Product Description
Only a handful of fictional characters are recognized by first name alone. Dean Koontz’s Odd Thomas is one such literary hero who has come alive in listeners’ imaginations as he explores the greatest mysteries of this world and the next with his inimitable wit, heart, and quiet gallantry. Now Koontz follows Odd as he is irresistibly drawn onward, to a destiny he cannot imagine....

The legend began in the obscure little town of Pico Mundo. A fry cook named Odd was rumored to have the extraordinary ability to communicate with the dead. Through tragedy and triumph, exhilaration and heartbreak, word of Odd Thomas’s gifts filtered far beyond Pico Mundo, attracting unforgettable new friends - and enemies of implacable evil. With great gifts comes the responsibility to meet great challenges. But no mere human being was ever meant to face the darkness that now stalks the world - not even one as oddly special as Odd Thomas.

After grappling with the very essence of reality itself, after finding the veil separating him from his soul mate, Stormy Llewellyn, tantalizingly thin yet impenetrable, Odd longed only to return to a life of quiet anonymity with his two otherworldly sidekicks - his dog Boo and a new companion, one of the few who might rival his old pal Elvis. But a true hero, however humble, must persevere. Haunted by dreams of an all-encompassing red tide, Odd is pulled inexorably to the sea, to a small California coastal town where nothing is as it seems. Now the forces arrayed against him have both official sanction and an infinitely more sinister authority…and in this dark night of the soul, dawn will come only after the most shattering revelations of all.Amazon.com Review
Amazon Exclusive Essay: Destiny and Odd Hours

Odd Thomas came to me as a gift, the entire first chapter of his first book having poured out of me as I was in the middle of writing The Face. I wrote it by hand, though I never work that way, and I never hesitated to think what should come next. He was fully-realized in my mind from the moment I began to write in that lined legal tablet. With other stories and characters, I can identify the source of the inspiration, but not with Oddie and his books. He just suddenly was. When I write about him, his narrative voice is so clear to me that I almost hear him in my head.

For those among you who long have thought that I should be institutionalized, just relax: I said I almost hear him.

Many times over the years, I said I would never write an open-ended series. Then along came Oddie, and he proved me wrong. Or so I thought. As I wrote the first chapter of Odd Hours, the fourth featuring my fry-cook hero, I realized that this was not an open-ended series, after all, but that it would conclude with six or seven novels. I now think seven.

I suddenly saw the end point of his journey, the arc of it to the final book, and I was stunned. Beginning with this fourth story, the stakes were being raised dramatically; Oddie was going to face far more physical and moral danger than previously; and he was going to mature toward the fulfillment of a destiny that I had not seen coming until that moment.

Initially, I tried to argue myself out of the direction that Odd Hours was taking. I didn't believe that the first three books had put down a sufficient foundation to support the formidable architecture that I saw rising from it in the next three or four novels.

When I began to reread the first three books, however, I quickly discovered that I had unconsciously paved the road that the series was now taking. I had thought I was writing a series with an overall theme about the power and beauty of humility. Indeed I was, but it was also something more than that; and Oddie's ultimate destiny will not be merely purification to a state of absolute humility, but will be that and something else I find quite wonderful.

What lies ahead will be a challenge to write--or perhaps not. The character of Odd Thomas was a gift to me, and now I see that the entire architecture of a seven-book series was another gift that came to me complete on the same day Oddie arrived, although I needed time to recognize it.

This world is a place of wonder, and life is a mysterious enterprise; but nothing in all my years has been more mysterious than Odd Thomas's origins and my compulsion to write about him.

-- Dean Koontz

Customer Reviews (270)

Odd
A little stranger than the previous - it is getting weirder out there and I don't like that aa much. But the book is still great.

Love the Odd guy!
Love everything Odd!Hear they're gonna' make a movie based on his character!Koontz is fantastic and Odd is even better!!

