Odyssey Readalong Books 1 and 2.

I'm trying to be good about stopping and writing down my thoughts after every book I finish, but I haven't been good about typing up my thoughts and sharing them with those of you participating.

I thought it might help those of you tackling this for the first time to have a place to talk about things as you read, so I'm sure these posts will be a bit of summarizing, and a bit of my own observations reading through this for the umpteenth time. :)

I already discussed the opening lines, which remain my favorite lines of the entire work, but there is so much more that happens in the opening books! We don't start with dear Odysseus, but rather with his son Telemachus and his journey to set things right in Ithaca.

Book 1: Athena Inspires the Prince

So, after the opening lines of The Odyssey, in which the bard reciting the story invokes the Muses to inspire their recitation, we learn about the state of affairs in Ithaca since Odysseus has been away from home. When The Odyssey was originally recited, or performed, by the bards in Ancient Greece, everyone knew the history behind it-that men from Greece rallied behind Menelaus and Agamemnon to get Helen back from Paris. So, all the Greeks ventured to Troy to get Helen back, and after ten years of fighting, Odysseus comes up with the idea of the Trojan Horse and Troy falls.

It is now years later, and while many other men have returned home, or have perished on the way home (news has traveled to let their families know), nothing has been heard from Odysseus or his men. All of the gods, with the exception of Poseidon, have taken pity on Odysseus, who is still far from home in the clutches of Calypso. Poseidon is still a bit mad at Odysseus for stabbing out the Cyclops' eye (something we will read about in a bit), so he has delayed poor Odysseus from returning home. However, the rest of the gods agree to help Odysseus when Poseidon conveniently isn't in attendance, and Athena decides to interfere directly with Odysseus' son Telemachus so he can take back his home in preparation for Odysseus' return.

Athena disguises herself and arrives in Ithaca at Odysseus' home. In his long absence (which is 20 years by the time he eventually returns), his son has grown up and his home has been overrun by suitors for his wife. Athena arrives to discover the suitors lounging around the home, eating and drinking and otherwise dishonoring Odysseus in his absence. Telemachus seeks out the stranger and they talk. it is during this discussion that Telemachus confides that he is unsure of what to do-how to drive the suitors away from his home and mother and take back his home;

"Dear stranger, would you be shocked by what I say?
Look at them over there. Not a care in the world,
just lyres and tunes! It's easy for them, all right,
they feed on another's goods and go scot-free-
a man whose white bones lie strewn in the rain somewhere,
rotting away on land or rolling down the ocean's salty swells.
But that man-if they caught sight of him home in Ithaca,
by god, they'd all pray to be faster on their feet
than richer in bars of gold and heavy robes. 
But now, no use, he's died a wretched death.
No comfort's left for us...not even if
someone, somewhere, says he's coming home.
The day of his return will never dawn." (lines 184-196)

Poor Telemachus is clearly lost-he doesn't know what to do to regain his home and honor his father's memory. Unlike the other Greeks who fought at Troy, Odysseus' fate is unknown. Others who died in battle or on the way home-that news has already made it. Odysseus is simply lost, and because of the uncertainty surrounding where he is and what has happened to him, Telemachus is at a loss for what to do.

Athena counsels Telemachus to go abroad to seek news of his father and to "become a man." By leaving home and taking action, she is taking him away from the uncertainty and anger regarding the suitors and will empower him to seek his own fate. She suggests traveling to Sparta and Pylos to seek information about his father and his fate. Telemachus agrees to her plan before Athena leaves.

For reference: Ithaca (Odysseus' Home, Pylos, Sparta, and Troy (location of the Trojan War)

Telemachus and Penelope

Penelope appears briefly and talks with her son about missing Odysseus and wanting to be rid of the suitors plaguing their house. After she leaves, Telemachus musters the courage to call out the suitors for dishonoring his father, but they pay little attention. He turns to bed and goes to sleep thinking over Athena'a plan and whether he has the courage to accomplish what she has set for him.

