The Lost Books of the Odyssey
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Narrated by:
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Simon Vance
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By:
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Zachary Mason
About this listen
A BRILLIANT AND BEGUILING REIMAGINING OF ONE OF OUR GREATEST MYTHS BY A GIFTED YOUNG WRITER
Zachary Mason's brilliant and beguiling debut novel, The Lost Books of the Odyssey, reimagines Homer's classic story of the hero Odysseus and his long journey home after the fall of Troy. With brilliant prose, terrific imagination, and dazzling literary skill, Mason creates alternative episodes, fragments, and revisions of Homer's original that taken together open up this classic Greek myth to endless reverberating interpretations. The Lost Books of the Odyssey is punctuated with great wit, beauty, and playfulness; it is a daring literary book that marks the emergence of an extraordinary new talent.
Cover and title design by Chin-Yee Lai.
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Editorial reviews
Here are 44 retellings of The Odyssey, short chapters that are like apocrypha for the dvd-commentary generation, a fractured mosaic waiting to be pieced back together. Many famous passages are retold several times over: Odysseus returns to Ithaca only to find it abandoned, and then again to find his wife a ghost, or married to an unfit man. In one story Achilles is a golem who slaughters indiscriminately, while Odysseus marries Helen or arranges her murder, becomes the author of The Odyssey itself, and comes face to face with a Trojan doppelganger. Each short chapter is just long enough to sketch a sideways look, but always leaving room for the author's psychologically astute sketches of key players including Penelope, Menelaus, and Agamemnon.
Rather than conveying ironic distance or playful manipulation, Simon Vance’s delivery is earnestly crisp and cautious; words are delivered with attack, almost declamatory like a classical oration, but managing to strike a balance with a more conversational tone, ensuring that each story leaves its impression, despite its brevity. His voice also carries more than a trace of weariness, befitting a tired traveller.
Zachary Mason’s debut novel has been praised for its post-modern approach to The Odyssey, yet Mason’s retelling is entirely in keeping with the spirit of the original, particularly Homer's approach to narrative (famously beginning in media res, and using flashbacks and storytelling to color in the backstory). In fact, Mason’s embellishments and visions seem to spring from the head of Homer wily Odysseus' inquiries into the nature of authorship, illusion, and truth belong to both authors. Odysseus the original unreliable narrator has waited a long time for a Borgesian makeover.
Only rarely does The Lost Books of the Odyssey fall into archness. And nor is it simply post-modern pastiche: there is soul here, too, and poetry. Mason's retellings bring out the ancient story’s hidden truths, such as the innate isolation and heartbreak just under the surface of the Medusa myth. Cyclops' confrontation with Nobody is told from his point of view and the giant is even identified with Homer himself (both blind, both at the mercy of Odysseus). And the ending is lovely, wistful and sad, bemused and elegiac, and Vance delivers it as he does the rest of this short but beautiful book with elegance and ease. Dafydd Phillips
Critic reviews
“Though Simon Vance doesn't play a lute, he is a bard, or maybe the Classics professor everyone wishes to have had, as he spins these revisionist tales of Odysseus and his travels.” —AudioFile
“[A] dazzling debut . . . Stunning and hypnotic . . . Mr. Mason . . . has written a series of jazzy, post-modernist variations on the Odyssey, and in doing so he's created an ingeniously Borgesian novel that's witty, playful, moving and tirelessly inventive . . . This is a book that not only addresses the themes of Homer's classic--the dangers of pride, the protean nature of identity, the tryst between fate and free will--but also poses new questions to the reader about art and originality and the nature of storytelling.” —Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times
“[The Lost Books of the Odyssey] is, to my surprise, a wonderful book. I had expected it to be rather preening, and probably thin. But it is intelligent, absorbing, wonderfully written, and perhaps the most revelatory and brilliant prose encounter with Homer since James Joyce.” —Simon Goldhill, The Times Literary Supplement
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Story
Seyonne is a man waiting to die. He has been a slave for 16 years, almost half his life, and has lost everything of meaning to him: his dignity, the people and homeland he loves, and the Warden's power he used to defend an unsuspecting world from the ravages of demons. Seyonne has made peace with his fate. With strict self-discipline he forces himself to exist only in the present moment and to avoid the pain of hope or caring about anyone.
