The Odyssey

Robert Fagles's translation is a jaw-droppingly beautiful rendering of Homer's Odyssey, the most accessible and enthralling epic of classical Greece. Fagles captures the rapid and direct language of the original Greek, while telling the story of Odysseus in lyrics that ring with a clear, energetic voice. The story itself has never seemed more dynamic, the action more compelling, nor the descriptions so brilliant in detail. It is often said that every age demands its own translation of the classics. Fagles's work is a triumph because he has not merely provided a contemporary version of Homer's classic poem, but has located the right language for the timeless character of this great tale. Fagles brings the Odyssey so near, one wonders if the Hollywood adaption can be far behind. This is a terrific book.

• The Iliad (Penguin Clothbound Classics)
• Metamorphoses (Penguin Clothbound Classics)
• The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Penguin Clothbound Classics)
• Les Miserables (Penguin Clothbound Classics)
• Paradise Lost (Penguin Clothbound Classics)
• The Count of Monte Cristo (Penguin Clothbound Classics)
• Don Quixote (Penguin Clothbound Classics)
• War and Peace (Penguin Clothbound Classics)
• Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (Penguin Clothbound Classics)
• Canterbury Tales