4th & Weakest of the Odd Thomas Series
Odd Thomas has to be one of the most likable characters created by Dean Koontz or any other author for that matter. Unfortunately, it seems Odd may have run his course & the series is out of steam.
Mr. Koontz has in the past number of years changed his writing style, which is not a problem. He's still excellent. As weak as this book is, the writing is still top notch.
The problem for me arises from a very improbable story line & some characters that are so underdeveloped one wonders why they were included in the book.
Picture, if you will, Odd out of his fry cook element in Pico Mundo, Ca. He now is charged with saving four U.S. cities from nuclear holocausts from a handful of madmen. Odd, of course, saves the day. Preposterous compared to the first three novels which were all good.
If one had not read this series in order, he/she would be greatly lost reading this book.
Sadly it does leave Odd Thomas open for a 5th book. Mr. Koontz, I beg of you, please retire Odd Thomas after this travesty. This book does not do your literary talent any justice at all.

Odd Hours,By Dean Koontz
I love Dean Koontz and he has finally written a SERIES!I highly recommend the Odd Thomas series. Odd Hours is book four. Odd Thomas Series (Volumes 1-4)
The books are entertaining, sometimes funny, suspenseful, and imagintive. You will fall in love with Odd as a little brother, son, friend, or fry-cook.

Fun read, but start with Odd Thomas if you're new to this series
Odd Hours is perhaps the most serious Odd Thomas adventure yet.It certainly is the most morally ambiguous and wierd novel of the series.Koontz's skill as an author saves what could easily become a messy and boring story in less gifted hands.Odd Thomas is as droll and virtuous as ever, but his minimalistic character is deepened through actions that are both heroic and ruthless.I'm ambivalent about this change of character, which gives the novel a somber and serious tone (in my opinion not exactly "Odd Thomas like.") The plot, much like the others in this series, does not drive the novel.To keep the pages turning, Koontz introduces another couple of vivid secondary characters (Birdy, Hutch), some deeply introspective and beautful first-person commentary, and brilliant comic dialogue. I also find Koontz's premise, employed here and in the other novels in this series, that there can exist both unadulterated evil and pure good, refreshing and compelling.

The book does have its faults though.Annamaria's character seemed nearly unnecessary; her significance (and nature) left me perplexed. The supernatural menace aluded to (i.e. the porch chair and storm drain incidents) were left undeveloped and their meaning unresolved.And, The Voice just didn't compare to The King.

Despite these complaints, I cannot give the novel anything less than 4 stars (I would get a 4.5 if that was an option).This story was fun to read from cover to cover and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys unique and well-written fiction.


... Read more

Product Description

A hard fall took hotshot jockey Sid Halley out of the horse racing game, leaving him with a crippled hand, a broken heart, and the desperate need for a new job. Now he's landed a position with a detective agency, only to catch a bullet from some penny-ante thug. And things are about to get even more hectic—the agency is giving him a case to handle on his own. The case brings him to the door of Zanna Martin, a woman who might be just what Sid needs to get him back up and running. But he's up against a field of thoroughbred criminals, and the odds against him are making it a long shot that he'll even survive . . .

Customer Reviews (15)

Great beginning to his trilogy!
I have searched high and low for this book for years before I finally found it online - for some reason it seems to have gone out of print and every copy at the library is always checked out! It's the beginning to his Sid Halley trilogy - the only trilogy ever done by Dick Francis. Great book, although I do believe he re-used some of the elements in other books - or I read the book a long, long time ago and don't remember. As always, Francis leaves you guessing until the end! He is one of the few authors I have found that I cannot always predict who did it and why - the reasons are almost as great as the person who did it! Definitely recommend it, as I do with all of his books - and this series just gets better!

Odds Against
This book was shipped quickly, reasonably priced and in excellent condition. I am very pleased with this purchase.

One crash too many
Champion jumping jockey Sid Halley lost the use of one hand in a terrible fall - and with it his career. His marriage is over as well. When we meet him, he's been on the payroll of a detective agency for two years, and has just been shot in the gut by a small time crook. Loveless, crippled and injured, Sid has lost his enthusiasm for life.

Despite the failed marriage, Sid's father-in-law, retired Rear Admiral Charles Roland, still likes and respects Sid. Charles invites him to convalesce at his country home - and there unveils a challenge that he hopes will shake Sid out of his apathy.

