Knight
Granddaughter Lorelei called to ask if I knew anything about “The Odyssey.” She is working her way through the ancient Greek classic in her high school Advanced Placement English class.
Actually, she didn’t call; she FaceTimed me. Aside from the fact that I have trouble making “FaceTime” into a verb, I am uncomfortable looking at someone on a small screen when I should be talking to them the way nature planned it: holding a telephone receiver — okay, a “device” — next to my ear. I like to consider myself a resistance fighter in the world’s not-so-subtle attempt to transform me, a flesh and blood being, into a string of digital units, but maybe I am just stuck in my ways. Anyway, when a granddaughter wants to talk, no matter the format, I try to respond.
Lorelei’s general question was easy to answer in one sense. Yes, I know something about “The Odyssey,” although I admitted it had been a few lifetimes ago since I read it. I remembered the basics of the story: how the main character Odysseus was trying to sail back home after a long war with Troy; how some gods were on his side while some actively hindered him; how he encountered monsters and sorceresses and disasters of supernatural magnitude. I remembered Odysseus was a brave, strong, noble and resourceful true literary hero and his wife, Penelope, was a paragon of loyalty and patience.
I also knew that the story’s characters have come down to us over the centuries as representatives of certain ideals—perseverance, for one—and that many of its situations and adventures shape the way those of us who have been steeped in the heritage of Western Civilization understand the world and the ways we act in it.
What I didn’t know was the answer to the specific question her teacher had assigned: In Chapter X, how many times did Odysseus’s ship visit the Island of the God of the Winds? Both Lorelei and her mom had read and searched, but the answer eluded them. Google wasn’t cooperating. That’s why she called Grandpa, the English major.
I decided maybe it would be fun to read along with Lorelei. She said the class plan was to read one chapter a day until all XXIV were completed. Let’s see. She had questioned me about X, so, if my math is correct, she had XIV to go. I could do this.
Probably even before there was a Half Price Books, I had donated my battered copy of “The Odyssey” to the Greenwood Public Library for one of their book sales. At any rate, I couldn’t locate a copy on any of our bookshelves, so Becky and I went to our local library the next day to check out a copy. I wasn’t too worried that there would not be an Odyssey available. Let’s face it, Mark Twain was probably right when he defined a Classic as “a book which people praise and don’t read.” At least when it comes to this particular classic, Mr. Twin was right. I found it right away.
It’s a pretty thick book and, as usual, I have at least three other books going on in my life, so I thought I might save time if I could find a quicker way to get reacquainted with the story. Todd the librarian helped me by pointing to a graphic novel version of “The Odyssey.” I can still hear one of my favorite college lit professors going on a rant about CliffsNotes—a measured, leather-patches-on-the-elbow rant, of course—and I felt kind of guilty, but I checked it out anyway along with the “real” version. It turns out, Odysseus visited The island of the God of the Winds twice.
Now I am continuing through both books. Patience, perseverance and following the plan. The book is even more entertaining than I remembered. Lorelei and I will have some things to talk about next time I see her. Or maybe the next time we FaceTime.
Norman Knight, a retired Clark-Pleasant Middle School teacher, writes this weekly column for the Daily Journal. Send comments to [email protected].
