Robert Fagles
This is my recommended translation. It’s not the easiest, but its attention to poetic form has an interesting effect with students: it starts off difficult, but over time it becomes easier and easier to read, and even enjoyable to students by the end. Fagles enjoys a reputation for creating excellent pairing of poetry and textual accuracy with this translation.
Richard Lattimore
A truly academic translation, Lattimore’s
Odyssey
enjoys a strong following. This translation would be good for comparing with Fagles, but as a core text it can be exhausting to students without constant aid.
Robert Fitzgerald
Where Lattimore is academic, Fitzgerald is accessible. This is an easier text to read, and so it is tempting to use for reluctant readers. However, lacking the musicality of Fagles, this translation too can become difficult to sustain over time. This is a great translation to use if focusing on a variety of textual approaches and not working through the narrative in a sustained way.