A rich investor is plotting a hostile takeover of Seabury Racecourse, so it can be torn down and the land sold to developers. How would Sid like to save this grand old institution? He'll have to investigate its recent spell of bad luck that has everyone convinced the place is jinxed. Sabotage may be a factor.

Overnight Sid is transformed from a lethargic employee to a dynamo of detection. The resourceful, observant strategist who once won race after race is back.

If you're feeling a bit low or having a bad day, this is the book to read. Sid's resilience in the face of all kinds of loss is an inspiration.

New Career
A 38 slug enters Sid Haley's side and he is jerked out of a deep depression as he has watchedhis arm, his career and marriage ground under flashing hooves. Thus Dick Frances introduces one of his most popular characters in ODDS AGAINST.
Sid is working in a detective agency at the instigation of his ex-father-in-law, while trying to put his life of steeplechasing behind him. A small set up goes haywire and Sid is pitched into the world of racing from the outside of the rail. A job he thinks he hates until it is almost destroyed.
Fast action, great prose, tense drama, and the reader enters Sid's world. Mystery fiction at its best, told by a master of the genre.
Nash Black, author of TRAVELERS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.

One of his early novels
This is one of the author's early novels and the first one in the series about ex-jockey turned PI Sid Halley.This novel introduces the character, his past, his father-in-law, his work associates, etc.The first three novels about Halley, Odds Against, Whip Hand, and Come to Grief, can also be found in the combined omnibus edition, Win, Place, or Show.The novel is very good and has survived the test of time, i.e., it is still an interesting plot 40 years after it was written.

Sid Halley came from an impoverished background and had to leave school as a teenager.He was apprenticed as a jockey and by the time he was 18 her was a success.He made good investments and is also moderately wealthy.An accident ended his career as a jockey, and he has been employed, more or less, in a PI firm.Events lead him into a case involving an unscrupulous businessman who is trying to acquire racetrack property for personal profit.Like many businesses, the assets (in this case land) are undervalued in relation to the stock price, making a racetrack a takeover target.

There are some surprises as the story progresses.The novel deals with adult situations.There is little sexual content, mostly by reference, but considerable violence. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Wonderful
My children, ages 5 and 3, enjoy listening to this story on car trips.Odds Bodkin is a master storyteller!

One of the best children's audio tapes around!
My children, ages 9, 5, and 3, (a boy and two girls, none of whom are particularly dinosaur obsessed) all love both the first Little Proto tape and this one as well.Odds Bodkin is such as amazingly skilled storyteller that my husband and I don't even mind it when the kids ask for this tape for the umpteenth time!The story addresses wonderful themes: jealousy of the attention being lavished on a new baby sibling, compassion shown to a former enemy, courage and resourcefulness in the face of fear -- that makes it sound heavy-handed, but it's not at all!Just a good story, wonderfully told, that can serve as a springboard for discussion should you so wish.

Fantastic!
I just finished listening to this story with my 6 year old son for about the 20th time and liked it as much as the first.Odds Bodkin story telling ability is amazing!Using only a 12 string guitar, and his fantasticvoice, Bodkin tells the story of a dinosaur named Little Proto and hisadventure with the T-Rex King Geoffory and the Tricerotops Old Wrinkles. Although perhaps not as good as the first Little Proto tale, this is awonderful tape and you should definitely buy it for your favorite 4-7 yearold (or even for yourself!) ... Read more

Product Description
Hercules. Heroic strongman? Kind do-gooder? In some ways, yes. But the real Hercules was also haunted by rages he could not control. He was the strongest adventurer in the world, yet in the end his towering ego was crushed by that very strength. Join award-winning artist Odds Bodkins he retells the tragic, glorious story of Hercules. Brought to life with an immense voice only a master storyteller could create, the tale is fully scored with virtuoso music on 12-string guitar. Here is the genuine myth of Hercules. His loves. His madness. His guilt. His epic Twelve Labours. And much more. Recommended for ages 12 to adult. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

enjoyable, educational
Okay, quick, do you remember all of the twelve labors of Hercules ?I sure as heck couldn't; which isone of the nice things about Odds Bodkin's oral version of the myth of Hercules.Bodkin is a wellknown storyteller, particularly here in New England, who accompanies himself on twelve stringguitar.That's one other nice thing about this cd set, that it is reminiscent of how these stories andlegends would have been presented when they were first being concocted, though the teller wouldprobably have been blind and playing a lute or something.

