Product Description

A master storyteller and an award-winning illustrator evoke the golden age of mythical Greece in this spirited retelling of The Odyssey.


From the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #26686 in Books
• Published on: 2005-12-13
• Released on: 2005-12-13
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 144 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8?As with Black Ships Before Troy (Delacorte, 1993), Sutcliff's retelling of The Illiad, the story of The Odyssey is presented in an accessible, enjoyable format. A brief prologue sets the scene after the fall of Troy. The chapters, each of which tells of a challenge Odysseus faced, are not episodic, but rather come together as a continuing story. Sutcliff creates an intimate portrait of a man whose greatest desire is to return to his wife and home, despite great temptations. He is portrayed as a conquering hero-god, but with a touch of sadness. The reteller uses storytelling techniques to engage readers and the language and rhythm of a bard to maintain the story's flow. The detailed watercolor illustrations are dreamlike and soft-edged. They set the mood for the essence of particular episodes and display the horrors of battle where appropriate. Reading the first book would clarify Odysseus's entire tale, but is not necessary to the enjoyment of this volume. The pronunciation guide and map are helpful. Readers will enjoy this classic adventure, and they may be inspired to explore Greek mythology further.?Cheri Estes, Detroit Country Day School Middle School, Beverly Hills, MI
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 5^-8. A companion to Black Ships before Troy (1993), this handsome, large-size volume retells Homer's Odyssey with thrilling drama. There's no clashing climax like the Iliad's Wooden Horse, but the story of the hero's long years of wandering in the wilderness has the mythic power of everyone's search for home. Several episodes are just right for reading aloud, from the blinding of the Cyclops and his howl of revenge to the quiet courage of Penelope trying to hold off the suitors. Lee's watercolor paintings in shades of blue and brown capture the furious action of the wild ocean and the rocky shore, as in the double-page spread of the ship caught between Scylla and Charybdis. Several pictures also focus on lonely people wrenched apart. Sutcliff's narrative style is not as taut as in Black Ships, but in the best parts, she fuses epic grandeur with a direct simplicity that will bring the universal story home. Hazel Rochman

From Kirkus Reviews
In this sequel to Black Ships Before Troy (1993), Sutcliff and Lee dig into Homer's Odyssey, with happy results. Among the volume's virtues is Sutcliff's text, which preserves a certain formality of language, yet remains accessible for the target audience. She does an especially graceful job of winnowing the windy Telemachus section down to its essential elements. All the important episodes are retained; further, the telling makes clear some details that are often vague in other versions. The second major virtue comes through Lee's spectacular paintings, which match and illuminate the text. Beautiful and detailed, with occasional gory bits to draw in readers (and an exposed breast, on the sleeping Princess Nausicaa), the pictures are obviously the result of careful research and reward close scrutiny. A gorgeous book, more than worthy of its predecessor. (Folklore. 10+) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Customer Reviews

Fabulous Classical Literature
My 4th grade son read this and loved it. He was fascinated by it and looked forward to our reading every day (he would read aloud to me). Having read the adult version, I was impressed by this childrens' copy because it stays true to the grain of the story. There is nothing Disneyfied about it. I highly recommend this book to any parent who is trying to introduce classic works to their children, as well as any parent seeking good quality literature. The illustrations are top-rate and further serve to involve the junior reader. Also highly recommended is Sutcliff's Black Ships Before Troy, which is the children's Illiad.

What a great adventure!
I have loved Rosemary Sutcliff's historical fiction of early Anglo-Saxon and Roman England, so I knew her retelling of the Iliad and the Odyssey would be spectacular. And they are. I use them with the Middle School boys I tutor, who usually HATE to read but absolutely cannot put these down. The illustrations and map in this hardcover version are wonderfully done. The Cyclops with a stake in its eye, the suitor Laertes shot through the neck, with the arrow still there -- who can resist? I even used these with my 11th grader who was a very poor reader, and he lapped it up.

Sutcliff Excels
As in Black Ships Before Troy, Rosemary Sutcliff writes a story of an epic that many adults are afraid to read for fear of the classics, in a manner that is captivating and understandable. It is by no means dumbed down and yet my children could easily understand the story.

Alan Lee's watercolor illustrations are beautiful and keep the youngest listener sitting quietly to hear the story while seeing the pictures.

The characters and the story are so easy to read that it is an easy transition to pick up Homer's Odysseus and read it.

If you are an adult and have never read Homer's version, I highly recommend reading this for your own enjoyment as well.