Ancient Greece — Homer's Odyssey follows Odysseus on his ten-year journey home from Troy, battling monsters, resisting divine temptation, and trying to reclaim his household from a mob of suitors. The Fagles translation captures the muscularity and rhythm of the original Greek in a way that feels alive rather than academic.

The structure is surprisingly modern — Homer drops us into the middle of the story, uses flashbacks, and shifts perspective between Odysseus, Telemachus, and Penelope. The Cyclops episode gets the attention, but the quieter moments are what linger: Odysseus weeping on Calypso's shore, the old dog Argos recognizing his master after twenty years.

"Fagles captures every twist and turn of the man of twists and turns — this is the translation to start with."

If you're beginning the Great Books, this is the one. Everything that comes after is in conversation with Homer.