The Odyssey (The Stephen Mitchell Translation)

Imagine settling into a chair by the window, the sound of Perkins Cove just beyond, and opening a translation so vivid it feels like the first time anyone has ever told this story. Stephen Mitchell’s Odyssey does exactly that—it takes Homer’s 2,600-year-old epic and makes it crackle with life.

This is the original hero’s journey: Odysseus, clever and restless, trying to find his way home after a decade of war. He’s not a perfect hero—he’s full of guile, wit, and the kind of stubborn determination that makes you root for him even when he’s making questionable choices. Mitchell’s language keeps the poetry close to how we actually speak, yet the rhythms surge like the ocean itself, pulling you forward through sirens, cyclopes, and heartbreak.

The reviews speak for themselves: The New York Times praised Mitchell’s “fresh, elegant diction” that brings readers closer to the transformative power of the original. Booklist called it “a masterpiece” in a starred review, noting how Mitchell “retells the first, still greatest adventure story in Western literature with clarity, sweep, and force.” John Banville, author of The Sea, agreed wholeheartedly.

Mitchell’s Iliad was named one of The New Yorker‘s Favorite Books of 2011, and this Odyssey is every bit its equal—full of imagination, light, and the kind of storytelling that reminds you why these old tales still matter. Complete with textual notes and an illuminating introduction, this is Homer for right now.

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