Book 2: Telemachus Sets Sail

The second book of The Odyssey opens with Telemachus waking the morning after his talk with Athena. He calls the Achaens to assemble to speak about his plans. Athena only intervenes slightly;

"And Athena lavished a marvelous splendor on the prince
so the people all gazed in wonder as he came forward,
the elders making way as he took his father's seat." (lines 12-14).

Athena

Athena hopes to give Telemachus the illusion of manhood as he takes his father's role at the head of the counsel, especially because the counsel has not been called since Odysseus left some years before. Once together, Telemcahus speaks to the counsel and explains he was the one to call it. He outlines his plans and that there are 2 issues that need to be dealt with: 1. the loss of his father has created a huge hole in Ithaca and 2. there are suitors plaguing the house that are dishonoring his father and pressuring his mother.

The counsel turns on Telemachus. Many place blame on Penelope for not simply choosing a new suitor (she actually spent three years tricking the suitors by saying as soon as she finishing a weaving, she would marry, but she unraveled her weaving every night. They eventually caught on). In response to the negativity and anger pointed in Telemachus' direction, Zeus sends down eagles as a sign of the gods' favor toward Telemachus and his quest to find his father. This is ignored by the counsel.

Telemachus then outlines his plans for journeying to Pylos and Sparta in hopes of discovering Odysseus' fate. He is laughed at as the counsel disbands. Feeling discouraged, he prays to Athena and she encourages him to continue on with the plan, even without the support of the counsel;

"...Telemachus,
you'll lack neither courage nor sense from this day on,
not if your father's spirit courses through your veins-" (lines 302-304).

Telemachus returns home where the suitors also mock him for his plans, while Athena goes in search of a ship and crew for his journey. He makes plans with a servant to arrange supplies for the trip, then sneaks away to pack the ship and begin his journey in search of his father with Athena by his side.

 

Thoughts:

I've already mentioned that the parts most are familiar with in relation to The Odyssey are only a small piece of the story. Because in addition to Odysseus' actual journey home and the monsters he faces, there is also the coming of age of Telemachus, and Odysseus' plan to retake his home once he sets foot in Ithaca.

This first 4 books focus closely on Telemachus and the life he has without Odysseus at home. he is first portrayed a bit of a list boy. He was only a baby when Odysseus left for war, so he has grown up under the protection of his mother, Penelope, and the servants in the household. And once Odysseus didn't return, his home became overrun with suitors, eager for a chance to marry Penelope and take everything Odysseus worked for. Telemachus is lost. His mother is too consumed by her grief for Odysseus to notice that her son is suffering from the pressure of the suitors taking over the home. Telemachus has no male role model to guide him, so once the gods interfere, he is eager for their help.

I quite enjoy the story of Telemachus. He IS weak at the beginning-he allows the open dishonor of his parents and lacks the courage to stand up for them. It is only after Athena speaks with him and inspires him to be proactive that he gains the courage to speak out to those around him. As Athena tells him, he must "become a man." The first step is take action be seeking information about his father and where he may be. 

We still have two more books that focus on Telemachus. He'll visit Pylos and Sparta to learn about his father's whereabouts before returning home to deal with the suitors. We'll see more growth from him, but it is only when Odysseus comes home that we see that he does, eventually, "become a man."

The other thing I want to mention is the interference of the gods. The Greek gods are notorious for interfering with mortals, and Odysseus has been a victim of that. Poseidon hates Odysseus, for many reasons we'll learn later, and has prevented him from returning home. The other gods only interfere when Poseidon is occupied elsewhere, a fact that cracks me up every time I read it. But you do have to keep in mind that since Odysseus must return by sea, Poseidon can really prevent his journey. 

But Athena is sick of sitting by and watching as things turn sour in Ithaca. As the story continues, we'll see the places where the gods decide things are important enough to interfere...and what they let go. 

**Please let me know if this format was helpful for you. And ask questions below! I'd love to get a bit of discussion going.*

Odyssey Readalong: Structure and First Lines.

My copy.

 I'm really excited to begin rereading The Odyssey. There is something about it that simply inspires me every time I read a passage. I feel as if it is almost an extension of myself, and it is probably one of the only books that I can recite lines from without mistake.

