Ithaka

( 10 )

Overview

Many years have passed since the end of the Trojan War, and Penelope is still waiting for her husband, Odysseus, to return home. The city of Ithaka is overrun with uncouth suitors from the surrounding islands who are vying to win Penelope's hand in marriage, thereby gaining control of the land. When a naked, half-drowned man washes up on the beach, everything changes. . . .

Told through the eyes of Klymene, a young girl who is like a daughter to Penelope—and who longs for more ...

See more details below
Paperback (Reprint)
$6.46
BN.com price
(Save 7%)$6.95 List Price
Pick Up In Store

Pick Up In Store

Reserve and pick up in 60 minutes at your local store

Other sellers (Paperback)
  • All (36) from $1.99   
  • New (18) from $3.28   
  • Used (18) from $1.99   
Note: Visit our Teens Store.
Sending request ...

More About This Book

Overview

Many years have passed since the end of the Trojan War, and Penelope is still waiting for her husband, Odysseus, to return home. The city of Ithaka is overrun with uncouth suitors from the surrounding islands who are vying to win Penelope's hand in marriage, thereby gaining control of the land. When a naked, half-drowned man washes up on the beach, everything changes. . . .

Told through the eyes of Klymene, a young girl who is like a daughter to Penelope—and who longs for more than friendship from the young prince Telemachus—Ithaka captures the quiet strength and patience of a woman's enduring love for her husband and the ensuing chaos that threatens all as Penelope is pressured to remarry.

Read More Show Less

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
In this sequel to Troy, Geras once again shows her skill at fashioning multidimensional characters from mythological figures and making them accessible to a 21st-century audience. Set in Ithaka during the aftermath of the Trojan War, the story unfolds from the point of view of 14-year-old Klymene, faithful servant to Queen Penelope. While Penelope anxiously awaits her husband's return from battle, trouble arises as suitors, convinced that Odysseus is dead, invade the court demanding that the queen choose one of them to marry. Meanwhile, a new member of the household, beautiful and fickle Melantho, wins the heart of Penelope's son, Telemachus, whom Klymene secretly adores. Klymene's faith and courage are repeatedly tested as the suitors reek havoc in the palace and her chances of winning Telemachus' heart seem to grow dimmer each day. As in Troy, the Gods and Goddesses (including Pallas Athene, Poseidon and Eros, among others, flit in and out of Klymene's sight) play a key role in determining various characters' fates. Lovers of Greek mythology will appreciate the authentic flavor of this book, but readers need not be familiar with The Odyssey to follow the plot or to recognize themes of loyalty and unrequited love, which are brilliantly and movingly displayed throughout this ambitious, gripping novel. The author's feminist perspective once again adds a fresh, thought-provoking twist to the classic tale. Ages 14-up. (Jan.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Rollie Welch
Author Adele Geras continues her version of Odysseus's epic journey by shifting sites from the battlefields of Troy, wonderfully described in this book's predecessor Troy, to Odysseus's home island of Ithaka. The intricate story of lust and betrayal is seen through the eyes of Klymere, a handmaiden to the island's queen. All is not well as the island inhabitants longingly await their king's return from war. Pressured to select a new husband from the cast of unsavory suitors lolling on the palace's grounds, Penelope wavers about remaining pure for her husband. But this is also a story about loyalty. Argos, Odysseus's dog, is the story's noblest character as the hound patiently waits for his master's return. Cameo appearances by the Gods, wielding control over the wretched humans, make this historical tale unique. It's recommended, but not necessary, to have read Troy to fully appreciate Ithaka.
VOYA
This companion novel to Troy (Harcourt, 2001/VOYA June 2001), tells the story of how Penelope, her household, and Telemachus wait patiently for Odysseus's return to Ithaka. Tragedy envelops the lives of Penelope's handmaiden, Klymene, and her twin brother, Ikarios, after a treacherous young woman joins the household and everyone becomes increasingly subject to the menace of the ugly crowd of suitors that are now encamped around Penelope's palace. Meanwhile as years pass, Penelope heeds Pallas Athene's advice and continues to weave the stories that will bring Odysseus back home despite her growing love for the suitor, Leodes, and the pressure for her to remarry. Geras masterfully weaves her own story around those of Penelope, Klymene, and Telemachus while remaining true to the spirit of Homer's epic. Her text contains lovely poetic passages that reverberate with the rhythm of Penelope's loom as Penelope weaves in colored wools the scenes that tell of Odysseus's journey. The passing of time is marked movingly through the dreams of Argos, Odysseus's dog, who sleeps through endless seasons of waiting. The figures of Poseidon and Pallas Athene and other deities haunt the text as they do the text of The Odyssey. Geras's novel grows in power as her child protagonists grow into adolescence in pace with the growing violence of Penelope's suitors and with their eventual slaughter on Odysseus's return. This title, especially when read with Troy, can introduce young people to the power of story in Homer's epics as well as being a beautifully written story in its own right. VOYA CODES: 5Q 3P S (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Will appeal with pushing; Senior High,defined as grades 10 to 12). 2006, Harcourt, 368p., Ages 15 to 18.
—Hilary S. Crew
School Library Journal
Gr 9 Up-Just as Geras's Troy (Harcourt, 2001) didn't actually re-create the Iliad, Ithaka doesn't tell the story of Odysseus's voyages. Instead, it focuses on Klymene, a girl in Penelope's household. She loves Telemachus, who loves Melanthro, a maid; Ikarios, Klymene's twin, also loves the girl; and a Trojan lad, who has come to Ithaka with one of Penelope's suitors, loves Klymene. So Aphrodite rules, and she's so powerful that even Penelope isn't faithful in this novel. Telemachus doesn't mature and is manipulated by bad girl Melanthro, who sleeps with the suitors. Despite the length of the book, the ending is rushed. At one point Odysseus and Penelope's bed, carved out of the trunk of a rooted olive tree, is described as far-famed; how then can it function as the test of Odysseus's identity when he returns? Penelope sleeps with Odysseus while thinking of her lover, and Klymene tells her Trojan fianc that she'll never love any creature as much as she loved the dog Argos. No character is three-dimensional, and setting and language are equally flat. Still, readers looking for a romance novel set in ancient Greece (with pages of Argos's dreams) will be as pleased with Ithaka as they were with Troy. Others will much prefer Margaret Atwood's marvelously readable The Penelopiad (Canongate, 2005).-Patricia D. Lothrop, St. George's School, Newport, RI Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
A companion piece for the author's Troy (2001)-and another definitive example of storytelling so character-driven that nearly everything happens either offstage or within the hearts and minds of, mostly, the female characters. The dominant theme is "waiting beneath thickening clouds of doubt." As sad, gentle Penelope waits for her beloved Odysseus to return from Troy, her hot-headed son Telemachus waits to turn the age at which he can set out in search of his father, fuming at a crowd of leering, bestial suitors who wait impatiently for Penelope to choose a new husband. Even the dog Argos waits, his life unnaturally prolonged by one of the several gods and goddesses who wander freely in and out of view. Meanwhile, for the younger characters, there's plenty of growing up, of falling into both love and lust, of anger, tears, hand-wringing, intrigue and anguish-though it all seems distant, conveyed with almost ritualistic language in Geras's measured prose. Her attempts to counter the gathering monotony with occasional breaks into modern idiom (Telemachus: "These bastards can't be allowed to get away with stuff like that"), a gratuitous murder and even a secret, tender lover for Penelope are ineffective; not even the concluding bloodbath following Odysseus' eventual return dispels the inertia of this leaden take. (Fiction. YA)
Read More Show Less

