E v rieu was a celebrated translator from latin and greek, and editor of penguin classics from 194464. Confronted by natural and supernatural threats shipwrecks, battles, monsters and the implacable enmity of the seagod poseidon odysseus must use his bravery and cunning to reach his homeland and overcome the obstacles that, even there, await him. How could polyphemus have followed odysseus to the shore. Rieu s translation of the odyssey was the very first penguin classic to be published. Rieu 26 october 1916 29 april 2008 was a classical scholar and the son of the classicist and publisher e. Buy the iliad penguin classics rev ed by homer, jones, peter, rieu, e v isbn. Rieu initiated penguin classics with allen lane and his famous translation of the odyssey was the first book published in the series in 1947.
For many readers, e v rieu s prose translations of the odyssey and the iliad are established classics in their own right, rivalled only, in my opinion, by richmond lattimores renderings into verse. Rieu comments customers never have but eventually left his or her writeup on the action, or otherwise read it nevertheless. Butlers dry summary of odysseuss tenyear journey home from the sack of troy to his. Rieu thus far with regards to the ebook weve the odyssey translated by e. Rieu has 24 books on goodreads with 899919 ratings. Rieu and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The epic poem details the events of the few days near the end of the trojan war. The greeks believed the same man composed the iliad. Rieu s beloved translation of the great war epic of western literature, revised and updated by d. Rieu by homer, 9780140449112, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Along with the odyssey, the iliad is among the oldest extant works of western literature, and its written version is usually dated to around the eighth century bc.
I think there may be a difference here between us and uk preferred translations. The specific case under examination is that of two midtwentiethcentury translations by e. This edition of the odyssey has a revised translation made by rieu s son, d c h rieu, in which the gods crucial influence is seen more clearly, as it was in the original greek. Books, images, historic newspapers, maps, archives and more. I was struck by the story line and the pace of the narrative, like a b movie of the 1950s. The odyssey is literatures grandest evocation of every mans journey through life. In the myths and legends that are retold here, the energy and poetry of homers original is captured in a bold, contemporary idiom, giving us an edition of the odyssey that is a joy to listen to, worth savoring treasuring for its sheer lyrical mastery. They have a profound experience in store, and might begin with ev rieu s prose translation of that and the odyssey.
H rieu translation november 14, 2016 march 24, 2017 c thehappymeerkat. Emily wilson sensitively considers the odysseys original. Rieu one of the foremost achievements in western literature, homers iliad tells the story of the darkest episode of the trojan war. Rieu by homer and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Rieu penguin books harmondsworth, middlesex wikipedia citation please see wikipedias template documentation for further citation fields that may be required. Penguin books ltd, 80 strand, london wc2r 0rl, england penguin putnam inc.
Each night after supper, rieu would sit with his wife and daughters in london and translate to them passages from the odyssey. The interest of the poem, samuel butler noted of the odyssey in 1897, ostensibly turns mainly on the revenge taken by a bald middleaged gentleman, whose little remaining hair is red, on a number of young men who have been eating him out of house and home, while courting his supposed widow. Crowded with characters, both human and nonhuman, and bursting with action, the epic tales detail the fabled trojan war and the adventures of odysseus as he struggles to return home. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Rieu s prose version of the odyssey, first published in 1946, was penguin books bestselling paperback until they knocked it from first place by publishing another literary classic, lady chatterleys lover. I guess richard lattimores translation is set out as poetry i think.
The odyssey preface to first edition t his translation is intended to supplement a work entitled the authoress of the odyssey, which i published in 1897. For example, e v rieu has it occurred to me instead of the original a god put this into my mind, which his son has correctly restored. Rieu s translations of both the odyssey and the iliad as posthumously revised by d. After attending highgate school, he studied english and classics at queens college, oxford. He was a scholar of st pauls school and balliol college, oxford, gaining a first in classical honours moderations in 1908. If you would prefer a prose translation, then i loved e. Given that criteria, i like fagles translation of the iliad best of the halfdozen ive read, and have to call a draw between fitzgeralds verse, and t.
Sing to me of the man, muse, the man of twists and turns. The odyssey by rieu, e v and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Rieu, celebrated translator from latin and greek and editor of penguin classics from 19441964. Rieu was a celebrated translator from latin and greek, and editor of penguin classics from 19441964. I could not give the whole odyssey in that book without making it unwieldy, i therefore epitomised my translation, which was already completed and which i now publish in full. In book ix of homers odyssey, odysseus blinds polyphemus the cyclops, son of poseidon. In 1914 he married nelly lewis, daughter of a pembrokeshire businessman. The odyssey is one of the two major ancient greek epic poems the other being the iliad, attributed to the poet homer. Book i athena inspires the prince sing to me of the man, muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of troy. The ancient greek poet homer established the gold standard for heroic quests and sweeping journeys with his pair of classic epic poems, the iliad and the odyssey. This edition of the odyssey has a revised translation made by rieu s son, d c h rieu, in which the gods crucial influence is seen more clearly, as.
To learn more about how to request items watch this short online video. The poem is commonly dated to between 800 and 600 bc. Rieu seems dated today, sometimes bureaucratic amphinomus carried the day and the meeting adjourned, often. Buy the odyssey penguin classics rev ed by homer, rieu, dominic, jones, peter, rieu, e. Rieu was born in london as the youngest child of the swiss orientalist charles pierre henri rieu 18201902, and his wife agnes, daughter of julius heinrich hisgen of utrecht. The penguin editors are said to have been dubious about the commercial prospects for the book 1946, but it became recognised as a classic itself, celebrated for the smooth and original prose, and the forerunner of. At its center is achilles, the greatest warriorchampion of the greeks, and his conflict with his leader agamemnon. Rieu, editor of the penguin classics from 1944 to 1964, was a scholar of st pauls school and of balliol college, oxford. As part of the west yorkshire regiment in 1941, he was injured at cheren in eritrea, and subsequently awarded the military cross. Request this item to view in the librarys reading rooms using your library card. Rieu, penguin classics, revised edition 1991, pp801. The odyssey translated by e v rieu by homer abebooks. The iliad by homer translated by e v rieu abebooks.