The Odyssey

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Good, but not very accurate. - Rated
I am studying 'The Odyssey' for a level and so know the story and characters VERY well and I listened to this because apparently some of the Radio 4 plays are quite good.
I thought it was a well acted adaptation of the epic poem except the way they portrayed Circe, the Aeaean Witch who turns Odysseus' men into pigs. She's made to look quite sensitive and loving eventually. This is not how she is at all! That personality should have been given to Calypso, whom Odysseus stays with for seven years.
Nevertheless, they had to make it within the set time so it's quite understandable. In any case, it might be quite misleading if you're studying it.

Terrific dramatisation of an ancient epic - Rated
Odysseus left home with only the intention of helping the thrash Troy, then return victorious and glorious. But for 20 years he got caught up in the wrath of the gods, the malice of monsters and all the inclement weather the Med could muster. His sailors were ungrateful and disloyal and squandered all the good luck and help they received along the way. Without the help of Athena, brave Odysseus would have perished. It's a fantastic (in every sense) story and very enjoyable. Anyone who believes the 'classics' are dry old heirlooms, boring and incomprehensible, fit only to gather dust in stuffy old libraries, occasionally to be pawed over by equally dry and stuffy old scholars (or used to torment GCSE students), should listen to this excellent dramatisation and change their minds. Translated into modern English and performed by first-rate actors, it's as exciting as any modern adventure story and as moving as any modern romance. I thank the previous two reviewers whose enthusiastic reviews persuaded my to click the "add to shopping basket" button.

Outstanding - Rated
The other reviewer of this audio CD is right -- this is magnificent. Tim McInerney is superb as Odysseus -- he sounds extraordinarily heroic, which could have been a problem for the actor, given the risk of being typecast in 'Blackadder' or 'Notting Hill-type roles.

But what has opened my eyes -- or, I suppose, my ears -- is the literature of Homer. This stuff was written around 800 BC, i.e. more than 2,000 years before Shakespeare. Not being familiar with Homer's structure, I was worried that the adaptation starting on Calypso's island would mean that all the earlier adventures -- e.g. the Cyclops and Circe -- had been cut by the BBC. But then Odysseus is met by Nausicaa and has to tell the tale of his adventures at supper that night. This flashback mode enables the full drama to be awakened. Out of curiosity, I browsed through a cheap translation of Homer to see how the story was actually structured. I was amazed to see that Homer himself had used the flashback device. There is the odd little glitch in that Odysseus is somehow able to report the conversations of his shipmates made while he was asleep, but we'll forgive literature that is 2,800 years old the occasional gaff.

There is some low-level earthy language, usually concerned with bodily functions, but this is a CD you can safely play to your children say, on a long car journey. It's probably best savoured in 40-minute chunks, as even the greatest books can become wearing if you try to digest one totally in a single sitting.

This may be the best audio book you ever buy! - Rated
Before the Radio 4 broadcast on August Bank Holiday 2004 I had never heard or read The Odyssey. This rendition was truly compelling: a perfect combination of words, music, sound effects and a wonderful cast made buying this CD a no-brainer. Shut your eyes (but not if you're driving!) and the pictures are wonderful too. I will be listening to this again and again.