book 2 of The Iliad and The Odyssey

by Homer

isbn: 0140268863
subject: Fiction and Literature
finished: 6/27/1998

It begins:

Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy.

Although I already knew most of the story (without realizing it), it was an amazing experience to read Robert Fagles' lyrical translation of The Odyssey, and to try to imagine twenty-seven centuries of previous listeners. Based on a few spot checks against other translations, I prefer this one, although I'm sure other readers would disagree. In any case, this is a powerful, ancient story that is very much worth reading.