The Odyssey - Geraldine McCaughrean - Retold

Jul 30, 2026

133

A literary retelling of Homer’s The Odyssey, introduced and retold by Geraldine McCaughrean with illustrations by Victor G. Ambrus. The narrative begins with Penelope watching the sea from Pelicata Palace and unfolds through a sequence of adventures: longing for home, encounters with one-eyed danger, magical places and trials, and brutal encounters that test loyalty and survival. Across Odysseus’ wanderings, Greek mythic themes of courage, suffering, magic, and endurance drive a story designed for readers of all ages.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages102

Reading Time2 h 37 min

AccessFree to download

Contents

Introduction by Geraldine McCaughrean

Yearning for Home

The Sea God’s One-eyed Son

The Brass Island and the Bag of Winds

The Pig-Woman

Alive Among the Dead

Beauties and Beasts

Mutiny and Murder

Three Women Watching

Poseidon’s Revenge

A Husband for Penelope

[OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) High in the window of Pelicata Palace, Penelope, Queen of Ithaca and wife of Odysseus, looked out across the wave-striped ocean. A dark shape caught her eye, far, far out across the sea. At once she was leaning out of the window and her hands were plunged into the unpruned vine which cloaked the palace walls.‘Odysseus! Odysseus!’ [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) GERALDINE MCCAUGHREAN INTRODUCED AND RETOLD BY GERALDINE MCCAUGHREAN Illustrations by VICTOR G. AMBRUS [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) Contents Introduction by Geraldine McCaughrean Map of Odysseus’Wanderings 1. Yearning for Home 2. The Sea God’s One-eyed Son 3. The Brass Island and the Bag of Winds 4. The Pig-Woman 5. Alive Among the Dead 6. Beauties and Beasts 7. Mutiny and Murder 8. Three Women Watching 9. Poseidon’s Revenge 10. A Husband for Penelope [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) For Alexander Leslie Krasodomski Jones [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) Introduction by Geraldine McCaughrean The Greek myths are like a great patchwork bedspread of stories, stitched together over centuries, growing and growing as the Greek Empire flung itself across more and more of the ancient world. Each new territory seized joyfully on the myths and wanted to be a part of them.‘Do you think Heracles visited here? Bet he did!’ So they stitched themselves into the bedspread. For me, though, The Odyssey is the greatest of stories and one near the very centre of the bedspread. It seems to me like an advertisement for all things Greek: that willingness to explore the world and carry Greek cunning, courage and strength into every cove and port around the Mediterranean. Odysseus doesn’t mean to spend ten years meeting the world’s oddities, but he is equal to every terror, adored by every woman who sees him. How good it must have felt to be a Greek listening to the courageous adventures of Odysseus! The Greeks were a seagoing race – fishermen and traders, forever setting sail in small boats – and yet the voyage of Odysseus was, for them, like science fiction is for us: a journey into the unknown. You only have to think for a moment of Star Trek where the starship Enterprise flies from planet to planet, encountering new monsters and dangers every time it comes in to land. Captain Kirk is a direct descendant of Odysseus. The one story has shaped countless stories that came after. I return to The Odyssey time and time again; I’ve told it for all ages of reader. It has everything – monsters, giants, nymphs, fools and gods, bravery, suffering, magic and shipwreck. I could tease many a new story out of its characters too. Did Circe put her magic to good use after Odysseus left? Didn’t Telemachus want to see for himself all the wonders his father talked about when he got home? Great stories drop fruit from their branches, inviting you to pick up – taste!– make them your own. Do it. Savour the taste of Story – as strong today as it was in ancient Greece. And maybe the delectable fruit of The Odyssey will tempt you out on to the world-encircled sea of the Imagination. But be careful: like the lotus fruit, Story is addictive. [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) 1 Yearning for Home The war lasted so very, very long. Then suddenly it was over in a flash of fire, a splash of blood and a trampling of horses. Men whose ships had rolled idly over a thousand tides in the bay of Troy mustered by the water ’sedge in groups. There were many faces missing, many oars lacked a rower after ten years of war. But those who unfurled their sails, latched their oars over the oarpins and set the tillers, were cheerful. Their masts were hung with tokens of

FAQs

Who introduced and retold The Odyssey in this book?

Geraldine McCaughrean introduces and retells the story of The Odyssey, presenting it for readers of all ages.

What is the starting scene of the retelling?

Penelope, Queen of Ithaca, watches across the wave-striped ocean from the window of Pelicata Palace and notices a dark shape far out at sea.

What kinds of adventures are included in the chapters listed in the contents?

The contents highlight encounters and episodes such as yearning for home, dangers tied to Poseidon and a one-eyed figure, magical islands, and trials involving mutiny, murder, and supernatural forces.

Jul 30, 2026

133

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