"A beautiful edition of Homer's classic tale from Ancient Greece, vividly retold to delight modern readers. Dramatic, stylish illustrations bring to life brave Odysseus' encounters with furious gods, bewitching goddesses, terrifying monsters and a man-eating Cyclops... A beautiful gift for any child who loves adventure stories."
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Homer was probably born around 725BC on the Coast of Asia Minor, now the coast of Turkey, but then really a part of Greece. Homer was the first Greek writer whose work survives.
He was one of a long line of bards, or poets, who worked in the oral tradition. Homer and other bards of the time could recite, or chant, long epic poems. Both works attributed to Homer – the Iliad and the Odyssey – are over ten thousand lines long in the original. Homer must have had an amazing memory but was helped by the formulaic poetry style of the time.
In the Iliad Homer sang of death and glory, of a few days in the struggle between the Greeks and the Trojans. Mortal men played out their fate under the gaze of the gods. The Odyssey is the original collection of tall traveller’s tales. Odysseus, on his way home from the Trojan War, encounters all kinds of marvels from one-eyed giants to witches and beautiful temptresses. His adventures are many and memorable before he gets back to Ithaca and his faithful wife Penelope.
We can never be certain that both these stories belonged to Homer. In fact ‘Homer’ may not be a real name but a kind of nickname meaning perhaps ‘the hostage’ or ‘the blind one’. Whatever the truth of their origin, the two stories, developed around three thousand years ago, may well still be read in three thousand years’ time.
E. V. Rieu was a celebrated translator from Latin and Greek, and editor of Penguin Classics from 1944-1964. His son, D. C. H. Rieu has revised his work.
D. C. H. Rieu is the son of E. V. Rieu, celebrated translator from Latin and Greek and Editor of Penguin Classics from 1944-1964.
D. C. H. Rieu is the son of E. V. Rieu, celebrated translator from Latin and Greek and Editor of Penguin Classics from 1944-1964.
Text: English, Greek (translation)
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Seller: World of Books (was SecondSale), Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Condition: Acceptable. Item in acceptable condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00108032471
Seller: BooksRun, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.
Mass Market Paperback. Condition: Fair. First Edition. The item might be beaten up but readable. May contain markings or highlighting, as well as stains, bent corners, or any other major defect, but the text is not obscured in any way. Seller Inventory # 0140440011-7-18
Seller: Bookworksonline, Crossville, TN, U.S.A.
Soft cover. Condition: Good. Good 1964 Copyright In Soft Cover Format, Penguin Classics: The Odyssey With Introduction, Chapters I-XXIV, List Of Greek Gods In The Odyssey, 365 Pages, Pictorial Cover And Some Underlining, ISBN 0140440011 (1987 Copyright) H8. Seller Inventory # 502248
Seller: Hawking Books, Edgewood, TX, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Meets the good condition guidelines. Has wear. Five star seller - Buy with confidence! Seller Inventory # X0140440011X3
Seller: HPB-Diamond, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Mass Market Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! Seller Inventory # S_481536971
Seller: Better World Books: West, Reno, NV, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. New Impression. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good. Seller Inventory # GRP63089779
Seller: zenosbooks, San Francisco, CA, U.S.A.
paperback. Condition: Good in Worn Wrappers. No Jacket. New York. 1979. Penguin Books. Reprinted Penguin Classic Paperback Edition. Good in Worn Wrappers. 0140440011. Translated from the Greek & With An Introduction by E. V. Rieu. 367 pages. paperback. Cover shows a bronze relief of Odysseus. keywords: Penguin Classic Paperback Greece Literature Translated Poetry. DESCRIPTION - The ODYSSEY (Greek: Odysseia) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the ILIAD, the other work traditionally ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon. Indeed it is the second - the ILIAD being the first - extant work of Western literature. It was probably composed near the end of the 8th century BC, somewhere in Ionia, the Greek-speaking coastal region of what is now Turkey. The poem mainly centers on the Greek hero Odysseus (or Ulysses, as he was known in Roman myths) and his long journey home following the fall of Troy. It takes Odysseus ten years to reach Ithaca after the ten-year Trojan War. In his absence, it is assumed he has died, and his wife Penelope and son Telemachus must deal with a group of unruly suitors, the Mnesteres or Proci, competing for Penelope's hand in marriage. It continues to be read in the Homeric Greek and translated into modern languages around the world. The original poem was composed in an oral tradition by an aoidos (epic poet/singer), perhaps a rhapsode (professional performer), and was more likely intended to be sung than read. The details of the ancient oral performance, and the story's conversion to a written work inspire continual debate among scholars. The ODYSSEY was written in a regionless poetic dialect of Greek and comprises 12,110 lines of dactylic hexameter. Among the most impressive elements of the text are its non-linear plot, and that events seem to depend as much on the choices made by women and serfs as on the actions of fighting men. In the English language as well as many others, the word odyssey has come to refer to an epic voyage. inventory #35361. Seller Inventory # z35361
