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Odyssey

Odyssey

Summary

READ THE FINAL BOOK IN STEPHEN FRY’S ACCLAIMED INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING GREEK MYTHS SERIES TELLING THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY

CAN A HERO FIND HIS WAY HOME?


The most famous heroic story of all time, Odyssey is chock full of monsters, murder, maelstroms, gods, giants, wit, wisdom – and the most cunning hero of them all: Odysseus

'Outstandingly entertaining quartet of books . . . Fry breathes contemporary relevance into these ancient tales . . . his wry sense of humour and natural gift for storytelling make for a highly engaging read' Observer

'[A] jaunty version of Homer. . . The last in Fry’s four-book retelling of the Greek myths is relatable and full of humour' Guardian, Book of the Day

'The familiar narrative bounds along in a chatty style, coloured with mildly revisionist insights into the characters' Daily Mail

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Troy has fallen – and the victorious Greeks head home . . .


Setting sail, hero Odysseus dreams of lying in the arms of his beloved wife Penelope, and of teaching his son Telemachus a warrior’s ways. However, gods toy with the desires of little mortals. Angered by this upstart’s presumption, Poseidon – God of the ocean realms – curses our hero to wander the seas for ten long years.

Encountering one-eyed giants, six-headed monsters, terrible storms, titanic whirlpools, hypnotic sirens, seductive witches and jealous goddesses, Odysseus is tempted and tormented beyond any man’s endurance.

Yet he is no mere mortal – and the lure of his wife and son draws him, step by step, stroke by stroke, ever closer to home and his destiny . . .

A tale of love and longing, return and redemption, home and hope, Stephen Fry’s Odyssey sees the author and national treasure weave together the final fabulous threads of the tapestry begun in worldwide bestseller, Mythos. It is a story for the ages – and all ages.

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'Odyssey completes his Greek Myths series in marvellous fashion. . . Fry, a born storyteller, succeeds again in making the ancient stories accessible' Irish Independent


'Accessible storytelling and Fry brings warmth, exuberance and humour. Hard to beat' Guardian

Praise for Stephen Fry's Greek Myths series:

'Fry is at his story-telling best . . . the gods will be pleased' The Times

'Brilliant . . . all hail Stephen Fry' Daily Mail

'A head-spinning marathon of legends' Guardian

'A rollicking good read' Independent

'An Olympian feat. The gods seem to be smiling on Fry - his myths are definitely a hit' Evening Standard


Sunday Times
bestseller, October 2024

Reviews

  • Odyssey completes his Greek Myths series in marvellous fashion. . . Fry, a born storyteller, succeeds again in making the ancient stories accessible, gently modernising the language and dotting his journey with explanatory and often amusing footnotes
    Irish Independent

About the author

Stephen Fry

Stephen Fry is an award-winning comedian, actor, presenter and director. He rose to fame alongside Hugh Laurie in A Bit of Fry and Laurie (which he co-wrote with Laurie) and Jeeves and Wooster, and was unforgettable as General Melchett in Blackadder. He has hosted over 180 episodes of QI, and has narrated all seven of the Harry Potter novels for the audiobook recordings. He is the bestselling author of four novels - The Stars' Tennis Balls, Making History, The Hippopotamus and The Liar - as well as three volumes of autobiography - Moab is My Washpot, The Fry Chronicles and More Fool Me. Mythos and Heroes, his retelling of the Greek myths, are both Sunday Times bestsellers.
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