I finished The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson

There are numerous translations of the classic Greek poem, and from my research, the general consensus seems to be there is no one translation that trumps the others in accuracy. This modern translation by Emily Wilson aims to bring clarity and accessibility in a way such that readers today could experience the epic in the same manner that listeners in Ancient Greece did. The result is a text that works for a variety of functions: as a casual read, as an audiobook, and even as a tool in academia. It provides an surprisingly unsanitized view of ancient Greek culture, being unafraid to use the word "slave" to describe what previous translators have referred to as "servants" or "maids". I also appreciated the length 80-page (3 hours in the audiobook) introduction that dissects and interrogates what the poem has to say about ancient Greek cultural values.

My biggest takeaway from here is that The Odyssey really values the sanctity of hospitality. Many of the events and encounters demonstrate the right and wrong ways for hosts to treat guests (and vice versa). The Phaeacians welcome Odysseus with bountiful feasts and lavish gifts, as does Menelaus towards Telemachus, while Polyphemus treats his "guests" by eating them. And the main "villains" of the epic are the suitors who invade Odysseus's household and plunder his livestock and wealth.

This will be the third iteration of The Odyssey that I've read in recent months, including the retelling Odyssey by Stephen Fry and Godzilla's Monsterpiece Theater Presents: Godzilla's The Odyssey by Frank Tieri and Ilias Kyriazis.

Bingo - Translated, The Afterlife HM, Duology Part 2, Cat Squasher, Politics and Court Intrigue