Ninchilla

Apparently I'm a glutton for punishment; having finished The Odyssey (or perhaps more accurately, after The Odyssey ended), I've almost immediately started on Seamus Heaney's translation of Beowulf.

Wish me luck.

I've been slowly reading Emily Wilson's translation of The Odyssey - since before all the fuss - but haven't managed to finish it yet.

It got quite well-reviewed when it released, as I recall, but despite her use of iambic pentameter and thoroughly-explained word choices, I'm finding it a strangely technical exercise, without much in the way of evocative language or, y'know… poetry.

It is an interesting exercise, but perhaps total adherence to the "original" (read: single surviving written version of a tale that was told as oral tradition for hundreds of years), the determination to do it in iambic pentameter, and sticking to the same number of lines as the original was a few too many self-imposed restrictions?

Most jarringly, at line 339-340, she uses:

"Poor man! Why does enraged Poseidon
create an odyssey of pain for you?"

She couldn't think of another word for "odyssey"? In the Odyssey?

I do intend to finish it, but I'm tempted to seek out another translation for comparison - maybe one less determined to Stick To The Original - and see if that works a little better for me.

I've played a bunch of it with Sarah and my inlaws. I regularly get lost in the dark with nothing but a laser pointer, and have a great time doing it.

We've just finished our second key and unlocked Spoiler - click to showthe map room.

I think I made it about 10 pages into the only Sanderson novel I ever attempted. Couldn't figure out what people saw in it. I can't remember what it was; might have been Mistborn, I know some folks who are big fans. Maybe he gets better..?

Thank you!