Synopsis (credit: www.wikipedia.org)

The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second oldest extant work of Western literature, the Iliad being the oldest. Scholars believe it was composed near the end of the 8th century BC, somewhere in Ionia, the Greek coastal region of Anatolia.

The poem mainly centers on the Greek hero Odysseus (known as Ulysses in Roman myths) and his 10-year journey home after the fall of Troy.

Translated by TE Lawrence.

(Bought second-hand at Help the Rural Child Charity Bookshop, Victoria Road, Mowbray.)

I have a copy of this book in my own library, so I didn't read this particular copy.

The translation I read was the 1946 one by EV Rieu, revised and updated by DCH Rieu in 2002. They translated Homer's poetry into prose, apparently without losing any of the joie de vivre of the original. It was fascinating to read this epic, regarded as the second oldest work of Western literature — the Iliad being the first. I can certainly recommend it.

I read the book in conjunction with Ulysses by James Joyce.

To be left in the lounge above the fireplace.

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BookCrossing has not taken off in a big way in South Africa yet, but there are a number of dedicated BookCrossers across the country who are actively involved to grow the concept. A discussion group for BookCrossers in the wider Cape Town area, BCct, was set up to make it easier to arrange meetups or to spread local news. If you are a BookCrosser from this part of the world or planning a visit, please feel free to join. Visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bcct for more information.

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