I've lost count as to how many times I've read it in whole. There are many times when I will pull an edition off the shelf just to read a section. The Fagles edition (pictured) is my most well-loved copy, as it was the one I read from when I studied it in college. At the time, I didn't understand my professor's intention in having his class of freshman English majors read it for weeks on end when all the other classes were diving into Dickens, Brontes, and Austen. Where they read a novel a week, we pored over every line of Homer's The Odyssey. Reading my edition is like revisiting my time in his classroom. There are passages highlighted in purple, post-it notes marking reading assignments, and little notes jotted in the margins (as well as poorly drawn caricatures of my tweed-wearing professor). Now I am glad he made us study it. I only wish I got to study everything I read as deeply as I studied The Odyssey.

In any case, it is a book that has followed me in my life. It served as the inspiration for my place here on the internet and was the first book I marked off my list of 250. I haven't read it fully since then (nearly 4 years ago), so I miss it.

Most kids read an abridged version of The Odyssey when they are in school. Our district places the reading of it in our 9th grade year (along with To Kill a Mockingbird and Romeo and Juliet). The abridged version focuses mainly on Odysseus, a hero of the Trojan War who is struggling to come home after 20 years away. In the version our students read, it picks up with Odysseus telling his story and focuses on his battles against the various monsters of the Greek isles, his time with Circe, and his eventual return home to Penelope. Granted, those are some of the most interesting of the books included in the whole story, but they only comprise about half of the actual text (I think the actual number is 9....out of 24 books). The abridged version most are familiar with leave out the story and coming of age of Telemachus, Odysseus' son, and the well-detailed and drawn out homecoming of Odysseus to Ithaca (the last 12 books...so essentially HALF of the text).

I find that while I really enjoy Odysseus' exploits (you know, the murder, deceit, and that journey to the land of the dead), I also really enjoy Telemachus and his coming of age. Not to mention, the reuniting of Telemachus and Odysseus at home and the big "finale" of the story in Ithaca. Those are the pieces I'm glad I studied in college. I appreciate them more and find that they tell more of a story than defeating the Cyclops (that scene does have some wonderful imagery...).

Anyway, the whole story begins with the bard, those responsible for actually telling the tale in ancient Greece. The opening lines, according to Fagles, go like this.

“Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns
driven time and again off course, once he had plundered
the hallowed heights of Troy.
Many cities of men he saw and learned their minds,
many pains he suffered, heartsick on the open sea,
fighting to save his life and bring his comrades home.
But he could not save them from disaster, hard as he strove—
the recklessness of their own ways destroyed them all,
the blind fools, they devoured the cattle of the Sun
and the Sungod wiped from sight the day of their return.
Launch out on his story, Muse, daughter of Zeus,
start from where you will-sing for our time too.”

I love his call for inspiration-for the right words to tell the story of Odysseus as he should. And it really is the last two lines that grab me every time-that inspire me to want to read on and relearn the story of Odysseus and his son. Because from the beginning, we know that Odysseus is a man who has know heartache and struggle. He has lost his men and is simply trying to return home against all odds and the wishes of the gods. But he will persevere and return.

I love that.

It inspires me.

Now, I'm going to go read the rest of the first book and become absorbed in the tale all over again. 

The Odyssey Readalong Master Post and Launch.

 It's hard to believe that it is July 1st already, and the beginning of our readalong of Homer's The Odyssey. I pulled my (rather battered) copy off my shelf last night and flipped through it. It brought back many memories, and a surge of excitement as we begin our venture through Homer's masterpiece.

I'm not lying when I say that The Odyssey is one of my favorite pieces of classic literature. There is something about the language and emotion of the story that grabs me every time. I love the perseverance of Odysseus, the hopeful nature of Telemachus, and Athena's quest to right the wrongs of the gods. It is a story deep with history and culture, but it is one that inspires me whenever I read a passage.

While only a few bloggers have officially agreed to join me on our little readalong, I'm hoping that as go along, more will be inspired to join in. This readalong is meant to be stress-free. This post will stand for the duration of the readalong and will be a place for us to link our posts as we read. I don't expect that everyone else will post multiple times, but I'm planning on posting as I finish each of the 24 books that comprise The Odyssey. I hope that my posts will serve as guidelines for those of you who are tackling it for the first time. And since this formed the basis for my very first English class in college (we spent 10 weeks of the semester reading, analyzing, and learning about it), I do have more than a little knowledge. But my main goal is to be inspired to reembark on my own literary odyssey, since I have pretty much abandoned it.

