Abuso, exilio y deliberación. Con estas tres palabras se podría explicar, en términos algo generales, el desarrollo de la “Odisea” tanto en lo referente con su trama como con las amplias posibilidades interpretativas de sus símbolos.

La historia comienza con la preocupación de Telémaco, hijo de Ulises, por el abuso que los pretendientes de Penélope, su madre, acometen contra la riqueza de su hogar. Los tipejos pasan por ser los aristócratas de la región, por lo cual se arrogan el derecho de exigir a la esposa de Ulises que decida con quién contraerá nupcias pues se asume que el héroe de Ítaca ha muerto en su regreso de la guerra contra Troya. El joven se ve obligado a irse de su hogar, salir de su suelo, casi que exiliarse empujado por la angustia a la que la sociedad oprime a su madre, a la vez que consumen y agotan descaradamente su riqueza. Su decisión aspira a dar con información clara sobre el destino de su padre para así asumir lo que vendrá en su futuro en caso de que Ulises haya muerto.

En un cambio de perspectiva en la trama, aparece Ulises narrando el destierro del que fue víctima, primero, por la envidia de sus compañeros que los alejó de la isla nada más a punto de llegar; y, segundo, por la divina (desmedida y despiadada) venganza de Poseidón. De aventura en aventura, Ulises logra llegar a su tierra y, al enterarse de los perversos planes de los abusivos pretendientes que han llegado incluso a perseguir a Telémaco para matarlo, delibera, reflexiona a la luz de la sabiduría de Atenea, acerca del modo de proceder para vengar la deshonra en la que los fatuos galanes han sumido a su familia.

Así, el abuso del principio de hospitalidad por parte de los pretendientes, el obligado viaje de padre e hijo y la permanente referencia al juicio o deliberación a la que se entregaban los protagonistas, ya sea por una reflexión personal o escuchando las historias de otros, me deja inquietudes acerca de la función social del asilo. ¿Qué significa en nuestros días acoger a esos otros errabundos que vagan a costa de la estulticia de un sistema? Siento que habría de considerar a los desterrados, los expatriados, los inmigrantes, unos Ulises contemporáneos que demandan vigorizar nuestro sentido de la hospitalidad. A la larga, todos somos nietos o bisnietos de mujeres y hombres que abandonaron su tierra y se aventuraron por deseo o contra su voluntad, a hallar una vida digna.

I finished this mighty tome for the Reading Envy Readalong over the weekend, actually twice since I followed each "book" by listening in the audio. Emily Wilson kept herself to iambic pentameter plus the same number of lines as the original, which was quite a restricting framework, but manages to tell the tale in straightforward language. It was almost easy to read! I'm looking forward to the discussion (information in the Reading Envy Readers Group.)

n  "I'm not normally a praying man, but if you're up there, please save me, Superman!"n
—Homer
(Simpson)

Following James Joyce's lead, I used Homer’s heroic story as inspiration for a novel-in-progress.
But how can I, a mere mortal, do justice to the most famous epic poem ever written? An encounter with a work of this magnitude should be shared, rather than reviewed.
Homer is the great, great, great (recurring) grand-daddy of modern literature and this colossus is as immortal as the gods within it.
And what a tale this must have been way back in the 8th century BC. Then, it was sung, rather than read, and I guess the first to bear witness must have been jigging about in their togas with unbridled excitement.

Alas, I didn't read it in ancient Greek, as Homer had intended. My copy was transcribed to a Kindle, rather than papyri, and translated by none other than the genius that was Alexander Pope (yep, I went old school on this).

Odysseus, he of the title, otherwise known in Latin as Ulysses, embarks on a perilous, stop/start, um, odyssey, attempting to get home to Ithaca after fighting in the Trojan War for a decade.
Such an amazing story, overflowing with an abundance of adventure. Poor Odysseus, having battled treacherous seas, wrathful gods, enchanting sirens and a Cyclops, then has to put up with big bad Poseidon weighing in with some nautical muscle and shipwrecking his boat!

