THE ODYSSEY - HOMER (TRANS. EMILY WILSON)

This thing was quite popular a few years ago and for good reason. Somewhat incredibly, or, I guess, depressingly predictable, there has never been a published English language translation of the Odyssey by a woman. Before you think that this is indicative of general sexism, though it is clearly that too, there’s been several created by French women, some going back hundreds of years. Like many, I had to read the Odyssey in school, the famous Fitzgerld version, but I also studied latin for a while (never smart enough to get into Greek) so I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for this stuff and will read parts of versions from time to time to get a flavor. As a younger man, I was much more interested in the Iliad, since it’s much more action packed and war-focused and brutal. I originally found the Odyssey much duller, thinking that most of the “action” ie the stuff with the monsters and witches for which it’s best remembered, is confined to the middle section and Odysseus spends too much time being sneaky and plotting and very little time fighting and killing. On this read, the emphasis on less traditionally heroic figures is much more fascinating. Even our hero Odysseus, is not in much of a heroic mode most of the book. True, he blinds the cyclops and, eventually, slaughters the suitors, but he also spends much more of the book disguised as a begger or at the mercy of a witch. Female characters get much more attention, though this is still ancient Greece, including a speech from Helen that I don’t remember from previous readings. This time through I was also much more attuned to how often the book makes it clear you have to respect the homeless, since foreigners and the homeless are sacred to Zeus. The foreigners thing also hits different currently, given that I read this book almost totally in transit from the US to Togo, where I live now. Strange shit is indeed afoot and I’m pretty sympathetic to a worldview that says people should be nice to me. Actually, the part of Togo I’m in is very Islamic, who also have an ethic that centers kindness to travelers and strangers so I’m in good hands. Wilson doen’t shy away from the slavery aspect, choosing to translate the word as “slave” rather than dulling it by calling Odyssus houseworkers “servants” nor does she flinch when depicting his cruelty, especially against the house slave who “sleep with” (not a lot of consideration from the male characters as to how much conset was involved in sleeping with a slave woman) the suitors. Wilson also foregrounds the ambiguity as to when exactly Penolpe recognizes Odysseus. The translation is quick and sings, it’s not bogged down by overly flowery english. She translates lines that are the same in Greek (ex. The rosy-fingered dawn motif) differently since we’re reading the poem, not listening to it being recited and thus have no need of the repetition. Her essay at the beginning and notes at the end were exceptional. I did not know there are other versions where Odyssus father’s a child by Circe who eventually finds and kills him with a poisoned spear. As well as others where this child goes on to marry Penolope. I thought that Anne Carson was the only modern translator of ancient Greek that I needed to have on my radar but, lo, I was wrong, Wilson is on that list now. I’ll have to check out her other translations and hope she brings her considerable talents to the Iliad next. 10 long years.