Anyway, I will be reading the Robert Fagles edition, which is my favorite of the 5 editions I've read (and own-obsessive, yes). I find it to be the more poetic form and lends itself easily to being read aloud. Since The Odyssey was originally intended to be performed by bards, it seems fitting to read a version that aligns with that feeling. And I will admit that I will often read passages aloud to myself. :)

The only guidelines for the readalong is that you finish by August 31. Make sure to post by then. I think I'll give out a prize to someone who finishes by then, so if you need a bit of extrinsic motivation, there you go. ;) The Mister Linky is below for any of your posts on The Odyssey. Feel free to post away.

Good luck!

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"A Modern March" Announcement and Sign-up Post.

It has been quite some time since I have hosted a Classics themed event on the blog, and that dry spell is coming to an end in March!

I'm really excited to announce "A Modern March," a literary event focusing on the Modernist period. The event will begin on March 1 and end on March 31. The goal will be to read and focus on Modernist pieces of literature and learn more about that era.

To be perfectly honest, this is a literary movement I am not as comfortable with. While I have read Woolf (love her), Faulkner (love him), and a few selections from other Modern writers, I'm not as comfortable with their work as a whole. This is the perfect opportunity to remedy that!

If you have no idea what constitutes a piece of "Modern" literature (and whenever I say Modern, I don't mean contemporary lit), it generally refers to literature written between the very late 19th century and the halfway point of the 20th century. In general, Modernist writers experimented with style, form, and theme. They broke away from the traditional viewpoints found in literature until that point and strove to focus on the darker and more unpleasant sides of life. This is also the time period where stream-of-consciousness made its roaring appearance.

Some of the big writers of the Modernist period were:

• William Faulkner
• Virginia Woolf
• Ezra Pound
• F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Ernest Hemingway
• Samuel Beckett
• Gertrude Stein
• e e cummings
• T.S.Eliot
• James Joyce

There are more, of course, but those are the heavy hitters of the period and those most closely associated with the movement.

To participate, please put up a post on your blog stating your intentions, then link it back here on the Mr. Linky widget. Starting on March 1, begin reading your Modernist literature selections. There will be a master post here for you to link your reviews throughout the month, and there will be a prize at the end of the event. I also have a sponsored giveaway for a new edition of Fitzgerald's This Side of Paradise that will happen at some point during the month!

I hope you're as excited as I am-make sure you sign up!

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Austen in August!

A few weeks ago, I was chattering with Adam of Roof Beam Reader on twitter about some reading events, and he said he was thinking about hosting a Jane Austen event in August. Count me in! I've been anxiously waiting for the announcement post, and I did a little jump and skip at work today when I saw it went up. :) And while my employees laughed at me, I jotted down the four books to pull off my shelf so I could write this post as soon as I got home.

Yes, I am very excited about reading some of Austen's works!

I only have one of her novels left on my 250 project list, so that one definitely made the cut. It is the only book I am going to make sure I read during the event. The other three below are good possibilities for reading, and since they're on my Classics Club list, I'll probably try to get to them if I can squeeze them in. Here is what I am reading:

• Mansfield Park: I have only read this title once, and it was quite a few years ago. I'm looking forward to revisiting it, since I remember enjoying it.
• Sanditon: I just picked up this copy a few months ago in my quest to get my hands on all her writing (I'm close...I think I am only missing The Watsons now...), and the premise of it sounds super interesting!
• Selected Letters: I really want to make it a point to get to this one, since I think reading her letters will be absolutely fascinating! Austen was an interesting woman!
• Catharine and Other Writings: This is actually a collection of her complete juvenilia, so I am hoping to spend some time with some of it. I haven't heard as much about these writings, so my curiosity is piqued!

I hope you'll consider joining in on the fun. To join, visit the Austen in August Sign-Up Page on Adam's blog and comment away! There is an Austen for everyone! :)