Odysseus by Geraldine McCaughrean

… McCaughrean keeps the most famous encounters of Odysseus’ adventure (encounters that even those who have little knowledge of Greek myth are probably familiar with) such as the blinding of Polyphemus the Cyclops, the enchantress Circe turning men into swine, and the twin terrors of Scylla and Charybdis. Along with these are slightly less-known experiences, such as Odysseus’ sojourn into the Underworld to speak with the blind seer Tiresias, hospitality in the household of the god of the winds, and the blissful stupor of the Lotus Eaters. All of this is more or less a condensed version of Homer’s original text, but there is an amusing variation on the nymph Calypso who holds Odysseus “captive” on her island paradise. Turns out that living the life of luxury with an adoring female isn’t quite as appealing as it sounds… Odysseus is perhaps not as memorable as McCaughrean’s other retellings, simply because it is a straightforward adaptation with little in the way of personal innovation, but still, this is a comprehensive, researched, well-told version of one of the most famous stories of Ancient Greece. Read the rest.