceived in verse. However, through the ages, and for better accessibility for a possible readership, some translator have translated this epic into prose. Personally, I haven't heard many great things about the Prose translation and since I read a Verse translation myself (and loved it), I would always advise to go with a Verse version of The Odyssey.

It flows much more nicely and makes more sense, as verse is more capable and fitting to convey how the characters speak and interact with each other. The importance of the orality of this text is also made apparent in various different moments in the text, it begins with the evocation of the Muse who is told to sing about the "Man of twists and turns", and ends with Odysseus telling his story to the Phaeacians, possibly becoming an unreliable narrator of his own adventures and achievements himself. This text is told within multiple layers, the person who speaks/narrates is essential to the message that is conveyed within the text, and the verse versions are able to capture these layers brilliantly.

#2 Find the right translator
The Odyssey is literally a tale as old as time (or as old as the Western canon goes back to) and so there are dozens of translations to choose from. Since I've only read the Fagles translation from the mid-90s, I can only judge that one, but Fagles is definitely a translation I'd recommend. It's straight to the point, quite modern in tone (and therefore easily to understand) and not at all flowery or "lyrical". Other renown translators are Lattimore, Pope (even though that's an OOOOLD one), Graves and Fitzgerald. Emily Wilson is the first woman to translate the epic into English and her new translation (it's from 2018, I think?) has a feminist twist, so that might be up your alley.

#3 Manage your expectations
I don't know about you but I had many misconceptions about this tale. I really thought Odysseus was at sea for 20 years, unable to find his way home. I thought The Odyssey would narrate all his adventures at sea, like battling the cyclops, stealing the cattle of the Sun or landing on Circe's island. I couldn't have been more wrong. What I just described are only four out of twenty-four books of this epic. Odysseus' adventures at sea only take up a sixth of the story. We only meet the man by Book 5, before the first four books (also known as the Telemachia) focus solely on his son and his trial of setting out to visit Nestor and Menelaus to get to know the whereabouts of his father. And then when we finally meet Odysseus, he is actually back in Ithaca by the halfway point of this book. So Book 13-24 are actually set in Ithaca, and it's not about sea adventures at all, it's about bloody revenge, my dudes.

Since Penelope (and Telemachus) have been harassed ever since Odysseus failed to return from the Trojan War, Odysseus now takes it upon himself, upon his return, to slaughter all the suitors (all 100+ of them) who harassed his wife, ate his food, slaughtered his animals and wracked havoc on his kingdom. And baby, that revenge is drawn out and sweet. Book 22 (the slaughter of the suitors) is as bloody as it is brilliant, definitely my favorite of the 24 books!

#4 Read it quickly
The Odyssey is a big book but I would recommend reading as much as you can, but a minimum of one book a day. The pacing of this epic is amazing and very intricate, and when reading The Odyssey continuously, it will hit you right in the feels. You will want Penelope and Odysseus to reunite ALREADY but Homer will keep you waiting book for book, and delay their reunion to no end until it ends in a big crescendo and huge offense, and you will be clutching your pearls.

#5 Do your research
The Odyssey is easy to understand (at least for how old and huge in scope it is), however, I'd still recommend doing secondary research. Either get a book with a good introduction, notes and chronology (like the Penguin Deluxe Classics version I own) or try to find other sources online.

#6 Listen to podcasts
What helped me the most was listening to the Close Reads podcast. They did many different episodes discussing 2-4 books per episode, diving deep into analysis and questions. Many other readers also enjoyed the Literature and History podcast. These are 3 episodes, each focusing on 8 books, which function more like a summary and overview of key events and questions.

#7 Watch YouTube videos
On YouTube, I'd recommend watching the Ted-Ed or CrashCourse videos for a nice appetizer, and then also Moan Inc.'s 24-video series, where she dives deep into this epic, summarizes and analyses! It's a fantastic resource!

#8 Focus on what's most interesting to you
On your first read, you won't be able to get it all. And that's okay. Try to find out what's most appealing and interesting to you. Is it how Homer developed his characters and how they interact with each other? Is it the Greek mythology? Or is it Homer himself? The man, the mystery? Was he one person, was he blind, was he actually able to write? There are many different questions surrounding this epic. Find and focus on what's most important to you.

#9 Find modern influences
The Odyssey has influenced many artists throughout the centuries. When reading pay attention to which associations you make, which references suddenly make sense, where have you seen a similar writing style, set-up etc. in modern texts? When I read The Odyssey I couldn't shake the feeling that Patrick Rothfuss was deeply influenced by Odysseus as a character and unreliable narrator in his development of Kvothe, the hero of Rothfuss' The Kingkiller Chronicles. Just like Odysseus, Kvothe tells his own story to people who are eagerly listening. What lies is he making up to make himself look better? How is he distorting reality?

The slaughter of the suitors in Book 22, reminded me of Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus which is equally bloody and George R.R. Martin's Red Wedding... the list goes on and on.

#10 Don't let a modern judgment cloud your vision
There are many things in The Odyssey that happen which from a modern viewpoint are absolutely despicable. There's slavery, rape, murder etc. Women usually get the short end of the stick, and Odysseus is hailed for everything he does, even if it is ordering the hanging of the maids who were raped by the suitors because they are no longer "pure". As a modern reader, some of the prescribed events can be hard to stomach. However, I fared best with meeting the book where it's at � which means that I can still have my own reservations and judge some of the characters (especially Odysseus) rather harshly, but also keep Homer's values and the values of his time in mind. So therefore I don't have to see Odysseus as a "hero", but I will also not be pissed or confused why Homer portrayed it him as one. It makes perfect sense keeping the context in which the poem was written in in mind.