First of all, before I get bogged down trying to explain this
book, let me just say I really loved it. Its rare to find a book that both
satisfies the intellect and packs an emotional heft the way this one does.
Put simply this book follows the author, a Classics
professor as he takes a weekly seminar class on the epic ancient Greek poem “The
Odyssey”. For reasons of his own the author’s 80+ year-old father decides to
sit in on the classes and becomes more or less one of the students. In
alternating sections, we learn all about the poem and also Mendelsohn’s often
fractured and cold past relationship with his father. Mimicking the
time-bending nature of the Odyssey itself we go off on many tangents involving the
author’s family history, childhood and how his father became the man he was.
There’s a certain element of mystery and discovery as the writer learns more than
he and we expect. As we follow the poem to its conclusion the inevitable also
befalls the father, by then we see him as a whole person and things get quite heart-wrenching
by the end. In the mean time we’ve learnt a lot about the structure and symbology
of the ancient work, it really makes you want to find a copy and read it for yourself.
This book came out of the blue for me – I heard it recommended
on a podcast towards the end of last year. Classics have only ever been a
passing interest for me but the subtle mix of this book certainly pushed the
right buttons and might lead me to read further.
No comments:
Post a Comment