5/5 Stars (%97/100) Ancestor of all novels, novellas, short stories, plays, films and more which deal with the theme of quest/adventure. I like reading Ancient Greek and Roman writers and I probably have read everything from Aeschylus to Euripides to Sophocles to Seneca to many more. But I have never ever read anything more beautiful than The Odyssey. This book is totally on another level for me and one of very few I consider life-changingly beautiful. "Ah how shameless – the way these mortals blame the gods. From us alone they say come all their miseries yes but they themselves with their own reckless ways compound their pains beyond their proper share.” 1-The idea of a quest. We all know a work of literature or art which deals with the idea of a quest. There is a protagonist who is very intelligent and crafty. He has some kind of a goal that he has to reach. On his way to his goal he hast to overcome many obstacles. Every obstacle will teach him a lesson and he will mature in the process. Finally, after winning and losing he will reach his goal. This theme is very popular even today. Homer is the guy who basically created this idea. Odysseus's adventure after the Trojan War and many misfortunes (when I say many I mean a lot, like A LOT) in his quest to reach his home Ithaca. It sounds and looks simple but there is a lot more behind this simple idea. “Of all creatures that breathe and move upon the earth, nothing is bred that is weaker than man.” 2-The language, creativity and the world of mythology. Homer's language and tone is beautiful. It is extremely poetic and clever but it is sometimes very witty and sarcastic. (Basically Odysseus himself) Homer is very creative. I mean creating this idea of adventure is already impressive but you have to expand it and keep the reader, well, reading. He is very knowledgable about Greek mythology and it is interwoven into the story. Gods, goddesses, monsters and many mythological elements play an important role in Odysseus's character and the plot. When reading the book nothing bugs you or makes you say "What does that have to do anything?". Everything and everyone has a purpose and play a role in the grand schemes of things. “There is nothing more admirable than when two people who see eye to eye keep house as man and wife, confounding their enemies and delighting their friends.” 3-The storytelling. The story of Odysseus's adventure is not simply given to you. At first, we learn about him from the Gods. He is already with Calypso but we do not know what happened after the Trojan War or how did he even get there in the first place. Talk about in medias res. First, there is 10 years of the Trojan War. We learn through Odysseus's narration about what happened in the last 9 years. He gives extremely detailed and fun narration to his adventures. He tells his story to King of Phaiakia and his court. 19 years full of adventure but we are not done yet, now he has to get back to Ithaca. He does just that but new obstacles and problems welcome him in his hometown. “A man who has been through bitter experiences and travelled far enjoys even his sufferings after a time” To me, it is impossible to not enjoy the Odyssey. There are many books that I really really enjoy but even those books have some flaws which I honestly express in my reviews. However, with this book, I can't seem to find any.

The OdysseyHomeros · Penguin Classics · 20065,4bin okunma

·

52 görüntüleme

Yorum yapabilmeniz için giriş yapmanız gerekmektedir.

Gönderi

Mert Öncel