At odyssey’s end, what is to be said? What is to be sung, when all's said and done? When great wars fought have long been won - in ancient lands lost awaiting to be found? Or upon the high seas that time has forgot? Where human hearts beat to the drum of the gods; playing their game loud, and in joyful discord? Or to be told by another or many more in song? What is to be said? What is to be sung - alone or in chorus for heroes long dead? - Anne Dromache January 1st 2021
My reading of Homer’s The Odyssey was never meant to take a whole year! But when I conceived the project at the end of 2019, such a verflixtes year I did not even imagine! In my defence, then – the distractions have been many!
Anyway, it is just in the nick of time, that I have reached an end. (Though a lot of very clever people would insist that a reading of Homer never really ends.) My reflections along the way are collected here. What you don’t see, are the videos of my readings of each book – done to encourage the “reading out aloud” that Emily Wilson suggested. And, conscientiously having done so, I would most definitely agree.
Awaited now, is Wilson’s new translation of the Iliad – for which I think we must be patient.