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theshadowplay's review against another edition
4.0
Not so much a novel as a series of vignettes or short stories regarding Odysseus, and other characters from the Odyssey. A bit odd at first, but ultimately I enjoyed most of what was presented.
catherine_louise's review against another edition
2.0
did not finish- maybe a case of right reader/ wrong time but i think it might have been wrong reader/ wrong time. I couldn't quite get a sense of urgency from the book. sure you can imagine the odyssey 44 different ways- but why? what is the urgency in doing so? that was never explained to me
upsidedownything's review against another edition
5.0
Cannot recommend this highly enough. Inventive, clever, absolutely genius.
linzer712's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this book- would I have as much if I wasn't obsessed with the Odyssey (yes, I've read it at least 10 times and anything else related to it that I can get my hands on)? I'm not sure. But Mason's writing is so beautifully imaginative and dream-like. The concept, that 44 additional books of the Odyssey were uncovered- some fragmented- many written at various times & places- allows telling from fresh perspectives, new beginnings and endings, and gorgeous meditations on the "truth" (or the perfectness of their being no truth) of the original.
eimz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.0
ajkhn's review against another edition
5.0
Probably the most clever book I've read in an awfully long time. My only wish is that I didn't know it's factuality until after I read it.
The book is made up of several short stories, all of which are billed as bits and parts of the Odyssey that didn't make the codification. Or, as I put it to a friend; they're all the heretic bits. So you see multiple variations of Odysseus' return to Ithaca, multiple imaginations of Achilles, etc. There's also some neat stories: The Odyssey as a chess game, the whole story from the point of view of Polyphemus, and the like.
It's a collection of short stories, but a wickedly clever one. I vaguely remembered hearing of it through BLDGBlog, and Manaugh's interview with Zachary Mason is certainly one worth reading: http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/computational-mythologies-interview.html. Mason mentions remaking the Odyssey as a story of the Caucasus. My interest is, of course, piqued.
It's hardly a great work of literature, but it is a wickedly fascinating book. So go and read it.
The book is made up of several short stories, all of which are billed as bits and parts of the Odyssey that didn't make the codification. Or, as I put it to a friend; they're all the heretic bits. So you see multiple variations of Odysseus' return to Ithaca, multiple imaginations of Achilles, etc. There's also some neat stories: The Odyssey as a chess game, the whole story from the point of view of Polyphemus, and the like.
It's a collection of short stories, but a wickedly clever one. I vaguely remembered hearing of it through BLDGBlog, and Manaugh's interview with Zachary Mason is certainly one worth reading: http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/computational-mythologies-interview.html. Mason mentions remaking the Odyssey as a story of the Caucasus. My interest is, of course, piqued.
It's hardly a great work of literature, but it is a wickedly fascinating book. So go and read it.
brian_the_reader's review against another edition
4.0
Great book. Like a master jazz musician riffing on a theme. Didn't try to replace or modernize the Odyssey, but filled in gaps and told alternative versions. I felt like I was sitting in front of fire on a little Greek greek island while a master storyteller wove his tales.
luisvilla's review against another edition
5.0
On rereading, this is every bit as amazing as it was the first time - a meditation on fate, loss, and death. The form is fanfic, at some level, but poetic.
just_one_more_chapter_please's review against another edition
4.0
This read more like a collection of short stories that one continuous novel, but I enjoyed the imagination and creativity. It really grounds the Odyssey from a high and might epic to a more nuanced piece of literature in revealing the many possible POVs and retellings. Overall, very interesting. I can see it being very confusing for people not familiar with the Odyssey or the Iliad, as a lot of the content is very specific in its references and source material, but I think it would be enjoyable all the same.