Big O finally makes it home, and the action calms down a bit. In fact, the last half of The Odyssey is considerably slower than the first. It’s also more frustrating, since Big O goes on and on and on and on about how great he is. He’s also a big fat liar. Okay, maybe not fat, but he is big and he is a liar. If I were Penelope, I’d be wishing I’d married one of those suitors while I had the chance.
Oh wait, I’m getting ahead of myself. Because while Big O has returned to Ithaca, he’s not really home. “Huh?” you say. Well, see, it seems like Big O wants to remain incognito, so he tells a bunch of tall tales and hides his identity. And yeah, maybe Athena is behind this, but Big O seems to take a whole lotta pleasure in lying to everyone (except his son…he comes clean to Telemachus, ‘cause he needs a partner in crime to help slay all of the suitors). He’s even got this elaborate story to explain who he is (some beggar Cretan prince, which just happens to make a fine play on words, doesn’t it?).
So Books 13-18 are fairly uneventful…it’s mostly just bringing all of our main characters back together and setting the scene for the big showdown with the suitors. I really don’t have much to say about these chapters.
I was rather fixated on the lies as well in this section. O just keeps telling these ridiculous lies about who he is even when he doesn’t have to. Man he likes to hear himself talk.
Trisha´s last [type] ..Book Review- The Odyssey Books 13-18
I couldn’t believe he came up with such an elaborate lie!
Joanna´s last [type] ..The Odyssey – Check-in the Third
He is an incredible liar. It makes you wonder about the other stories he told that are supposedly true. These books were a pretty slow build up. I’m looking forward to the big showdown!
Kristi´s last [type] ..The Odyssey Readalong Part II
I, too, got sick of the made-up stories. Really, did he have to go into them? Six books was a long time for plotting revenge, I felt, especially after all the action of the previous six books.
Erin´s last [type] ..Thoughts on “Death with Interruptions” by Jose Saramago
Okay, fair enough, but you know, if you’re a good liar, lying is fun. And in Odysseus’s case it is both fun and profitable because it gives him a chance to scout things out and figure out how he wants to play it. I sympathized. I’m a good liar myself. I try to use my gift for good, not evil.
Jenny´s last [type] ..Review- The War that Killed Achilles- Caroline Alexander