For the purposes of this setting, Bodkin imagines Hercules has died and Hades and Persephone prevailupon him to relate the story of the twelve labors before he can leave the underworld.Here they are (aslisted at the Perseus Digital Library) :

Labor 1: The Nemean Lion Labor 2: The Lernean Hydra Labor 3: The Hind of Ceryneia Labor 4: The Erymanthean Boar Labor 5: The Augean Stables Labor 6: The Stymphalian Birds Labor 7: The Cretan Bull Labor 8: The Horses of Diomedes Labor 9: The Belt of Hippolyte Labor 10: Geryon's Cattle Labor 11: The Apples of the Hesperides Labor 12: Cerberus

Bodkin mixes thrills and humor in the telling and also, being "socially conscious", has an ulteriormotive here, the whole epic is sort of structured around Hercules trying to learn how to control hisrage.You may recall that the labors were assigned to him as a way of purging his conscience after heaccidentally murdered his family in a Hera-induced blinding rage.I guess this is Odds Bodkin's wayof preventing another school shooting, a noble enough cause,nd for the most part he keeps it fairlysubtle, though he does go a mite overboard when he has Hercules finally get control of his fury onlyafter spending a few years cross-dressing (you'll have to give it a listen to find out) and getting intouch with his feminine side.

Hercules does lead a pretty violent life, so the recording is not suitable for young children, but anyteenage boys who watch wrestling are certainly old enough for this.You don't have to inform themthat they're also getting a healthy dose of their cultural heritage in the process.

GRADE : B- ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A masterful recording
I first heard of Odds Bodkin when he came to my children's school last year.This was the first tape we listened to and I will soon buy it.Bodkin's many voices combined with his gorgeous instrumental music give this recording a superlative, magical quality.My 12-, 10- and 7-year-old children were enthralled, and frankly, so was I.We could hardly wait until the next time we were all in the car so we could listen to the rest of the tape.Highly recommended.

OUTSTANDING!!!
This tape had my family enthralled for hours on a recent trip - we traveled to New York City and when we arrived at our friend's house, this tape was all we could talk about!It is a wonderful story by a trulytalented man - thank you Odds Bodking for sharing your gift with us! ... Read more

Product Description

Neil Gaiman takes listeners on a wild and magical trip to the land of giants and gods and back. In a village in ancient Norway lives a boy named Odd, and he's had some very bad luck: His father perished in a Viking expedition; a tree fell on and shattered his leg; the endless freezing winter is making villagers dangerously grumpy.

Customer Reviews (51)

Odd and the Frost Giant Review by: Peter Griffin (d5)
Odd and the Frost Giants by: Neil Gaiman is a great book. It's a bit short but the details are really amazing. The book is about a regular boy named Odd. He finds these 3 animals, a fox, a bear, and an eagle. Odd thinks that he's doomed and will be eaten. The animals talk and say they are gods. Their names are Loki, Odin, and Thor.The story is very well plotted. The problem is that the frost giant took over the god's home and changed their forms to animals. Odd and the gods venture out and then Odd confronted the Frost Giant. Odd convinced the frost giant to leave and then Lady Flaya came out. She shaped the gods back to human form. They had a feast and Odd went home. Before He did Odin came up to Odd and presented him with a staff to take with him. He ended up walking with it for a long time.

I think that the purpose and theme of this book is to entertain readers with a short story. I think that the theme is to teach people that even a simple village boy can have a great adventure. I think this because Odd is a ordinary boy. Then he goes on a adventure and that is why I think this. The Arthur might have had this in mind too when he was writing the book.

In my opinion, the book is great. The book is good because the descriptions about different things are very detailed. It really paints a picture in your mind. I think that part of the reason I like it is because I know a lot about myths. This can help because you could understand the book better.