Seller: Comic World, Steinbach, MB, Canada
Soft cover. Condition: GOOD+. PHOTO Cover; (illustrator). 29th Ed. 200 grams ** 365 pages. he Odyssey is an ancient Greek epic poem attributed to Homer, telling the story of Odysseus's long, perilous journey home after the Trojan War. It explores themes of homecoming (nostos), hospitality (xenia), loyalty, identity, and the tension between mortal life and temptation. ** The Odyssey follows Odysseus, king of Ithaca, as he struggles for ten years to return home, facing monsters, gods, and temptations, while his wife Penelope and son Telemachus fend off suitors who assume he is dead. ** Begins in medias res: Odysseus has been gone 20 years-10 at Troy, 10 trying to return. He is trapped on Calypso's island. Telemachus' quest: Guided by Athena, he searches for news of his father and grows into adulthood. ** Odysseus's wanderings (Books 9-12): Lotus-Eaters; Cyclops Polyphemus (whom he blinds, angering Poseidon); Aeolus's winds; Laestrygonians; Circe; Underworld; Sirens; Scylla & Charybdis; Cattle of the Sun These episodes test his cunning, endurance, and leadership. ** Return to Ithaca: Odysseus arrives disguised as a beggar. Penelope proposes a bow-stringing contest. Only Odysseus succeeds. ** Revenge & restoration: He kills the suitors with Telemachus's help and reunites with Penelope. ** 24 books, originally part of an oral tradition. ** Major Themes: Nostos (homecoming): The emotional and moral pull of returning home. Xenia (hospitality): A moral code-good hosts and guests are rewarded; violators are punished. Identity & disguise: Odysseus's cunning often relies on concealment. Temptation vs. duty: Calypso's immortality, the Lotus-Eaters' oblivion, and other distractions threaten his return. SOURCE for the 2026 Christopher Nolan Blockbuster MOVIE, Starring: Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Samantha Morton, Zendaya, Charlize Theron; " ** This is the 29 edition; Edge wear to covers;Cover rubbing to front cover; moisture staining to lower right corner of book. Size: 12mo - over 6¾ - 7¾" tall. Book. Seller Inventory # 167386
Seller: a2zbooks, Burgin, KY, U.S.A.
Softcover. Condition: Very Good. Text appears nice and clean, but may contain minor marks that we missed. Cover has light shelf and corner wear may have bookstore stickers or be former reference copy. Binding is in very good condition. Looks real nice. 368 pages. Quantity Available: 1. ISBN: 0140440011. ISBN/EAN: 9780140440010. Pictures of this item not already displayed here available upon request. Inventory No: ABE452329524. Seller Inventory # ABE452329524
Seller: Comic World, Steinbach, MB, Canada
Soft cover. Condition: Good to Very Good. PHOTO Cover; (illustrator). 29th Ed. 200 grams ** 365 pages. he Odyssey is an ancient Greek epic poem attributed to Homer, telling the story of Odysseus's long, perilous journey home after the Trojan War. It explores themes of homecoming (nostos), hospitality (xenia), loyalty, identity, and the tension between mortal life and temptation. ** The Odyssey follows Odysseus, king of Ithaca, as he struggles for ten years to return home, facing monsters, gods, and temptations, while his wife Penelope and son Telemachus fend off suitors who assume he is dead. ** Begins in medias res: Odysseus has been gone 20 years-10 at Troy, 10 trying to return. He is trapped on Calypso's island. Telemachus' quest: Guided by Athena, he searches for news of his father and grows into adulthood. ** Odysseus's wanderings (Books 9-12): Lotus-Eaters; Cyclops Polyphemus (whom he blinds, angering Poseidon); Aeolus's winds; Laestrygonians; Circe; Underworld; Sirens; Scylla & Charybdis; Cattle of the Sun These episodes test his cunning, endurance, and leadership. ** Return to Ithaca: Odysseus arrives disguised as a beggar. Penelope proposes a bow-stringing contest. Only Odysseus succeeds. ** Revenge & restoration: He kills the suitors with Telemachus's help and reunites with Penelope. ** 24 books, originally part of an oral tradition. ** Major Themes: Nostos (homecoming): The emotional and moral pull of returning home. Xenia (hospitality): A moral code-good hosts and guests are rewarded; violators are punished. Identity & disguise: Odysseus's cunning often relies on concealment. Temptation vs. duty: Calypso's immortality, the Lotus-Eaters' oblivion, and other distractions threaten his return. SOURCE for the 2026 Christopher Nolan Blockbuster MOVIE, Starring: Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Samantha Morton, Zendaya, Charlize Theron; " ** This is the 29 edition; Edge wear to covers; Cover rubbing & creasing; Size: 12mo - over 6¾ - 7¾" tall. Book. Seller Inventory # 167387
Quantity: 1 available