The Odyssey Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
With bold imagery and an ear tuned to the music of Homer’s epic poem, Gareth Hinds reinterprets the ancient classic as it’s never been told before."Gareth Hinds brings THE ODYSSEY to life in a masterful blend of art and storytelling. Vivid and exciting, this graphic novel is a worthy new interpretation of Homer’s epic."—Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians seriesFresh from his triumphs in the Trojan War, Odysseus, King of Ithaca, wants nothing more than to return home to his family. Instead, he offends the sea god, Poseidon, who dooms him to years of shipwreck and wandering. Battling man-eating monsters, violent storms, and the supernatural seductions of sirens and sorceresses, Odysseus will need all his strength and cunning—and a little help from Mount Olympus—to make his way home and seize his kingdom from the schemers who seek to wed his queen and usurp his throne. Award-winning graphic artist Gareth Hinds masterfully reinterprets a story of heroism, adventure, and high action that has been told and retold for more than 2,500 years—though never quite like this.
Lexile Measure: GN840L (What's this?)
Series: The Odyssey
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Candlewick; First Edition (US) First Printing edition (October 12, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0763642681
ISBN-13: 978-0763642686
Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 0.9 x 10.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (75 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #6,338 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #6 in Books > Teens > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > Myths & Legends > Greek & Roman #11 in Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Comics & Graphic Novels #35 in Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Classics
Age Range: 12 and up
Grade Level: 7 and up
I have always enjoyed reading the classic books and other epics from the distant past, and the works of Homer are no exception. I've read both "The Odyssey" and "The Iliad" in various translations, both prose and poetry, and found them fascinating works of literature. When I saw that there was a graphic novel version of the "Odyssey" I just had to buy it, and I am very happy that I did. The artwork is superb and the story line is essentially faithful to Homer, but put into words and phrases that all can understand. When I read the inside and back covers of this work I discovered that the publishers saw this as reading for teens and young adults. I'm far from those ages (at 64), but still have that fascination with a classic tale well told as is this one. Its been many years since I've read the full story, but this book is quite an excellent refresher course in early Greek epic poetry. The artist takes no overt liberties with the tale; he treats it with respect and that respect comes through on every page. I fully intend to present this book to my 14 ½ year old granddaughter for her to read and enjoy, for she has inherited both her grandfather's and father's love of reading. I sincerely hope she enjoys it as much as I have.
My 7 year old son has been learning about ancient Greece and he loves graphic novel style books. So I thought this would be great, BUT it's obviously not aimed at young kids. The violence is too graphic and bloody and the females are too naked. My mistake, I should have researched more or checked it out at a book store first to see what it was like.
Gareth Hinds' graphic novel retelling of The Odyssey is an excellent version that anyone from middle school age and up could appreciate. The language within the text is ornate enough to bring about the spirit of the epic poem without being so difficult that only someone with a degree in English can appreciate it. Having read both Fitzgerald's and Fagles' translations, I can also say that this graphic novel version is mostly accurate to these very popular translations, and even identifies as it moves from Book to Book, making it very easy to use alongside any of these other versions as well.In addition, the artwork is fantastic. As a high school teacher, when I first got this book (luckily a signed copy, as I was able to meet the author at NCTE '10!), I was excited to bring this book back to share with my teachers to show them the beautiful depictions of scenes like that of the battle with Polyphemus, the cyclops, or the final battle with the suitors at the end. In fact, these battle scenes are the only reasons I say it's appropriate for only middle school and up, because the artwork is faithful to the story, which is fairly violent. This is not to say that Hinds has gone overboard with any of the scenes at all, but merely that when there is a violent moment in the storyline, it's not sugarcoated either.Sadly, I no longer teach the Odyssey, because it's in a different level grade than I teach within our curriculum, but if I did, I wouldn't hesitate to use excerpts from this graphic novel within the class to help engage the students. Highly, Highly recommend!
My 17 year-old, non-reader grandson is now reading Gareth Hinds wonderful edition of 'The Odyssey' and he loves it. I highly recommend this very creative edition to all readers.
I swear by Zeus' beard, if old Homer had hired a good illustrator, he'd probably still be on the NYTimes Best Sellers List.A young friend requested this. I'm proud of her for starting her summer reading in the middle of June. The local stores are sold out, so students (or their helicopter parents) seem to be behaving very responsibly. No Kindle version, so I bought the paperback for $11.84+tax and two days later it's up to $12.18. Better grab one before you have to take out a second mortgage. They seem to be flying off the shelves and you know what that does to prices.I was inclined to take a lofty attitude toward the presentation of an ancient masterpiece in modern prose and "graphic novel" (i.e. more pictures than text) style. When I was in school, we studied translations of the original version with maybe a picture or two thrown in. Must we "dumb-down" EVERYTHING?However, I started reading it and kept on until I finished several hours later and I'm impressed. The writing is formal enough to give a flavor of by-gone times (at no point does Zeus say "Yo, Mama!" to Hera) but simple enough to be understood by a student who hasn't read widely, which is most of them. The reader will emerge with some knowledge of Ancient Greece and become familiar with the plot and characters in this timeless story of tragedy and strength.The illustrations are fabulous. Everyone has weirdly long fingers. Zeus' tunic is barely long enough to meet decency laws. Hera has a formidable nose and chin, but her figure is darned good for a gal with grown kids. The mortals are wrestling and throwing javelins - probably getting ready to compete in the original Olympics. It would be historically accurate to show them naked, but maybe too racy for school reading. I LOVE the pissed-off guy who's cracking his knuckles. They're always either at war or getting ready to go to war or talking about who came home from the last war and who didn't. Things don't change much, do they?If I were the author, I would have a brief introduction setting the stage and listing the major players and I would have footnotes explaining a few of the stranger words. Who knows what "hecatombs" are? Even I found the first few pages confusing and I know the story. I think Zeus' daughter who prodded him into helping Odysseus should be identified. And I think I would have drawn that picture to make it clear that the Big Man is drinking wine from a small cup instead of polishing off an ice cream cone.But these are quibbles and I enjoyed it enormously. The author's love of ancient Greek civilization and mythology shines through and he sweeps the reader along with his enthusiasm. It's a fine way to learn a classic tale that's frequently referenced in modern literature. It will be interesting to see if the student's opinions jive with mine.
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