The Odyssey

According to Eratosthenes, a Greek mathematician and poet, on June 11, 1184 BC the city of Troy was sacked and burned by the Achaeans, ending the Trojan War. Although throughout the years, the very existence of Troy itself has been debated by scholars, one truth remains: Whether real or fabled, these events form the backdrop of one of the finest pieces of literature ever written, Homer’s The Odyssey. Believed to have been composed near the end of the eighth century BC somewhere near Ionia, the narrative poem focuses on the Greek hero Odysseus and his long journey home after the fall of Troy.

Various versions of The Odyssey have been created over the years, to make this story accessible to younger readers. In 2010 Gareth Hinds rendered an exciting version of this great story in a graphic novel format. Young readers watch Telemachus try to deal with his mother Penelope’s suitors; they find themselves trapped in claustrophobic illustration panels with the Cyclops; they see Odysseus on the sea, battled by the elements, as he tries to make his way home. Through alternating text blocks that provide the story line with frequent illustration sequences relaying the action, Hinds presents a great hero saga. Now Odysseus can stand beside Spider-Man and all the other action figures beloved to comic book readers. Yet at the same time Hinds protects the integrity of the original text.

The book, both hardcover and paperback, has been beautifully produced. Heavy paper keeps the extensive artwork from the other side showing through. The book has heft and weight; it feels important. Hence the entire reading experience allows a young reader, who finds graphic novels just their thing, to believe that this Odyssey story is something very special.

As a child, I devoured Classic Comics. Long before I could ever read the great works of world literature, I got a sense of their story and scope in a format that pleased me. Hence I came to them in later years with great excitement. “Oh, good, we get to read James Fennimore Cooper’s The Deerslayer,” I once exclaimed to my teacher because I had read the classic comic! I have no doubt that thousands of young readers will feel the same way after they pick up The Odyssey by Gareth Hinds. He has made this tale so accessible and enjoyable that it will become one of their favorite sagas—and one that they can return to, in different translations, again and again as they grow up.

Here’s a page from The Odyssey: