The Odyssey by Homer
This epic poem follows the Greek hero Odysseus on his journey home after the fall of Troy. It takes Odysseus ten years to reach Ithaca after the ten-year Trojan War. Along the way, he encounters many obstacles including mythical creatures, divine beings, and natural disasters. Meanwhile, back in Ithaca, his wife Penelope and son Telemachus fend off suitors vying for Penelope's hand in marriage, believing Odysseus to be dead. The story concludes with Odysseus's return, his slaughter of the suitors, and his reunion with his family.
The 21st greatest book of all time
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This book is on the following lists:
- 2nd on The 100 Best Books of World Literature (ABC.es)
- 2nd on 100 Essential Books (Bravo! Magazine)
- 3rd on The 25 Favorite Books of 100 Francophone Writers (Telerama)
- 3rd on Six Professors from "Esteemed" Universities Favorite Books (Democrat and Chronicle (Newspaper))
- 4th on 100 Best Books (Montana State University)
- 6th on El Pais Favorite Books of 100 Spanish Authors (El Pais)
- 7th on For The Love of Books (For The Love of Books)
- 10th on Top 100 World Literature Titles (Perfection Learning)
- 17th on The 16 Greatest Books of All Time (NYU Local)
- 18th on The Top 10: The Greatest Books of All Time (The Top 10 (Book))
- 22nd on The 500 best books of all time from Culture Café users (Culture Café)
- 24th on Our Users' Favorite Books of All Time (The Greatest Books Users)
- 27th on Pour une Bibliothèque Idéale (Raymond Queneau)
- 92nd on Harvard Book Store Staff's Favorite 100 Books (Harvard Book Store)
- 110 Best Books: The Perfect Library (The Telegraph)
- The Graphic Canon (Book)
- How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Reading List (Thomas C. Foster)
- The 100 Greatest Books Ever Written (Easton Press)
- The Bigger Read List (English PEN)
- Select 100 (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee)
- Great Books (Anthony O'Hear)
- The Great Books Reader (Book)
- The Best Classics (The Times)
- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon (The Western Canon (Book) by Harold Bloom)
- Best Books Listed for High School Students (William J. Bennett)
- The 50 Most Influential Books of All Time (Open Education Database)
- Best Foreign Work of Fiction Chosen by Francophone Writers (French literary magazine Transfuge)
- What Harvard Professors Think Greatest Books Ever: Top 20 List (1977) (The Boston Globe (Newspaper))
- Great Books (The Learning Channel)
- Top 100 Works in World Literature (Norwegian Book Clubs, with the Norwegian Nobel Institute)
- 50 Greatest Books of All Time (Globe and Mail)
- The 100 Most Influential Books Ever Written (Martin Seymour-Smith)
- Great Books of the Western World (Great Books Foundation)
- The College Board: 101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers (The College Board, an American not-for-profit organization)
- ZEIT-Bibliothek der 100 Bücher (Die Zeit)
- Världsbiblioteket (The World Library) (Tidningen Boken)
- 50 Books to (Re-)Read at 50 (nextavenue)
- The New Lifetime Reading Plan (The New Lifetime Reading Plan)
- Masterpieces of World Literature (Frank N. Magill)
- The Book of Great Books: A Guide to 100 World Classics (Book)
- Books That Changed the World (Book)
- From Zero to Well-Read in 100 Books (Jeff O'Neal at Bookriot.com)