Odd and the Frost Giant Review by: Peter Griffin (d5)
Odd and the Frost Giants by: Neil Gaiman is a great book. It's a bit short but the details are really amazing. The book is about a regular boy named Odd. He finds these 3 animals, a fox, a bear, and an eagle. Odd thinks that he's doomed and will be eaten. The animals talk and say they are gods. Their names are Loki, Odin, and Thor.The story is very well plotted. The problem is that the frost giant took over the god's home and changed their forms to animals. Odd and the gods venture out and then Odd confronted the Frost Giant. Odd convinced the frost giant to leave and then Lady Flaya came out. She shaped the gods back to human form. They had a feast and Odd went home. Before He did Odin came up to Odd and presented him with a staff to take with him. He ended up walking with it for a long time.
I think that the purpose and theme of this book is to entertain readers with a short story. I think that the theme is to teach people that even a simple village boy can have a great adventure. I think this because Odd is a ordinary boy. Then he goes on a adventure and that is why I think this. The Arthur might have had this in mind too when he was writing the book.
In my opinion, the book is great. The book is good because the descriptions about different things are very detailed. It really paints a picture in your mind. I think that part of the reason I like it is because I know a lot about myths. This can help because you could understand the book better.

Odd and the Frost Giant Review by: Peter Griffin (d5)
Odd and the Frost Giants by: Neil Gaiman is a great book. It's a bit short but the details are really amazing. The book is about a regular boy named Odd. He finds these 3 animals, a fox, a bear, and an eagle. Odd thinks that he's doomed and will be eaten. The animals talk and say they are gods. Their names are Loki, Odin, and Thor.The story is very well plotted. The problem is that the frost giant took over the god's home and changed their forms to animals. Odd and the gods venture out and then Odd confronted the Frost Giant. Odd convinced the frost giant to leave and then Lady Flaya came out. She shaped the gods back to human form. They had a feast and Odd went home. Before He did Odin came up to Odd and presented him with a staff to take with him. He ended up walking with it for a long time.
I think that the purpose and theme of this book is to entertain readers with a short story. I think that the theme is to teach people that even a simple village boy can have a great adventure. I think this because Odd is a ordinary boy. Then he goes on a adventure and that is why I think this. The Arthur might have had this in mind too when he was writing the book.
In my opinion, the book is great. The book is good because the descriptions about different things are very detailed. It really paints a picture in your mind. I think that part of the reason I like it is because I know a lot about myths. This can help because you could understand the book better.

Defeating the world with a smile
The little Norse boy named Odd does everything with a smile on his face.Odd smiles when he's scolded, and doesn't lose the smile when he hears of his father's death.Odd smiles when he cripples his right leg and foot, and he smiles when he meets a trio of talking animals claiming to be gods.Odd even smiles when he comes face to face with a Frost Giant, and the giant threatens to crush him.

Odd and the Frost Giants is a delightful mock-epic in which Gaiman writes a crippled young boy into the world of the Norse gods.With little more than his (not so) simple understanding of human/god nature Odd conquers feats that leave the more-powerful themselves crippled, and with quiet perseverance he pursues a life more welcoming than the one in which he lives.

Despite Gaiman's never-ending love affair with comma splices, his young adult novel is quite charming.I would recommend it to young readers and parents alike.

Excellent fast read for older elementary.
Aside from two sentences about lust (it's a story about gods after all) this book is very kid friendly.It has about seven chapters and it reads very easily.None of the characters are terribly mean and there are no scary or violent parts.

Like many of Gaiman's books the main character, Odd, is unique and likable, and a little bit damaged.He deals with loss and a disability with a matter of fact, positive attitude.In the end his kindness and his cleverness are rewarded, but not to the point that all of his troubles are removed.

Gaiman has said he wants to write more stories about Odd.I really hope he does. ... Read more

Product Description
Poker buddies Felix Ungar and Oscar Madison suddenly find themselves bachelors again and innocently decide to share an apartment. In this classic comedy by Americas most prolific and successful playwright, these two legendarily mismatched roommates bring down the house when they try to live together in one eight-room New York City apartment.

