The 25 Greatest Books of All Times Series: #24 The Odyssey

Check out Episode 720 in which Jacke takes a special look at The Odyssey, which ranks #24 on his list of the 25 Greatest Books of All Time.

The story continues to resonate with new and old readers, with its many different translations. Most recently, the University of Chicago Press published a new edition of The Odyssey, which is translated by the author, critic, and classist Daniel Mendelsohn. Mendelsohn's new translation brings the poetry of this epic tale to a new generation of readers.

In Episode 713, Mendelsohn stops by the podcast to talk with Jacke about The Odyssey. Here's a snippet of their talk:

Jacke: Do you remember the first time you read The Odyssey?

Mendelsohn: I actually do, very vividly, because, I was, I think in about ninth grade, and my parents were having a cocktail party, and it just so happens that they were friends with the high school English teacher. I was not yet in high school, but she was chatting me up at a certain point, because I snuck downstairs to see what was going on at the cocktail party, and we were talking. I was already a reader, and I was all, you know, already, very interested in mythology and ancient Greek history. And she said, "Well, you need to read The Odyssey because it's the perfect thing for some kid like you to read." And I was a very good boy, and I ran to the library and got it out. And you know it rocked my world.

Jacke: Yeah. As a teacher yourself, you probably know the feeling when you put the right book in the right hands of the right person. How satisfying that can be.

Mendelsohn: Yeah, absolutely.