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yeah that would be cool. are some translations more highly respected than others?
this would be fine i guess? :
http://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Robert.../dp/0140268863
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I minored in Classics, a couple profs always used his translations, others Lattimore.
anyways, I'm not sure where I would starts. wikipedia seems like a good place for just basic facts/stories.
if you want to get more serious, the Iliad and Odyssey are both fantastic but dense and can be difficult to get through. I recommend reading Cliffs Notes for a chapter, then reading the actual translation once you already know what happens.
The Iliad is mainly the story of Achilles at the time of the sack of Troy (the famous war ended by the "Trojan Horse" ruse). the Iliad is largely about war, pretty badass.
The Odyssey tells of the travels of Odysseus as he attempts to get home from Troy. this is much more mystical/magical than the Iliad and tells lots of stories you might have heard of.