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toc's review against another edition
5.0
Am I reading Calvino? Am I reading Borges? This book has flavors of both in the intensity and inventiveness of each brief chapter.
Purported to be an assembly of Odyssey books that were left out of the canon I suspect it's more a collection of lies, of feints, of gambits in a larger game in which the readers are mere foot soldiers, sailors, chess pieces to be sacrificed and tossed aside in Mr. Mason's wild attempt to reach his own Ithaca. Here's hoping he never reaches it and brings us along for the ride.
Purported to be an assembly of Odyssey books that were left out of the canon I suspect it's more a collection of lies, of feints, of gambits in a larger game in which the readers are mere foot soldiers, sailors, chess pieces to be sacrificed and tossed aside in Mr. Mason's wild attempt to reach his own Ithaca. Here's hoping he never reaches it and brings us along for the ride.
cami19's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
mollybs's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
aconiteherbalist's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
aarongertler's review against another edition
5.0
Sum (David Eagleman) and Invisible Cities (Calvino), collections of micro-stories about vast and separate worlds, are two of my favorite books. The Lost Books of The Odyssey, another book of this type, isn't quite as powerful as the other two, but I still tore through it in a few hours. The stories never seem to repeat themselves, despite the limited scope of the original source. The classic mythical characters keep some of the fancier, more literary stories on solid ground. I imagine this would be a splendid book to reread every few years.
I read this before I read The Odyssey, and I don't think that mattered. Still, you should have basic familiarity with the plot of the epic before you begin reading this collection.
I read this before I read The Odyssey, and I don't think that mattered. Still, you should have basic familiarity with the plot of the epic before you begin reading this collection.
kay_west_reads's review against another edition
4.0
A great collection of short stories that expand on Odysseus' 20 years of adventure. Each of the stories freshly reimagines or adds to well known parts of the Odyssey. Perfect for lovers of Greek mythology retellings or fast-paced, clever short stories.
Best enjoyed with bread, figs and a clay jug of wine while looking out over the sea.
Best enjoyed with bread, figs and a clay jug of wine while looking out over the sea.
robinkaye's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jonahmcdonald's review against another edition
4.75
The only reason I won’t give this five stars is that I recognise that whilst I loved it, it conforms exactly to my interests and literary tastes. If you don’t have a fairly comprehensive grip on Greek Mythology, you may not be able to get the maximum pleasure from some of the tales, but you’ll still have a wonderful time with enchanting prose and some fascinating story-telling with the way it wraps new themes into perversions of the Odyssean mythos. I’ve never read anything quite like this, and I don’t think I ever will again.
whimsicalmeerkat's review against another edition
3.0
I did not think I would like this after I first started reading, but I really did. The fragmented stories, aptly described by a friend as being like deleted scenes, ultimately came together to create a dreamlike, beautiful book. There is an absence of complete narrative thread, but being based on [b:The Odyssey|1381|The Odyssey|Homer|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1158208330s/1381.jpg|3356006], that is OK. Even if one has not read that though, it isn't entirely necessary. As the book progresses the characters and events become more familiar while also constantly changing. Some favorites for me were Guest Friend, Decrement, The Myrmidon Golem, Odysseus in Hell. Athena in Death and Sanatorium.