Book 1: Athena Visits Telemachus
Book 2: Telemachus Sets Off on a Voyage
Book 3: Nestor of Pylos
Book 4: Menelaus of Lacedaemon
Book 5: Calypso and the Shipwreck of Odysseus
Book 6: Princess Nausicaä and Odysseus
Book 7: The Land of the Phaeacians
Book 8: Odysseus's Farewell Game and Banquet
Book 9: The Cyclops, the One-Eyed Giants
Book 10: Aeolus, Antiphates, and Circe
Volume 11: Hades, the Land of the Dead
Book 12: The Siren Sisters, Scylla and Charybdis, and the Cattle of Helios
Book 13: Odysseus Returns to Ithaca
Book 14: Odysseus Meets the Swineherd
Book 15: Telemachus on his way home
Book 16: The Meeting of Odysseus and Telemachus
Volume 17: The Old Beggar Appears Before the Suitors
The Beggar Old Man Among the Suitors, Volume 18
Book 19: Penelope and the Guest Odysseus
Volume 20: Omens
Book 21: Odysseus Strings His Bow
Book 22: Executing the Suitors
Book 23: The Secret of Odysseus and Penelope's Bed
Volume 24: The Souls of the Suitors Who Descended to Hades and Peace

Commentary | Park Moon-jae
Main characters

The first story in which Western literature found its way,
A narrative of adventure and growth that began with Odysseus

The Odyssey is an epic poem based on Greek mythology written by Homer around the 8th century BC.
Along with the Iliad, it is known as the oldest surviving Western work.
'Odyssey' means 'the story of Odysseus', and today it has become a synonym for a long and arduous journey or journey.
In this epic poem, spanning 12,110 lines and 24 volumes, we meet an indomitable man who, despite enduring countless hardships to the point of being called "the most unfortunate of all men," learns the values ​​of courage, patience, and humility along the way, and ultimately returns home to wreak splendid retribution on the villains.

If the Iliad is a magnificent work that depicts the suffering and sorrow of humans who are forced to die in the midst of the turmoil of war, the Odyssey is a fascinating portrayal of how an individual survives hardship and achieves his goals.
The unknown seas and islands that appear in each volume, the humans who live there, gods who appear in human form, and half-human, half-beast monsters contain almost every character and narrative that ancient mankind could imagine, moving between reality and the supernatural.
If the one-eyed giant Polyphemus, the witch Circe who turns people into beasts with her magic potion, the Sirens who seduce sailors with their beautiful songs, the sea monsters Scylla and Charybdis, the nymph Calypso of a remote island, and Athena who appears as a guardian deity are one axis that form the surreal imagination, then the diverse group of realistic humans forms another axis.
The protagonist's young son grows up after leaving, a wife waiting for her husband who left without a promise, parents grieving over the loss of their child, greedy and shameless suitors, opportunists who cling to them, and servants who are loyal to their masters—they all show different sides of themselves depending on their values ​​even in the same situation.


Between God and Man,
The life questions left behind by Odysseus

The Odyssey is not simply an adventure story or a revenge drama.
During his journey across the sea and wandering from island to island, he constantly asks, “How should humans live?”
The strength that allowed Odysseus to overcome numerous crises and return home was not simply his wisdom or martial arts.
He always seeks the will of the gods, sometimes restraining himself, and sometimes testing and confirming those around him.
It was an attitude to maintain the order of ‘justice’ and ‘piety’ even in the midst of suffering.
For the ancient Greeks, 'justice' was the principle of the human world, and 'piety' was the basic attitude toward the gods.
And the two were one inseparable mass.
Welcoming strangers, offering sacrifices with sincerity, and discerning the omens of the gods were not mere etiquette; they were ethics that protected life.
These scenes, repeated throughout the Odyssey, show that Odysseus is not just a man who survives, but a man who constantly ponders and practices 'how to survive.'

In ancient times, the worship of gods governed all human life.
If you mistreat a stranger or offer a sacrifice incorrectly, thereby ignoring and despising the gods, you will be subject to the wrath of the gods and their retribution.
So after killing the suitors, Odysseus says:
“Grandma, just be happy inside and don’t shout out loud.
Because it is disrespectful to cheer in front of the dead.
“The fate that the gods had decreed and the cruelty that he had committed killed him” (Book 22, lines 411-414).
It was thought that going against the fate and will of the gods was tantamount to inviting destruction.
That is why the ‘omens’ sent by the gods are very important.
He does not accept his wife, father, or even servants hastily.
That's why it was important to restore trust so carefully and deeply.
Just as Agamemnon met his death due to carelessness, Odysseus also knew that a momentary mistake could lead to disaster.
So he checks everything, bides his time, and finally punishes justly.
And even at that moment, he fears the gods and is restrained.
For today's readers, the Odyssey is not just an old classic.
For us who must cross the seas of unpredictable times, this is the oldest story that asks about the direction and attitude of life, and it is still the most effective story.

A complete translation that preserves the rhythm of ancient Greek has been revived.
Humanity's first adventure epic

The Odyssey, a modern intellectual classic, is a complete translation of Homer's ancient Greek original, vividly reviving Odysseus' ten-year journey home.
The rhyme, word order, and rhythm of the ancient writing style are preserved to the fullest extent possible, while the sentences are refined to allow today's readers to naturally immerse themselves in the text, completely conveying the essence of the original text.
In particular, the translation captures the grand scale of the ancient epic, its delicate emotional lines, its lyricism, and even its dramatic scenes, allowing modern readers to fully experience the Odyssey, which is considered the archetype of the story.
104 famous paintings and illustrations visually introduce the various supernatural beings and legendary scenes that Odysseus encounters, such as the one-eyed giant Polyphemus, the witch Circe, the Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis, and Calypso, stimulating the reader's imagination and vividly bringing the ancient world to life.
Descriptions, paired with rich color images, enhance the reader's understanding of the narrative and help them naturally develop myths, legends, and character relationships within the flow of the story.

The 303 footnotes and 43 pages of commentary broadly explain the history and culture of ancient Greece, its religious and cosmological views, names of people and places, the genealogy of the gods, and even the political and social implications.
In particular, since the Odyssey is not linear in its time structure but is written in a way that the past and present intersect, it is difficult to read without background knowledge, so this explanation and footnotes are of great help to the reader's understanding and immersion.
This book is not simply an adventure story of an ancient hero.
This is a story for all those who stand on the edge of life, a text that illuminates the wisdom and restraint of human beings who strive to maintain their balance in the midst of chaos, and the inner strength to pursue justice.
For readers new to The Odyssey, this book will serve as an introductory guide into the rich world of the story, while for those who have already read it, it will be a life classic that will rediscover new insights and deep reflections.