Customer Reviews
Odysseus: A Great Tale! - By: , 29 Oct 2002 
Bought the tape after reading the review on Amazon - my son loves books on tape, & adores Blackadder, & I thought he would like this tape. Well, he wouldn't touch it for weeks ("history - yeuch!"); then we had a long car journey, & he was hooked! As was I. I love this adaptation, brilliantly funny but lots of bits of fact. My son has started looking at other books on the period too.
Good fun.
Excellent - By: , 19 Aug 2002 This adaptation of Greek mythology is truly outstanding. The writing is enthrallling & often hilarious. The characterisations are done extremely well, creating an extremely vivid picture of alll the heroes.
Tony Robinson is a great narrator, & his voice perfectly compliments the script.
Brilliantly brings the classic to life for today's kids. - By: , 25 Sep 2000 There are so many dry - & possibly worthy - adaptations available in schools, but this one is loved by my students, & I love re-reading it. Irreverent, hilarious & true to the spirit of Homer that captivated Keats in Chapman's earlier (and drier) version, Robinson's text provides the essence of the story & enthrallls its audience, remaining faithful to the original's tragedy & irony while zapping it up with a little Blackadder madness. Kids move on from this to the real thing with pleasure, & not despair; & if they don't, they'll remember the story, like & respect Odysseus for his sense of humour & for his cunning, & have definite views about Helen & Paris, Hector, Menelaus & Thersites.The book is sadly out of print: write indignantly to Amazon & the publisher to get it reprinted. In the meantime, buy the tape: I never realised that Baldrick had as much - or more - about him than Blackadder.Too many teachers & parents kill a classic by burdening children with a weight that's guaranteed to make sure they'll never return to it when they're old enough to appreciate it. Tony Robinson's lure may seem light & flashy, but when kids bite, they'll be hooked.
