Understanding The Odyssey

For thousands of years, The Odyssey has resonated throughout the Western world. Homer has been an original source of inspiration to writers, painters, sculptors, and filmmakers, as well as a vital source of information about the mythology, history, and culture of ancient Greece. This casebook uniquely blends commentary and primary documents, situating the epic within historical contexts that are important for students to understand.

The literary analysis chapter is ideal for readers coming to The Odyssey for the first time, introducing the work with a chronology of events and identification of major characters and themes. Topical chapters carefully consider matters of mythology, geography, archeology, and class issues pertinent to The Odyssey. Excerpts from classical and scholarly sources, including Herodotus, Plato, Thucydides, and Bulfinch, help students understand the historical framework, and materials from government documents and newspaper accounts help students make connections betweenThe Odyssey's thematic ideas and current events, such as the September 11th attacks and the ongoing conflict in Ireland.

This scholarly resource blends modern commentary with excerpts from classical sources to help students understand the historical framework of The Odyssey. Topical chapters help students make connections with mythology, geography, archeology, and class issues relevant to Homer's epic tale. In addition to excerpts from Plato, Thucydides, and Bulfinch, the book includes references to government documents and newspapers, relating The Odyssey's themes to current events such as the September 11th attacks. The authors have contributed other volumes for the "literature in context series," on classics including The Crucible and The Grapes of Wrath. Annotation ©2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Cindy Faughnan - VOYA

These two volumes by Claudia and Vernon Johnson and by James Morrison exhibit different approaches to studying the Odyssey. The Morrison book, which is a stand-alone title, begins with three essays discussing the Odyssey as literature, Homeric values, and Homer and history. Later chapters discuss each book of the Odyssey, dealing with plot, characterization, and other literary features as well as the main themes. Many quotations and references to other works such as the Iliad are used. Offset boxes act like sidebars with detailed information about Greek language, geography, and interesting facts about life in ancient Greece. The book finishes with several appendixes, including a character index and pronunciation guide, activities and classroom projects, Odyssean themes and the movies, and Web sites devoted to Homer. The author explains literary technique quite clearly through his readable prose. This book will be a good reference for students just beginning to study the Odyssey, or for students or teachers who want to understand it better. The activities listed in the appendix cover all levels from elementary through college. The Johnsons' book is a work of scholarly argument about the many issues surrounding Homer and the Odyssey for older students interested in serious research. It is a part of the Literature in Context series. Each chapter deals with a particular aspect of Homer and the Odyssey, such as geography, archaeological excavations, history, the Trojan War, revenge, athletes, heroes, and the contemporary relevance of the themes. Chapters begin with an introduction to the topic and contain quotes relevant to the context from ancient to modern writers. Useful questions for oraland written discussion and suggestions for further reading are included at the end of each chapter. Teachers could find this book helpful for understanding different aspects of the book before teaching it. Both volumes would be quite useful to anyone trying to teach or understand the Odyssey. Morrison's contribution is more accessible to younger high school students and is more of a direct aid to reading the book, whereas the Johnsons' book deals more with analysis. Depending on a library's need, both books could easily be useful. 2003, Greenwood, 248p.; Index. Illus. Photos. Maps. Further Reading., PLB Ages 12 to Adult.

CLAUDIA DURST JOHNSON, former chairperson of English at the University of Alabama, is currently a freelance scholar and writer in Berkeley, California. She is the author of books on American history and literature, as well as theater history. She is also series editor for Greenwood Press's Exploring Social Issues through Literature Series and the Literature in Context Series, for which she has authored several volumes including Understanding To Kill a Mockingbird and Understanding The Grapes of Wrath.

VERNON JOHNSON has wide experience as an author, theater director, and professor of world literature. He is co-author of Understanding The Crucible. He now resides in Berkeley, California, where he continues to write and teach.