The first great adventure story in the Western canon,The Odysseyis a poem about violence & the aftermath of war; about wealth, poverty, & power; about marriage & family; about travelers, hospitality, & the yearning for home.In this fresh, authoritative version--the first English translation ofThe Odysseyby a woman--this stirring tale of shipwrecks, monsters, & magic comes alive in an entirely new way.Written in iambic pentameter verse & a vivid, contemporary idiom, this engrossing translation matches the number of lines in the Greek original, thus striding atHomer'ssprightly pace & singing with a voice that echoesHomer'smusic.Wilson'sOdysseycaptures the beauty & enchantment of this ancient poem as well as the suspense & drama of its narrative. Its characters are unforgettable, from the cunning goddessAthena, whose interventions guide & protect the hero, to the awkward teenage son,Telemachus, who struggles to achieve adulthood & find his father; from the cautious, clever, & miserablePenelope, who somehow keeps clamoring suitors at bay during her husband's long absence, to the "complicated" hero himself, a man of many disguises, many tricks, & many moods, who emerges in this translation as a more fully rounded human being than ever before.A fascinating introduction provides an informative overview of the Bronze Age milieu that produced the epic, the major themes of the poem, the controversies about its origins, & the unparalleled scope of its impact & influence. Maps drawn especially for this volume, a pronunciation glossary, & extensive notes & summaries of each book make this anOdysseythat will be treasured by a new generation of scholars, students, & general readers alike.