pickpickThis retell of Homer‘s The Odyssey is a mix of poetry and prose. It‘s not quite a Halloween read, but the story is told by Penelope and the 12 maids after they are dead. They are angry at what happened to them, and they will have their say:
”we are the maids
the ones you killed
the ones you failed
we danced in air
our barre feet twitched
it was not fair …”
This looks crazy. https://youtu.be/FuOQXSyFcP0?si=7bYvn4M7xSYp24Id
I read the original iliad and odyssey and i must say i like the way they interprettded this one, sorry for the spelling
pickFor anyone who is at all interested in Homer, this book is an absolute treasure trove. I wish it had been around when I was studying the Iliad and Odyssey thirty years (😳) ago. An unexpected bonus was how lyrically AN writes about sailing and the sea. Just gorgeous. It briefly made me as nostalgic as Odysseus yearning for his Ithaca! 😉
Water does not resist. Water flows. When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress. Water is not a solid wall, it will not stop you. But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it. Water is patient. Dripping water wears away a stone. Remember that, my child. Remember you are half water. If you can't go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does.
Love this idea. On my travels on the way home from Byron Bay Writer‘s Festival, I came across these free books donated by the local library at Casino train Station. I took the tagged book home with me. It was a long wait at this station, an hour longer than it was supposed to be due to signal failure at Brisbane. I was ok with it as what else can you do? I stood in the sun reading as I knew I‘d be sitting on my butt on the train for hours later.
The free book table has been restocked! I know who did it because I recognize the name of the English instructor written in the cover of the sudden fiction book. Probably good that I was in a hurry to get to my therapy appointment, otherwise I would‘ve ended up with more! #bookhaul
pickI really love Margaret Atwood books. It was a very short story about Penelopeia, wife of Odesseus. She tells her side of the of well known story. It could have been a very long book about Greek women's life and status and all of the history but it was good as it was.
Ps. This book was very very expensive, however it is very short. I don't know what is going on in other countries but here books getting incredible pricy.
pickFinally managed to read this after reading Claire North's Ithaca. I liked The Penelopiad slightly better, because Penelope herself tells the story, rather than Hera, and the telling is much more economical. Adding the 12 hanged maids as the Chorus is also a good addition.