A L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance featuring: Dan Castellaneta, Stanley DeSantis, Steven Hack, Jamie Hanes, Nathan Lane, David Paymer, Linda Purl, Yeardley Smith ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Ordered the Wrong One . . . But kept it anyway!
Was looking for the FEMALE version of Neil Simon's hit, but ended up with the original.Came in record time, excellent condition, and a really funny work, so I kept it.The mistake was mine . . . but it turned out great anyway! :)

The Odd Couple, Female Version
The book was fine, but I was completely dissatisfied with the shipping.I paid for expedited shipping and it took 9 days to arrive!I finally resorted to a hard search (with the help of a very kind librarian) of every library in Dallas, Richardson and Plano to find a copy of the book.One day after finding it at a library almost 30 minutes away, your book arrived.I expected that "expedited shipping" would be considerably faster.I will not purchase from this seller again.

The Original "Odd Couple"
Being a huge fan of "The Odd Couple" television series, I finally decided to read the play on which the TV show is based. THE ODD COUPLE, which premiered in 1965, was Neil Simon's first big success. His writing is consistently amusing and often flat-out hilarious; I laughed especially hard during the first scene, in which Oscar Madison and his poker-playing friends are trying to prevent Felix Unger, just thrown out of his home by his wife, from committing suicide! This "episode" was, of course, the starting point for the TV series, but unlike the show, the play has a single plot: Felix and Oscar get together, quarrel, date the Pigeon sisters, quarrel again, and ultimately "break up." Though the play is a comedy, there are interesting parallels to A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE in Oscar's poker games, particularly the one in the last scene during which Felix leaves. THE ODD COUPLE is an excellent example of Simon's wit. Next, I would love to see it onstage!

Classic American Comedy.
Before the movie, before the television series, before all the spin offs, there was just the play. The story is a classic spin on the buddy plot. Oscar Madison is a successful sports writer who happens to be best friends with Felix Unger, a newswriter for CBS. Each week Oscar has five of his buddies over for a Friday night game of poker. However, on one fateful night Felix fails to appear in time for the game. It turns out Felix has just been thrown out by his wife and has no place to go. Feeling sorry for his old friend, Oscar invites Felix to stay with him and be his roommate.What ensues is a classic Neil Simon look at friendship that will endure for ages.

Odd Couple
When you pair David Paymer and Nathan Lane as Felix and Oscar in the OddCouple, you are in for a comic tour de force that over stretches itsmaterial.With a supporting cast which includes Dan Castellaneta andYeardley Smith (both from The Simpsons) and Linda Purl, the cast is almostperfect. This production is a little too visual in a few of its jokes.However, on the whole, it unscrupulously grabs the audio listener by hisears and shakes him with laughter. ... Read more

Product Description
Known for its provocative and engaging issues approach and topical organization, AMERICA AT ODDS explores the current conflicts that truly define America as a nation while involving students in discussion and debate. The engaging content and pedagogical features throughout AMERICA AT ODDS support two main goals of the text: to make students genuinely passionate about learning the ins and outs of American politics and government, and to encourage them to think about the ways their lives are affected by decisions made in the political arena. In every chapter of the text, the foundations and systems of political history, behavior, institutions, and policy are presented within the framework of issues oriented debate, making AMERICA AT ODDS truly unique as an approach to teaching the Introduction to American Government course. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Never received it
I never received it and had to e-mail the company for them to tell me they couldn't send it and to get my money back. I wasn't that excited about government class in the first place, but I didn't have this book the whole year and just made it uselessly harder.

very nice
This seller is really nice and accurate with timing , I like them and I believe that during my study I will deal w them always .

??
i had to return the book. i got an emailed saying to return it and as soon as they got the book they would refund my money.its been about 2 weeks already and they havent refund my money yet. they arent a good business and dont committ to their costumers.

