wWith its gods, monsters and dizzying scale, Homer’s The Odyssey is considered by many to be unfilmable, though that hasn’t stopped directors from giving it a go, including Christopher Nolan, whose blockbuster adaptation hits theaters next week. An audiobook seems to be a smart choice, allowing listeners to deploy their imaginations to conjure dark magic, supernatural beasts, and epic storms rather than relying on CGI.
This classic recording, first published in 2006, is based on Ian Johnston’s acclaimed translation. It is narrated by Game of Thrones actor Anton Lesser, who brings gravitas and texture to this story of King Odysseus of Ithaca and his efforts to reach home after the 10-year Trojan War. Odysseus’ journey is arduous as he faces the wrath of the sea god Poseidon in the form of a cannibalistic monster and a whirlpool that swallows ships. Next comes Calypso, the beautiful goddess-nymph and daughter of Atlas who keeps him on an island for seven years in the hopes that he will live as her husband.
In Ithaca, Odysseus’s wife Penelope – who does not know whether her husband is dead or alive – is besieged by suitors, while their adult son Telemachus, who has not seen his father since childhood, struggles to maintain order and sets out on various sojourns to locate him. Then we are with the gods on Olympus as they sit around and debate which beings they will help and which ones they will rain down hell and curse upon. Will Odysseus reach home and if he does, will he be welcomed?
Available through Naxos, 12 hours 45 minutes
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