It was a struggle to read through the flowery language and then, made harder with all the tangential points (stories within The Story). I found the names confusing; who's gods and who's mortals?! I almost gave up... I reckon it's a book where I need a study guide next to it so I can look up what Homer is talking about! Especially with all these names of gods popping up left right and centre, I could nearly not make heads nor tails of the story.About 1/3 of the way, I stumbled upon the translation by Samuel Butler and I love it! It's 'easy English', as in, written in everyday English (or very nearly so) so that's so easy to read! I have to admit the names were still confusing but at least, I feel like I actually 'get' the story. So, for the average person who's curious about The Odyssey, I would recommend the Samuel Butler's translation. I'd even provide you with the link to a free copy on Gutenberg: The Odyssey.
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