Litsy

An Odyssey: A Father, a Son, and an Epic | Daniel Mendelsohn

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A favourite of 2024, for sure. So many things about this just worked so well for me. A richer, more patient examination of the Odyssey than I've previously encountered in the flurry of four years of a Greek and Roman Studies BA; a focus on its language and its themes, occasionally dipping into the original Greek in a way I never had the chance to encounter; the significance of the original word choice. 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? A memoir focused on a relationship between father and son, an attempt to gain a deeper understanding of the father, through recollections and informal interviews; a collection of wonderful moments in classroom discussions of the Odyssey and the professor reflecting on the father's contributions to the discussion; a segment that sees father and son travel to certain locations covered in the Odyssey; 5d

Robotswithpersonality 3/? a magnificent paralleling/interweaving of the journey of the Odyssey and the author's, and the author's father's lives. I really enjoyed my time with this book. Can highly recommend the audiobook in tandem with the print. Truly loved having the words in front of me and the audio narrator adding to my focus, and adding character to the voices of those people featured in the book. 5d

Robotswithpersonality 4/4 If you find yourself constantly craving a touch of modern sensibilities with your Ancient Greek tales, if you are among the many adult children who recognize the ebb and flow of understanding your parents better, of coming to grips with their aging and mortality, I think you'll love this. 5d

kspenmoll What a wonderful & thorough review! I have had this book for ages but never cracked it open.now I need to sooner rather than later. 5d

Robotswithpersonality @kspenmoll Happy to influence the TBR order priority. Hope you enjoy! 😊 5d

12 likes5 comments

Robotswithpersonality

Odyssey | Homer

so-so

There was definitely some skimming in this reread. I still got out of it what I wanted: to reacquaint myself with the plot beats and characters so I'm better prepared for any recent retellings that catch my eye; to remind myself that the further from modern sensibilities, the less likely I am to enjoy a literary classic. 🤷🏼‍♂️ 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? A pity I can't read it in its original Greek with its famed rhythm, as much as I can credit Emily Wilson, the translator of my edition, for presenting the narrative in natural language-feeling English while also fitting the verse into iambic pentameter, this does mean the sentence structure is truncated, it's a little stilted to read/read aloud. 1mo

Robotswithpersonality 3/3 It doesn't help that based on a lot of different reading about Ancient Greece/Greek myths in university, I remember summarized events chronologically, which is not the way they're recounted in the Odyssey, a little frustrating to wade through! Just my natural impatience coming to bite me. 💁🏼‍♂️ 1mo

10 likes2 comments

Robotswithpersonality

Odyssey | Homer

Always a strong argument for vengeance: the kindergarten comeback. 😛

9 likes

Robotswithpersonality

Odyssey | Homer

I...I really want to know what the original phrasing was in Homer's Greek. 😏

11 likes

Robotswithpersonality

Odyssey | Homer

Having less recently survived a war, recently released from a goddess's captivity, escaped a storm, a shipwreck, relatively certain various gods still have it out for him, having crawled naked and half-drowned into the woods to make a dirt-and-leaves bed for a much needed exhausted sleep, Odysseus now wakes to screaming. Yep, let's give the man a moment to take stock. 🤦🏼‍♂️

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AnnCrystal

Odyssey | Homer

Thank you @Eggs for creating this fun play-card 😉👍💝.

1- I've visited some interesting National Wonders/places/buildings in my California (& there's still a bunch on my “must visit“ & “must revisit again“ lists).

Outside of my state, one of the places that has intrigued me since learning about the history of the place, is Chaco in New Mexico. I have a crazy dream that the place should be rebuilt to its former glory. I know, wacky me.👇

AnnCrystal 2 - Growing up with all the stories from Brothers Grimm, I always wanted to visit the Black Forest. Yet, since my brother was named after the Greek Hero Odysseus, at the top of my list would be to visit the sights of Greece (including the long debated Kefalonia)... although, I guess if this trip ever became realized, I should first read this (tagged) book...I know, I'm terrible.