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Seriously Excellent
- By Sharon on 09-25-13
By: Carol Berg
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Only the Stones Survive
- By: Morgan Llywelyn
- Narrated by: Michael Healy
- Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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For centuries the Túatha Dé Danann lived in peace on an island where time flowed more slowly and the seasons were gentle - until that peace was shattered by the arrival of invaders. The Gaels, the Children of Milesios, came looking for easy riches and conquest, following the story of an island to the west where their every desire could be granted. They had not anticipated that it would already be home to others, and against the advice of their druids, they began to exterminate the Túatha Dé Danann.
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Preferred audio to print
- By Heather Cooper on 02-09-17
By: Morgan Llywelyn
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Songs on Bronze
- The Greek Myths Made Real
- By: Nigel Spivey
- Narrated by: Yuri Rasovsky
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Songs on Bronze is the first major retelling of Greek mythology in half a century; a set of lively, racy, dramatic versions of the great myths, which, in a multicultural society, are recognized more than ever as stories without equal.
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Wonderful
- By Ceectee on 07-13-07
By: Nigel Spivey
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Goddess of Yesterday
- By: Caroline B. Cooney
- Narrated by: Christina Moore
- Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Spirited and pretty, Anaxandra is playmate to King Nicandor’s crippled daughter, Callisto, until pirates attack Nicandor’s small Greek island kingdom and slay everyone except Anaxandra. When Sparta’s King Menalaus comes to investigate, Anaxandra assumes the identity of Princess Callisto to avoid becoming a slave. But Menalaus’ beautiful half-goddess wife, Helen, doubts the girl’s story. Worse, Helen is about to join forces with Trojan prince Paris. Now Anaxandra must reinvent herself in a desperate attempt to prevent war.
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An Exploration of Greek Legends
- By Rebekah Marie on 11-03-24
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Orion
- Orion Series, Book 1
- By: Ben Bova
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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John O'Ryan is not a god...not exactly. He is an eternal warrior destined to combat the Dark Lord through all time for dominion of the Earth. Follow him, servant of a great race, as he battles his enemy down the halls of time, from the caves of our ancestors to the final confrontation under the hammer of nuclear annihilation.
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Cornucopia of Genre's
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 06-10-12
By: Ben Bova
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Macbeth: A Novel
- By: A. J. Hartley, David Hewson
- Narrated by: Alan Cumming
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Macbeth: A Novel brings the intricacy and grit of the historical thriller to Shakespeare’s tale of political intrigue, treachery, and murder. In this full-length novel written exclusively for audio, authors A. J. Hartley and David Hewson rethink literature’s most infamous married couple, grounding them in a medieval Scotland whose military and political upheavals are as stark and dramatic as the landscape in which they are played.
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Narrator choice inspired
- By Beverly on 07-10-11
By: A. J. Hartley, and others
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Lavinia
- By: Ursula K. Le Guin
- Narrated by: Alyssa Bresnahan
- Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Highly acclaimed author Ursula K. Le Guin lends a resonant voice to a pivotal yet often overlooked character of Vergil's The Aeneid. Born into peace and freedom, Lavinia is stunned to learn that she will be the cause of a great war - or so the prophecies and omens claim. Her fate is sealed, however, when she meets a man from Troy.
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Fascinatingly well written
- By Kennet on 03-11-09
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Magdalen Rising
- The Beginning
- By: Elizabeth Cunningham
- Narrated by: Heather O'Neill
- Length: 16 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Young Magdalen and Jesus, brimming with youthful charm and arrogance, find each other and fall in love, forging a bond that is stronger than death. Their pleasure is overshadowed by a brilliant but unbalanced druid who knows a perilous secret about Maeve's past. The prequel to The Passion of Mary Magdalen.
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The Story as Maeve meant you to hear it!
- By Elizabeth Cunningham on 07-27-15
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The Mists of Avalon
- By: Marion Zimmer Bradley
- Narrated by: Davina Porter
- Length: 50 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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A posthumous recipient of the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement, Marion Zimmer Bradley reinvented - and rejuvenated - the King Arthur mythos with her extraordinary Mists of Avalon series. In this epic work, Bradley follows the arc of the timeless tale from the perspective of its previously marginalized female characters: Celtic priestess Morgaine, Gwenhwyfar, and High Priestess Viviane.
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Davina Porter brings an old favorite back to life!
