What happens when you read The Odyssey after The Iliad? This week, I'm revisiting Homer's great adventure, and I'm surprised by how differently I'm seeing it the second time around.

After the relentless violence and pursuit of glory in The Iliad, The Odyssey feels like a very different story—one about homecoming, family, loss, and reunion. I'm also looking at one of my favorite things about the book: its wonderfully complicated narrative structure, full of parallel stories, flashbacks, and prophecies.

And if this is your first time reading The Odyssey, I've got an earlier episode to recommend before we go any further!

Crack the Book Week 2: Getting Started With The Odyssey

Ted Gioia's Immersive Humanities List (paywalled)

BOOKS IN THIS EPISODE

The Odyssey: Fagles, Wilson, Rouse

The Iliad: Fagles, Wilson, Rouse

The Aeneid: Fagles, Ruden

Henry IV, Part 1, Shakespeare (I love the Folger's Library editions)

Greek Lyric Poetry, Richmond Lattimore

CONNECT

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LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpySInw1e8IqNQvXow7Lv?si=9ebd5508daa245bd

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crack-the-book/id1749793321

Captivate - https://crackthebook.captivate.fm