Reading the Odyssey: A Guide to Homer’s Narrative

Grethlein (Ancient Greek Texts and Modern Narrative Theory), chair of Greek literature at the University of Heidelberg, serves up an edifying critical companion to Homer’s epic. The theme of storytelling is central to The Odyssey, Grethlein contends, noting how narratives shape identity both externally (Penelope only recognizes Odysseus as her long-lost husband after he tells the story of how he built their bed) and internally (Odysseus processes the trauma of his encounters with the cyclops and sea monsters by recounting them to the Phaeacians). Illuminating nuances of the original Greek, Grethlein discusses how Homer’s use of “words with the dai root, which are normally used for the division of bounty after war,” to describe the suitors’ plunder of Odysseus’s home underscores how iniquitous their actions are, given they didn’t defeat him in battle, and explains why Odysseus’s retribution is so violent. Grethlein also provides insightful historical context that will help contemporary readers understand how ancient listeners likely received the poem, suggesting that its focus on plot over character development doesn’t reflect a rudimentary understanding of psychology so much as a genre convention comparable to how James Bond novels emphasize “how Bond will manage to eliminate his adversaries” over “how his battles... will affect his psyche.” This breathes new life into an ancient classic. Photos. (Nov.)