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As a summary of Homer's great epic, this Cliffs Notes volume is adequate. In fact, when I teach The Odyssey to my ninth graders this year, I will probably share with them the family tree diagram and a few summaries for the chapter we won't be covering in class. But as a "critical analysis" -- which is what the second half of this book calls itself -- it is quite weak. Most versions of the poem come with introductory material (Who wouldn't want to be called upon to introduce The Odyssey?); and those notes are bound to be more thorough and helpful than these are.
