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Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey: A Biography Audiobook
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(3.01) - 120 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
No one knows if there was a man named Homer, but there is little doubt that the epic poems assembled under his name form the cornerstone of Western literature. The Iliad and the Odyssey—with their incomparable tales of the Trojan War, Achilles, Ulysses and Penelope, the Cyclops, the beautiful Helen of Troy, and the petulant gods—are familiar to most people because they are so pervasive. They have fed our imaginations for over two and a half millennia, inspiring everyone from Plato to Virgil, Pope to Joyce, Dante to Wolfgang Petersen. In this graceful and sweeping addition to the Books that Changed the World series, Alberto Manguel traces the lineage of these epic poems. He considers their original purpose, either as allegory or record of history; surveys the challenges the pagan poems presented to the early Christian world; and traces their spread after the Reformation. Following Homer through the greatest literature ever created, Manguel's book above all delights in the poems themselves, the "primordial spring without which there would have been no culture."
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"This Biography ofHomer by Alberto Manguel was well written and extensive. It gave a true and complete history of literature and history."
— Mary (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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A dizzying and hugely enjoyable tour of the Homeric project… from Virgil’s remaking of the Iliad and the Odyssey into the Roman national epic, to scholars in medieval Baghdad who could recite Homer word for word from memory, and to the dramatic retelling of the Iliad by Alessandro Baricco… A hugely stimulating read.
— Times (London) -
Nothing less than a history of literature itself… An ambitious project - but one for which the author is perfectly qualified. This is recognisably the work of a compulsive translator and anthologiser: for like a literary bloodhound, Manguel has only to pick up the scent of a theme, and he is off pursuing it through a dizzy variety of languages and genres… Brilliant.
— Spectator -
“[Manguel’s] love for his subject keeps it hypnotic, and Michael Prichard’s delivery captures that emotional investment. Prichard evokes Homer’s majesty as he reads the verse, and Manguel’s admiration for the poet, as well.”
— Audiofile -
Prichard comfortably guides listeners through this exegesis of Homer’s classics, fully capturing Manguel’s enthusiasm for the topic. Reading in a rich baritone and exhibiting a facility with accents for many languages (from Greek to German), Prichard is an accomplished performer. Fans of Homer and others who enjoy exploring the long tail of the classics will appreciate this intriguing study.
— Booklist -
[Manguel's] love for his subject keeps it hypnotic, and Michael Prichard's delivery captures that emotional investment. Prichard evokes Homer's majesty as he reads the verse, and Manguel's admiration for the poet as well.
— AudioFile
Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey Listener Reviews
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" A great general source book for those interested in the two great books of literature. Mangual has a keen observation. "
— David, 8/29/2013 -
" I think I have a book crush on Alberto Manguel. "
— Angie, 5/30/2013 -
" People more brilliant that I will ever be, looking in depth at Homer's Epic Poems. "
— Janin, 2/14/2013 -
" If it is to hard to go through Iliad translated by Robert Fagles, then just grab this book. It is not just about the Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey Biography but can be a quick references to all the book chapters in both book. "
— Aradweb, 5/29/2012 -
" Fairly interesting. Not great. It was fun to remember the books, though, and dig a little deeper. "
— Marsha, 5/22/2012 -
" WAY over my head! "
— Todd, 2/24/2012 -
" I consider these books to be over rated for their literary value. I recognize their importance in history, and religion, and the way literature has advanced/ However, I do not feel that they are piratically well written and I don;t consider them among the greats. "
— Liz, 8/19/2011 -
" A great general source book for those interested in the two great books of literature. Mangual has a keen observation. "
— David, 6/28/2011 -
" If it is to hard to go through Iliad translated by Robert Fagles, then just grab this book. It is not just about the Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey Biography but can be a quick references to all the book chapters in both book. "
— Aradweb, 9/29/2010 -
" I think I have a book crush on Alberto Manguel. "
— Angie, 4/2/2009
About Alberto Manguel
Alberto Manguel is internationally acclaimed as an anthologist, translator, essayist, novelist, and editor; he is also the bestselling author of several award-winning books, including A Dictionary of Imaginary Places and A History of Reading. He was born in Buenos Aires, moved to Canada in 1982, and now lives in France, where he was named an Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters.
About Michael Prichard
Michael Prichard is a Los Angeles-based actor who has played several thousand characters during his career, over one hundred of them in theater and film. He is primarily heard as an audiobook narrator, having recorded well over five hundred full-length books. His numerous awards and accolades include an Audie Award for Tears in the Darkness by Michael Norman and Elizabeth M. Norman and six AudioFile Earphones Awards. He was named a Top Ten Golden Voice by SmartMoney magazine. He holds an MFA in theater from the University of Southern California.