THE ODYSSEY The Fitzgerald Translation

With his regal delivery and majestic sense of pacing, Dan Stevens is the ideal narrator for Homer’s epic tale. The challenges that Odysseus encounters on his return home from war are as riveting as always—dangers and temptations and obstacles rear up without respite as his family awaits word of his safety. Stevens leaps into the text with apparent relish, enunciating Fitzgerald’s fine and comprehensive translation with painstaking precision and infusing the story with life. While the performance is excellent and the text remains timeless, the recording is best appreciated in segments rather than long listening stretches. The grandiose style, while suited to the audio format, can become overwhelming after a while, not unlike Odysseus’s journey did for the hero and his family. L.B.F. 2015 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2014]