The Wanderings of Odysseus

The Wanderings of Odysseus	Random House Children’s Books
Written by Rosemary Sutcliff	2005
Fiction	144 pages
Reading Level age 11-14

Summary

This is a retelling of the Odyssey written by Homer. Odysseus sets off for his home, Ithaca. They were at war across the sea for 10 years. On the voyage home, Odysseus and his crew land on an island. It was the Lotus eaters, which made man forget their homes. Odysseus immediately set off the shore and continued the course. They came upon another island. The inhabitants there were Cyclops, sons of Poseidon. Odysseus and some of his scouts are trapped inside a Cyclops’s lair, being eaten two at a time. Odysseys convinced the Cyclops to drink their potent wine, causing him to sleep in a stupor. Odysseus stabs the eye and they escape. Odysseus, happy to be sailing away calls back his name boasting it was him who blinded the giant. The Cyclops, learning his name cursed Odysseus to be the only surviving of his crew and to be lost at sea for years. Poseidon accepts his son’s curse and the remaining ships wander for 10 years. They are given a bag of winds that allowed only the calm wind to sail them home. Just as they are in sight of their homeland, the crew opens the bag, blowing them all far out to sea. Odysseus is furious and keeps the crew on the boat as the other ships in the fleet goes ashore in search of food. They find a man-eating king instead that attacks and only Odysseus’ boat escapes. The tired ship sails to Circe’s island where she turns them in to pigs. Odysseus sets his men free and bargains with her to find the route home, being warned not to eat the sun god’s cattle. They sail for days and are famished. While Odysseus explores the surrounding land, the crew slew some cows for dinner. All but Odysseus were drowned in a awesome sea storm. He washes ashore on another island, where Calypso kept him seven years. He escapes and finally continues his journey to his beloved home, Ithaca. He returns home to find suitors abusing his house’s hospitality and harping his wife to be one of their wife so they could be king. With help from his father, son and two loyal servants, Odysseus kills all the suitors and sets his kingdom in order once again.

Response

I enjoyed reading the original Odyssey written by Homer. I was not satisfied by this rendition. The sentences were long and often ran on for several lines. It felt like it was telling the story in fast forward without any emphasis on the interesting or detailed parts. It would be a great study guide or refresher of the Odyssey but not a good substitute.

Potential problems

There is something lacking in the writing, the language is easier to understand but takes away from the feel of the original tale. Being an overview, some details are not so deeply described.

Recommendations

I would recommend this to students who have already read the Odyssey and need a quick read to remember certain parts of the story. It would be understood by younger students than the original.