Plagued by setback after setback, the journey home takes TEN gruelling years to complete! And, as if that wasn’t bad enough, wife Penelope has meanwhile given up hope of him returning home alive and is being courted by one hundred suitors, none of whom are fit to kiss our hero's sandals.

This is by no means a page-turner and some background knowledge is required to appreciate the finer points. Pope has done an amazing job to remain somewhat sympathetic to the timbre of Homer's lyrical story, and his rhyming couplets are a thing to behold:

"But when the star of eve with golden light
Adorn'd the matron brow of night."

Beautiful!

Homer (the poet, not the cartoon character) has fuelled the imagination of countless authors throughout the centuries, and therefore it would be sacrilege for me to award anything less than five heroic stars.

Group read: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

See article in The New York Times Magazine Section, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/02/ma...

The Paris Review has excerpts: https://www.theparisreview.org/poetry...

Θα ξαναγράψω εδώ αυτό που έγραψα και για την Ιλιάδα Αναθεώρηση ΟΛΩΝ αυτών που νόμιζα πως ήξερα επειδή νόμιζα πως στο σχολείο διδάχτηκα την Οδύσσεια
ΥΓ Spoiler Alert

2°leitura - 2019

"Não é então a Odisseia o mito de todas as viagens? Talvez para Ulisses-Homero não existisse a distinção mentira-verdade, e ele contasse a mesma experiência ora na linguagem do vivido, ora na linguagem do mito, tal como ainda hoje para nós qualquer viagem, pequena ou grande, é sempre uma Odisseia."
Italo Calvino - Porquê Ler os Clássicos?

E cinco anos depois a releitura da Odisseia cresceu e consolidou as 5☆, nesta edição da Cotovia e no excelente texto de Frederico Lourenço.

1°leitura - 2014
"Odisseia s.f.Fig. Viagem cheia de aventuras extraordinárias. Série de acontecimentos e peripécias estranhas e variadas."

E é mesmo disso que se trata; a viagem mais excepcional de sempre, o herói mais admirado e acarinhado pelo seu povo,ora posto à prova, ora ajudado pelos deuses caprichosos. Astucioso, enfrentou desafios impensáveis para o comum mortal numa epopeia que durou vinte anos. Foi o exemplo da bravura, da coragem, tenacidade e inteligência.
Mais velha do que Cristo, esta obra tem servido de inspiração a pintores, cineastas, escritores e, numa versão resumida, continua a fazer parte do programa de Língua Portuguesa nas escolas.
Numa época em que a honra se lavava com sangue e a valentia de um homem se equacionava pelo numero de cabeças cortadas, Ulisses não fugiu à regra. Foram demasiados relatos de membros decepados e mortes violentas. Tanto sangue roubou-lhe uma estrela.

Культурное значение этого произведения невозможно переоценить, и нужно читать Гомера до того, как начинать читать любые другие книги. Меня очаровала поэтика и великолепный перевод, осуществленные Василием Жуковским.
Особенностью древнегреческих мифов является то, что их героями являются смертные, хотя и не обходится без богов. Повествование хронологически разорвано, действие разворачивается в двух плоскостях - о подвигах Одиссея и о противостоянии Пенелопы и Телемаха с докучливыми женихами.
Личность Одиссея раскрывается в его поступках, он не идеальный герой, он способен ошибаться и его ошибки, например, желание позлить циклопа Полифема стоит жизнями его спутникам, и удлинением сроков его скитаний. Впрочем, он довольно эгоистичен, и долго не скорбит о потерях. Одиссей жесток, в этом мы убеждаемся в сцене расправы с неверными слугами. Но он совершает свой долгий путь домой, свой путь к себе.

I’m not a scholar, so I can only offer my personal experience.

First, I want to say that I thought this would be a daunting task - an epic poem!? From Ancient Greece!? But, it was such an enjoyable and accessible read, I’m grateful to my goodreads friend who encouraged me to move forward.

Second, I highly recommend this version, published by Penguin, written in prose, and covered in a pretty design, by Coralie Bickford-Smith. Not only is it gorgeous on your shelf, it’s physically comfortable to read, with its perfect size and soothing ivory pages.

