The Odyssey: Rendered into English prose for the use of those who cannot read the original
Homer
Book Club
The Odyssey: Rendered into English prose for the use of those who cannot read the original
8 ways to start a deeper conversation.
Contains spoilers for the entire book.
Discussion topics
Topic 01 of 08
Telemachus
What does Telemachus learn on his journey to Pylos and Sparta?
Keep the conversation going
- How does Minerva help him grow up?
- What does he need to see before he can stand beside his father?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.
Discussion topics
What does Telemachus learn on his journey to Pylos and Sparta?
Keep the conversation going
- How does Minerva help him grow up?
- What does he need to see before he can stand beside his father?
Why does Ulysses leave Calypso, who offers him immortality?
Keep the conversation going
- What does he weep for on the shore?
- Is home worth more than eternal life?
Is Ulysses's cleverness always a virtue?
Keep the conversation going
- What did you make of the trick he plays on the Cyclops, and of his boast afterwards?
- When does his cunning cost him or his men?
Is Ulysses responsible for losing all of his men?
Keep the conversation going
- Why do they open the bag of winds and eat the cattle of the Sun?
- Is he a good leader?
Why does Ulysses tell the longest part of his adventures himself, at the Phaeacian court?
Keep the conversation going
- How much can we trust his account?
- What does storytelling mean in this world?
How does Penelope hold off the suitors for so long, and is she as cunning as her husband?
Keep the conversation going
- What did you make of her weaving and unweaving?
- Why does she test Ulysses with the bed?
What does Ulysses learn by returning home disguised as a beggar?
Keep the conversation going
- Why does Argos the dog recognise him?
- How do the servants who stayed loyal show who they are?
How did you respond to the killing of the suitors and the disloyal maids?
Keep the conversation going
- Was this justice or revenge?
- How do you read the peace that Minerva imposes at the end?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.