The Iliad And The Odyssey For Boys And Girls

Homer's epic poem is one of the oldest works of literature still read today and is here retold in easy language for readers of all ages. Read how Odysseus, king of Ithaca, tries to return home after the Trojan War, and of all the obstacles that get in his way. From man-eating Cyclops to the enchantress Circe trouble lurks around every corner. This edition features images from the original printing, as well as several others to further bring these tales to life.

The Iliad is typically described as one of the greatest war stories of all time. Set during the Trojan War, this timeless poem vividly conveys the horror and heroism of men and gods wrestling with towering emotions and battling amid devastation and destruction. Homer's tale is a compassionate view of human life lived under the shadow of suffering and death in the face of an often uncaring divinity. To call it a war story does not begin to describe the emotional sweep of its action and characters in the 10th and final year of the Greek siege of Troy.The Odyssey is literature's grandest evocation of everyman's journey though life. The poem centers on the Greek hero Odysseus and his long journey home after the fall of Troy. It takes Odysseus ten years to reach Ithaca after the ten-year Trojan War. Odysseus survives storm and shipwreck, the cave of the Cyclops and the isle of Circe, the lure of the Sirens' song and a trip to the Underworld, only to find his most difficult challenge at home, where treacherous suitors seek to steal his kingdom and his loyal wife, Penelope. The Odyssey is Homers' sequel to the Iliad.

"ONCE upon a time there was a certain King of Sparta who had a most beautiful daughter, Helen by name. There was not a prince in Greece but wished to marry her. The King said to them: "Now you must all swear that you will be good friends with the man whom my daughter shall choose for her husband, and that if any one is wicked enough to steal her away from him, you will help him get her back." And this they did." Alfred J. Church dedicated his life to popularize the classics for young people. His translation of Homer's classic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey, is done beautifully in his book while using the same meaning, intonation, and rhythm as when Homer originally composed the poems. The book is fully illustrated (in black and white) by John Flaxman.

For somewhat older children who have heard their brothers talk of the difficulties of translating Homer there is "The Odyssey for Boys and Girls", wherein Alfred J. Church has retold in simple language the story of the wanderings of Ulysses on his return from Troy , his encounter with the sirens and cyclops and arrival in Ithaca, and many, many stories more. Mr. Church's similar work in "The Story of the Iliad" and "The Story of the Odyssey" has met with such general approval that he has been encouraged to prepare this new version of the Odyssey especially for young people .

A condensed version of the Trojan War and its aftermath.