The Odyssey of Star Wars: An Epic Poem

***POTENTIAL SPOILERS: THIS BOOK IS GREAT, BUT IF YOU WISH TO NOT RISK ANY POTENTIAL (EVEN IF VERY, VERY MINOR) SPOILERS, DON’T READ THE REST OF THIS REVIEW***This is so much more than expected and told incredibly well. The OT told in a way that works amazingly well because Star Wars’ cultural influence and impact transcends time and media. In this case, ancient epic poetry is no exception, and in many ways a perfect fit. So glad that the PT and Clone Wars are not ignored but neatly and beautifully inserted and referenced in a way that complements the OT narrative and affirms the narrative unity of the first six episodes of the Skywalker Saga. (There are what seem to be very opaque, hinted references to the ST, but these are very minor and not forced; they’re plausibly unconnected to them, but not disrespectful toward them, which imho is for the best. Examples include a brief mention of the New Republic, which predates and only briefly appears in the ST and is assumed exists after VI anyway and a very brief, subtle reference to the “14 parsecs” retelling of the Kessel Run by Han Solo, as Rey incorrectly understood it in VII.) All in all, great read, great retelling, and makes for a great experience for any age, setting, and occasion. I fully expect this to be read and taught in schools and universities for generations, thus proving that our culture not only retains epic poety as a form of passing down myths, but that Star Wars is a more than worthy addition to our grand literary canon.

I wound up reading Book 1, covering the end of Rogue One up through the destruction of Alderaan. It had its positives and its negatives; in some places I felt the poetry really worked, but in others the author felt the need to directly insert partial or full quotes from the film that pulled me right out like a discordant note.For example, I thought this section, wherein C-3PO declares he would not go with R2 after getting out of the escape pod, worked well:Oh, dreadful hour of desolation, whyDid I, the darling of adversity, agreeTo follow you down here? My gears freeze upFor lack of oil, my joints for lack of rest.This secret mission, from which these fond bleepsGive me no peace, serve rather to raise doubtOf your poor circuitry, which in this heatPerhaps malfunctions. No, enough's enough;Follow the gorge, but I shall try the ridge;Now pester me no more, I'll help you not.Whereas this section, describing Luke's childhood, pulled me out:So Owen spoke, and so amid the cropsAnd vaporators Luke from infancyTo boyhood and the cusp of manlinessAdvanced, aiding his uncle, learning muchAbout the taste of earth, the weight of air,The language of condensors; yet his heartWas fixed beyond the circle of the sky.When duty left him leisure, he would speedHis uncle's old skyhopper down the gorgeOr bull's-eye womp rats in that T-16Up Beggar's Canyon; irresponsibleSome termed him, others asinine, some fewAdventuresome, though none could well denyNo better pilot winged the desert bushExcept for Biggs, three years gone, Biggs who'd leftTo practice at that pilot school.I had my wife read both of those sections, and I could see when she got to the "bull's-eye womp rats" part by how she reacted. Later on there’s a speech by Han regarding the Falcon that includes the “she’s got it where it counts” phrase, which similarly caused negative reactions in us both.

Okay, so you're a fan of Star Wars. You are also a fan of Greek mythology/history to the point where you've read the Odyssey/the Iliad. DID YOU KNOW THIS IS BOTH???It's actually amazingly well done!! It has the complete feel and style of Homer but it's Star Wars. HOW COOL IS THAT???

I had not read the Iliad or the Odyssey in over twenty years and had forgotten how beautifully written that epic poem was until I started reading this and it was just perfect. I don't have any great insight for you, but if you ever had a Greek mythology obsession and read I&O, do not even hesitate to buy this. Don't hesitate at all, really, it is wonderfully done and brings in elements from the Clone Wars, Rebels, Solo, Rogue One, etc. and that made me love it even more. Adding that extra imagery that now connects to the original trilogy just seemed to bring it all together even better.I don't know, just buy and read and enjoy.

The star wars book with a take into poetry its thought provoking read as one needs to understand concrete, and abstraction in verse and a general sense of reading in between the lines give a 88 out of 100

Ordered this as soon as it was announced and have been waiting to check it out. Got it today, promptly dropped what I was doing and dug in!Story writing was enjoyable and 100% in the style of the Odyssey. Art was an added bonus! Really loved this book. Well worth the wait.

Excellent hard cover! Pages have that worn look which makes the book feel more authentic. Excellent gift idea for your Star Wars fan!

It was a gift and he was happy to get it

This is an amazing book, quite unlike anything I’ve read before. If you know the Star Wars story (which I do), it brings it to life in words, in ways I hadn’t thought possible. It’s poetry, but it simply reads like the most gripping tale you’ve ever read. The detail is fantastic, and it really rips along. The imagery is powerful, the characters are like a deeper, more complex version of what we saw on the screen.This is something special. I recommend it without reservation

Bellissimo libro, arrivato in condizioni perfette prima del previsto