How much time to allow for reading The Odyssey?

[mo2]

I know it will be different for every student, and I'm not wanting to set a firm, rigid schedule, just looking for a general idea on how much time I should set aside for reading/studying The Odyssey?  We will be using Vandiver's TGC lectures and don't want to rush. 

 

Also, does anyone have a favorite translation?

[Chrysalis Academy]

Well, the audio version of the Fagles translation read by Ian McKellan runs 11-12 hours.  Usually listening takes more time than reading, but in the case of The Odyssey, I'm not so sure that's true.  And it's one of those things where you can't sit and read/listen for hours.  So if you think about it in the "how much can one do in a day" sense, well, there are 24 books, so to be generous, allow at least 24 days.  With Vandiver's 12 1/2 hour lessons on top of reading/listening, plus discussing/writing? I'm thinking it's going to take 4-5 weeks.  Seriously.  We're in the middle of it right now, so I can't give you a firm BTDT number, but that's what it's looking like.  I'll be interested to hear how long others spend on it.

[klmama]

My extremely fast reader also listened to the lectures and discussed with me, finishing it in 4 weeks.  My slow reader only discussed with me and finished it in 6 weeks. 

 

[mo2]

Thank you.  That's exactly what I needed to know.  We are doing a semester-long mythology course, and with what I have scheduled so far, we have 6 weeks left at the end of the semester.  I was hoping I could fit The Odyssey in there.  DD is kind of a slow reader, so I'm considering getting the McKellan audio and having her read along with it.  We'll do the reading, listen to the lecture, and discuss.  She's already familiar with the story, so I think that will help too. 

[Garga]

Uh oh. I'd scheduled for us to do it in three, but only so it would coincide with the beginning of a writing lesson where we'll write about The Odyssey. Drat. Four weeks minimum? Six or more? Uh oh!

Edited August 18, 2016 by Garga

[Penguin]

I think it took us six weeks including the Vandiver lectures. Maybe more because we didn't get to it daily.

 

Excellence in Literature schedules it for one week. Not in my world, lol.

[Januares]

I think is better if you was read a book. Because film is modification version of book. I am read this book for week.   

[catz]

We did it in a month (about 4 weeks), but our teen classic lit club meets monthly.  It seemed fine for the 6 teens that showed up.  Some of us did the audio book. 

[chiguirre]

T did it in a Landry Academy class. They took about 7 weeks including a review week. If you're willing to devote more time to it each week, you could do it in 4 weeks.

[JudoMom]

Uh oh. I'd scheduled for us to do it in three, but only so it would coincide with the beginning of a writing lesson where we'll write about The Odyssey. Drat. Four weeks minimum? Six or more? Uh oh!

 

We used the Roman Roads The Greeks schedule and it allows 10 days of actual reading.  There are another 9-10 days of lectures and answering questions. 

[Sebastian (a lady)]

My son really loves the Fagles translation but said Fitzgerald was ok. He is a fast reader and took about a month to read through it. He read it as prep for AP Latin over the summer. We weren't discussing it (although it was the basis of his AP English Lit exam essay.)

[mo2]

My son really loves the Fagles translation but said Fitzgerald was ok. He is a fast reader and took about a month to read through it. He read it as prep for AP Latin over the summer. We weren't discussing it (although it was the basis of his AP English Lit exam essay.)

I had decided on Fagles, so this is good to hear.  I chose Fagles mainly because then we can get the Ian McKellan audio to read along with.  :)