- By Carolina on 07-13-12
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Emperor of the Eight Islands
- By: Lian Hearn
- Narrated by: Neil Shah
- Length: 6 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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As destiny weaves its rich tapestry, a compelling drama plays out against a background of wild forests, elegant castles, hidden temples, and savage battlefields. This is the medieval Japan of Lian Hearn's imagination, where animal spirits clash with warriors and children navigate a landscape as serene as it is deadly.
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Fun story. Bland story telling
- By Jonathan Price on 08-09-17
By: Lian Hearn
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Norse Mythology
- By: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
- Length: 6 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Neil Gaiman has long been inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction. Now he turns his attention back to the source, presenting a bravura rendition of the great northern tales. In Norse Mythology, Gaiman fashions primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds; delves into the exploits of the deities, dwarves, and giants; and culminates in Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods and the rebirth of a new time and people.
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A Comedy-Tragedy of Gods Giants Dwarfs & Monsters
- By Jefferson on 02-24-17
By: Neil Gaiman
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Cup of Gold
- A Life of Sir Henry Morgan, Buccaneer, with Occasional Reference to History
- By: John Steinbeck, Susan F. Beegel - introduction
- Narrated by: Ronan Vibert
- Length: 8 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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From the mid-1650s through the 1660s, Henry Morgan, a pirate and outlaw of legendary viciousness, ruled the Spanish Main. He ravaged the coasts of Cuba and America, striking terror wherever he went. Morgan was obsessive. He had two driving ambitions: to possess the beautiful woman called La Santa Roja and to conquer Panama, the "cup of gold".
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Not your usual Steinbeck novel
- By Andrew on 06-03-15
By: John Steinbeck, and others
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The Red Wolf Conspiracy
- By: Robert V. S. Redick
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 19 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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The Imperial Merchant Ship Chathrand is the last of her kind. Six hundred years old, the secrets of her construction long forgotten, the massive vessel dwarfs every other sailing craft in the world. It is a palace with sails, a floating outpost of the Empire of Arqual. And it is on its most vital mission yet: to deliver a young woman whose marriage will seal the peace between Arqual and its mortal enemy, the secretive Mzithrin Empire.
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Not Bad, not great.
- By Aerindel on 10-15-09
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Rhapsody
- Child of Blood
- By: Elizabeth Haydon
- Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins
- Length: 30 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Rhapsody is a woman, a singer of some talent who is swept up into events of world-shattering import. On the run from an old romantic interest who won't take no for an answer, Rhapsody literally bumps into a couple of shady characters: half breeds who come to her rescue in the nick of time. Only the rescue turns into an abduction, and Rhapsody soon finds herself dragged along on an epic voyage--one that spans centuries and ranges across a wonder-filled fantasy world.
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Good story! Terrible narration.
- By CharmY2K on 04-30-15
By: Elizabeth Haydon
What listeners say about The Lost Books of the Odyssey
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jeffery
- 08-31-23
Beautiful and richly imaginative
A rich set of stories, each taking a part of the original as its inspiration.
Beautiful and richly imaginative .
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- diane daniels manning
- 05-12-15
Astonishing imagination
Would you listen to The Lost Books of the Odyssey again? Why?
Yes, there is enough there to make it worthwhile.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Lost Books of the Odyssey?
Putting him forward into the present for a chapter.
What about Simon Vance’s performance did you like?
His voice is like listening to music.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No, too much to think about.
Any additional comments?
Zachary Mason has an enviable knowledge of the ancient myths and the imagination to bring them back to life.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Kindle Reader
- 11-07-21
So beautiful. So brilliant.
Great novel (really a series of short stories), a meditation on identity, time, narration, storytelling. Beautiful stripped-down language. Simon Vance terrific as always. One of my favorites books, and audiobooks, of all time. Brilliant.
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- Rickapolis
- 04-04-12
The Lost Hours of the Listener
Any additional comments?
This book was a terrible disappointment. I love Homer's works. I've read and listened to them multiple times. After all the rave reviews of 'The Lost Books...' I was very eager to give this a listen. I even bought it without waiting for my credit. All I got for my trouble was a mishmash of disjointed sputterings that made no sense at all. I found the 'stories' uninteresting, dull and without merit. Even Simon Vance couldn't turn this into anything of value. Perhaps others will have a happier experience but I cannot recommend this at all. One of the biggest flops from Audible ever for me.
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3 people found this helpful