"The Odyssey" is one of the most important works of world literature—what many have called "the first novel"—perhaps because through Odysseus's struggles, the schemes of the suitors, and the interventions of the gods, both young and adult readers can recognize themselves in the journey toward their own Ithaca. The adaptation you hold in your hands follows the Homeric text while also striving to convey the spirit of the much-sung epic in contemporary language.