A textbook that sees both sides.
The focus of this textbook is not just to be a dry listing of dates and names to memorize, rather to constantly keep your mind occupied with considering the current implications of the political system. In that goal, I think the authors have done well. The downside is that it will need to be updated very often and it will be important for a class to be using the most current version. In this Fall 2009 current class, we are using the 6th edition which was published in January of 2008 and much of the information is already out of date. Where it discusses statistics in the civil rights section, the data being used is several years old. Still, it gets the point across quite clearly.

The first few chapters felt like they were slanted on one political side, but after getting a clearer understanding of the purpose of the text, that perception changed. The purpose is to throw both sides at the reader and make them aware of how those differences of opinion work together. The title is apt.

I would also give kudos to the publisher for keeping the price of this book in a reasonable range. The magazine-type layout, glossy pages, and use of colors and graphics are a little difficult to adjust to in the beginning, but after a chapter or two, it integrates well. The authors bring in information about relevant websites and current issues that a student might investigate on their own. The glossy pages are nice for reading and keep colors bright, but are not conducive to highlighting for students who use that method to study. On the other hand, this will mean more clean, used books will be resold and will improve that second-hand market.

Ultimately, this is a great book as a college text, but also for a person to buy to self-educate about history, politics and current issues facing the United States. My copy will likely be kept to hand off to non-students wanting a better understanding of politics.

Great Buy!
This book came in a very timely manner and was exactly what I needed for my class!! ... Read more

Product Description
Prepare to meet Odysseus of Ithaca, an iron-willed wanderer, grasped by fate and hurled to the ends of the Earth. 4 cassettes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

As one who actually listened to this as a child...
The talent here is amazing. I am a great admirer of Odds Bodkin. I enjoyed this recording as a child--I would listen to it as I got ready for school, or as I painted or drew.
I would definitely say it takes a certain kind of kid to enjoy it, but it opened the door to mythology for me.
Now I write this in appreciation for the man's talent. He preformed this as a bard would perform it with no script and no breaks, as he performs most of his work. He makes it engaging for the listener with an entire cast of voices and sound effects, both from his own mouth, and music preformed by him.
It's not just a "shut up for god's sake!" tape for the car, it is an experience for your child--one that I enjoyed immensely then, and still enjoy now from time to time.
I can't wait to share it with my own children.

Wonderful!
This version of Homer's Odyssey is captivating! Odds Bodkins is a storyteller extraordinnaire and this CD is no exception. It's a wonderful way to introduce children to The Odyssey - kids will listen to this from start to finish to hear what's in store for the characters next. Bodkins' is the sole voice on this recording, along with various musical instruments - my entire family found him to be amazing.

Kris Bordessa, author
"Tools of the Ancient Greeks: A Kid's Guide to the History & Science of Life in Ancient Greece"

Great story!
This is fantastic telling of Homer's Odyssey.Bodkin regales us of Homer's adventures, beginning with a scene inside the wooden horse of Troy, through confronting the Cyclops, battles with cannibals, and his long awaited return to Ithaca.Bodkin gives each character a distinct voice and develops moods and transitions with his guitar in the background.The changes in voices are so intricate that when I first listened to the tape, I thought Bodkin had put the recording together by blending several independently recorded tracks.But if you listen closely, you can hear coughs in the background, evidence that this was a recording of a live performance, and Bodkin managed to create all of the rich sounds found on the tape while reciting in front of a live audience.

I managed to escape reading the Odyssey while I was in school.On the one hand, that's too bad, because now, having heard this story, I realize what a tremendous influence the story has had on all literature that followed, and how much I have missed over the years by not having any familiarity with the Odyssey.But on the other hand, it was fitting to have my first experience with Homer to be this one- -this story was meant to be shared orally, rather than read.And Bodkin is a master storyteller, who has made the tale come alive.Now that I've heard the story properly, I think I'm ready to study it more thoroughly with a book.

Hear the Odyssey
Your English teacher was wrong: Homer did not write the Odyssey. He sang it. Actually, scholars are still debating whether the blind mythic poet called Homer ever existed at all, but they do generally agree on two things: the Odyssey is one of the greatest stories surviving from Graecian antiquity, and it was originally meant to be sung, not read. Ancient bards, called rhapsodists, wandered through the hoods of ancient Greece, chanting their stories to all who would listen. Hundreds of generations later, we're still listening. Just two months ago, I listened to Odds Bodkin's rendition of the 2500-year epic on my car CD-player.

