3.5/5

My favorite part of this book was Emily Wilson's introduction. The background she gave really facilitated a well-rounded understanding of the text. For instance, the bit about referring to women as dogs but without the connotation of "bitch" was helpful as that could have easily been misconstrued had I not received that information previously. Giving insight into the text's linguistic nuances as well as its history as a translation with various authors and adaptations, allowed me to keep in mind that there are multiple ways to tell this story and I admire Wilson's willingness to confront the previous translations and craft her own place in the canon.

I listened to the Audible version and while I enjoyed Claire Danes, I think this book would have been served better with a cast of readers rather than just one. Especially since there are so many storytellers within the narrative itself. I often times had to remind myself who was narrating and to whom. The audiences shift so regularly that you also have to keep in mind when, where, and why the story is being told.

As for why I docked a star and a half, I always thought that there was more to the stories of the sirens and Calypso and Circe. These all just felt like little blips that were over as soon as they started. Odysseus is also a jerk and so is his son. Yeah, he's smart but he's a trickster masquerading as a noble hero. None of this is Wilson's fault. I think Wilson saved this book for me in all honesty.