As for the story, it’s full of action and imagination, fun characters and fantastical creatures. I especially enjoyed Odysseus’ fanciful encounters and challenges with these creatures, with the underworld, and with the goddesses. I was disappointed by how little effort was put into his time with Calypso, and adored his time with Circe. (If you haven’t read Madeline Miller’s “Circe,” and you enjoy mythology, please do).

The story slowed for me when he returned home. Odysseus is portrayed as a character of wit, clever manipulation and disguise. Much of his return is dedicated to this display, and I found myself wondering why I had to read full, false accounts of his adventures as he told them while in disguise. According to some quick internet research, the purpose of these passages was to show his intelligence by how he wove truth into fiction, and so was able to inhabit a new identity. But, I found these - after experiencing his dramatic adventures, pointless, and so motivated to research their point.

Don’t worry. It gets better again, in my opinion. The ending is plenty dramatic, and completely satisfying.

Reading this made me want to reread Circe. I also picked up Atwood’s The Penelopiad. Following this thread has been very enjoyable.

Where do you start with a book such as this? An epic tale that has been around for almost three thousand years. I have no idea. What I do know is that I read it and loved it. I had little foreknowledge of the story and I haven't looked into the meanings or history too deeply. Instead I've tried to appreciate the story on it's own merits, getting swept away like Odysseus on the sea. There were quiet contemplative events and dramatic battles, personal struggles and wider societal issues. Gods and heroes, kings and queens, nymphs and cyclops, a lot of deceptive weaving and a city full of ill fated suitors, what more could you want?

الأوديسة ملحمة شعرية تحكي عن أوديسيوس .. أحد أبطال حرب طروادة
وقصة عودته بعد سقوط طروادة إلى موطنه ايثاكا في رحلة مدتها 10 سنوات
ينتقل أوديسيوس من جزيرة لأخرى ويتوه في البحر ويمر بالكثير من المغامرات
ويتعرض للمخاطر والمصاعب بسبب غضب وعداء بوسيدون إله البحر
تحكي الملحمة أيضا عن بينيلوبي زوجة أوديسيوس .. حزنها لغيابه وانتظارها له لمدة 20 سنة
ومعاناتها وابنها من إقامة العديد من النبلاء في قصرها لإجبارها على قبول زواج واحد منهم
وفي النهاية وبمساعدة مينرفا إلهة الحكمة يعود أوديسيوس إلى مملكته
الملحمة تتناول معاني المسئولية والشجاعة والمساندة, الشرف والوفاء
والقدرة على هزيمة الخصم وتحقيق الانتصار سواء بالقوة أو الحيلة

ترجمة دريني خشبة غير مُطابقة لأصل القصيدة الشعرية
لكنه عرض للملحمة في سرد نثري بسيط ومختصر

"Okay, so here's what happened. I went out after work with the guys, we went to a perfectly nice bar, this chick was hitting on me but I totally brushed her off. Anyway we ended up getting pretty wrecked, and we might have smoked something in the bathroom, I'm not totally clear on that part, and then this gigantic one-eyed bouncer kicked us out so we somehow ended up at a strip club. The guys were total pigs but not me, seriously, that's not glitter on my neck. And then we totally drove right by these hookers without even stopping and here I am! Only a little bit late! By the way, I crashed the car and six of the guys are in jail. Ask for Officer Scylla."

Eh...Homer's right. Odysseus' version is better.

P.S. Do not try this story at home unless, when you get there, you're still capable of shooting your arrow into a narrow aperture.

Fagles' translation is excellent - the new standard - and Bernard Knox's enormous introduction is the best Homeric essay I've ever read.

A good companion read is Hal Roth's We Followed Odysseus - maybe not the most eloquent of books, but he retraces Odysseus's voyage (as best he can) in his sailboat, which is a pretty rad idea. I recreated his route as a Google map here, with notes on each of the stops. I also wrote summaries of each book of the Odyssey for a book club discussion; I've pasted them in the comments thread below, if you're interested.