Homer's Odyssey depicts the 10-year wanderings of Odysseus, as he tries to go home after he and the Greeks successfully sacked the city of Troy. Bodkin's version pares down these 10-year wanderings to a 4-hour audio presentation, but many of the signature adventures are retained (Included are: the Lotus-Eaters; Polyphemus; the Lystrigonians; Circe; Scylla & Charybdis; Calypso; Princess Nausicaa; plenty of storms and waves, crashes and crushes, and a lot more).

What I don't like about this recording is that Bodkin has about three different voices that he uses for scores of characters; after a while, things start sounding familiar... Also, his attempts at female voices are a misfire; they all sound like Ms. Piggy with a sore throat.

What elevates this recording beyond puppet-show drama, I think, are three things: Bodkin's enthusiasm, the musical track, and his sense of story. The soundtrack, a combination of 12-string guitar and harp, is soothing, mystical, rejuvenating, otherworldly; it could be sold separately. And, while most of the drama is shallow, I still have to admit there are moments when I was truly moved by this story.

Know this -- Bodkin's version of the Odyssey is an adaptation, meaning he may skim here and embellish there, but he has full poetic license to do so, because he is adapting the work for children (and adults who love a good story), and for listening. As for the critics who bash this because it's not "true to the original," they, I would say, are missing the point.

Some people just like to hear a good yarn. If you're in the mood for a funny and talented storyteller to make an ancient story sing again, check this out.

The Odyssey Suite
This is a retelling of Homer�s great story by an actor/storyteller, and lasts just over four hours. By way of contrast, Ian McKellen�s reading of Fagles�s translation of The Odyssey clocks in at 13 hours, 10 minutes. One would think, then, that this version must leave lots out. Well, yes and no. It covers all the main adventures Odysseus has, nor does it hurry over them. (In fact, the Trojan horse sequence, which is just alluded to briefly by Homer, starts the story here and is given an expansive treatment, much of which actually comes from later writers.)

So, Odds Bodkin tells Odysseus�s story in full in four hours. Then what does he leave out? He leaves out Homer�s expansive way of telling a story by means of repeated heroic epithets and extended dialogs. He leaves out the gods, mostly: their part of the story is brief indeed. All the careful planning that went into the defeat of the suitors is left out as well. It leaves out the adventures of Telemachus. All Odysseus�s entertaining fabrications during his travels, these have been excised. And, as this version is intended for children, it leaves out the gruesome scenes at the end where the unfaithful servants are killed.

You might say that it leaves out most of the matter that locates the story in a certain heroic pre-classical culture. Yet some flavor of that culture remains, and the well-known incidents in the story are certainly given their due. Thus we have, in addition to the Trojan Horse, Scylla and Charibdis, the visit to the Underworld, the cattle of Helios, the Sirens, the Isle of the Lotus Eaters, the Cyclops, the misadventures on Circe�s isle, and the long languishing on Calypso�s isle. And it finishes up with a bang as Odysseus strings his mighty bow and lets fly an arrow through all the aligned ax-heads, then, revealed, turns in wrath upon the suitors who have been besieging his wife.

This is certainly an entertaining version, and an excellent way to learn the story � for child or grownup. Odds Bodkin is good at voices, so he can differentiate his characters well. This adds to the fun as he mixes accents and verbal mannerisms (Polyphemus reminded me of the Cookie Monster) in an energetic and colorful telling. It also helps that there is a more-or-less continuous musical background. Celtic harp and 12-string guitar are rarely obtrusive, but rather provide push to the narration.

Anyway, to us, The Odyssey is a story, not a guide for living, but it is one of the central stories of our culture. And here we get that story (without undergoing trial by recitation), which is all that most of us want, really. ... Read more

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It has been a month and still no product.This is because they sent it to a person with my name at a different adress!!!No excuse for such terrible service. ... Read more

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