#WondrousWednesday

#litsycommunitylittenanncrystal 2mo

Eggs I hope you get to see all the places you want to🩷🩷🩷 2mo

AnnCrystal Thanks @Eggs ☺️👍💝. 2mo

22 likes3 comments

RowReads1

The Odyssey: A Dramatic Retelling of Homer's Epic | Simon Armitage

This looks crazy. https://youtu.be/FuOQXSyFcP0?si=7bYvn4M7xSYp24Id

TieDyeDude I've heard mixed reviews, but I just want to watch Goldblum chew up some scenery! 2mo

22 likes1 comment

Robotswithpersonality

Iliad: (the Stephen Mitchell Translation) | Homer

This post contains spoilers

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so-so

The gods made me do it! 🙄
How is it I never remember that the Iliad does not end with the fall of Ilium (Troy), not even the fall of Achilles, but rather the funeral rites for Patroclus and that poor bastard Hector? Kind of a let down from a narrative perspective. The whole thing feels like it's building not just to a showdown between Achilles and Hector, but also to whether Troy will be spared or destroyed, and the book ends before you have 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? an answer! If memory serves, I think the Odyssey covers the aftermath, but it's not a very satisfying reading experience to recognize you need to read another epic to compete the tale. You know how I feel about cliffhangers.
Also from an 'all Greek myth has gotten jumbled in my head perspective' it doesn't help that the beginning of the Iliad does not start with the reasons for this conflict, the story is very much in media res, 3mo

Robotswithpersonality 3/? the campaign has been going on for years, you find out why every one is mad and fighting as it goes along.
The text is fairly heavy handed in putting forth what were the societal values of the day: honouring your host, and they honouring your solemn requests in turn, not being lost to pride or rage, affording the proper honours to the gods and the dead. 3mo

Robotswithpersonality 4/? I'm sure the text has been mined many times for what it has to say about the culture, trade, every day customs of ancient times - with the proviso of anything with this many immortal participants can't be considered too factual. Do NOT get me started on how women (that includes goddesses) were represented and treated in the text. Talk about enforcing the values of the time. 😑 3mo

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Robotswithpersonality 5/? Speaking of the text, I can appreciate the plain language, how easy it was to comprehend, but maybe some of the poetry of this epic has been lost in this particular translation? Granted I don't have a professor to explain the more complex bits this time 'round, so for a public library edition it's probably for the best!
Regardless of translation, two things stood out to me: 3mo

Robotswithpersonality 6/? Metaphors/similes for battle are heavy on the power of nature, group of soldiers like wave, stampede, etc, also hunting scenes, either men hunting prey, or predatory animals hunting prey. It's one form of violence describing another at the end of the day, but it's a solid reminder for how brutal those times likely were, how brutal war always is. 3mo

Robotswithpersonality 7/? Another heavily repeated theme were stories of families, particularly a focus on lineage, frequent digressions in the text, to prove the honour of this or that soldier is to cite their history, to introduce a new player is to mention who they're related to.
Speaking of, I know it was a good strategy to have whole sections of text repeated if you're going to have to remember to perform this whole thing orally back in the day, 3mo

Robotswithpersonality 8/? but it feels kind of ridiculous reading a copy paste of two paragraphs ago all over again. I would be completely on board for a radical reduction of the text along the lines of 'and Isis delivered the message as Zeus had dictated' END OF SCENE.
You'd drop a good chunk off the word count without harming the narrative, I daresay improving the flow. Alas, Homer is hallowed ground these days, and I think most would pitch a fit at the idea of 3mo

Robotswithpersonality 9/9 edited reproduction. That's why retellings exist. 😉

⚠️Domestic abuse, slavery, ableism, animal death, gore, misogyny 3mo

2 likes8 comments

Robotswithpersonality

Iliad: (the Stephen Mitchell Translation) | Homer

New plan: Greek myth-sci-fi-fantasy fusion; can someone please write a story about the golden handmaids of Hephaestus?
I now have a mighty need for ancient Greek robot narratives! 💛🤖🏛️🏺

8 likes

Robotswithpersonality

Iliad: (the Stephen Mitchell Translation) | Homer

That's right, Zeus, nothing more seductive than telling your wife you suddenly find her sexier than all the women you cheated on her with, (a partial list). 😑🙄

dabbe One of my favorite parts! 😂 3mo

10 likes1 comment

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