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780152061043
  • Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
  • Publication date: 8/1/2007
  • Edition description: Reprint
  • Pages: 368
  • Sales rank: 289,591
  • Age range: 14 - 17 Years
  • Product dimensions: 4.50 (w) x 6.90 (h) x 1.20 (d)

Meet the Author

AD+LE GERAS is the celebrated author of many stories and novels, including The Tower Room, Watching the Roses, and Pictures of the Night. She lives in Manchester, England.

Read More Show Less

Read an Excerpt

Ithaka

By Geras, Adele

Harcourt Children's Books

Copyright © 2006 Geras, Adele
All right reserved.
ISBN: 0152056033
BEFORE THE WAR . . .

Odysseus and his wife, Penelope, and their baby, Telemachus, are sitting on a woolen coverlet spread out in the shade of a pomegranate tree. It is early in the morning. The baby, recently fed, is drowsing on his back, his hands flung out above his head, his mouth a little open, and his eyes half closed. Penelope is trying hard not to cry. She's blinking to stop the tears from falling. She's turned her head away from her husband.

"Listen to me, Penelope," he says. "Look at me. Don't turn away. I have to go. Anyone who calls himself a man has a duty to go."

"It's not your war. It's not your fight. What's Agamemnon ever done for you? Stay here. Stay with me and Telemachus, I beg of you, Odysseus. Look at your son. How can you bear to leave him?"

Odysseus shakes his head. "I tried. You saw me trying. I did my best not to go. Didn't I? Didn't I pretend I was mad so as not to have to go?"

"It didn't work, though, did it?"

"Did you want me to run my plow over the body of my son?" Odysseus shakes his head.

"Agamemnon's as cunning as you are. He knew you were only pretending to be crazy. The ruler of Ithaka plowing his own fields and sowing them with salt!" Penelope's voice breaks as she speaks. "I saw the look on his face as he picked our baby up and laid him down on the ground, right in the path of your plow. He knew you were putting on a show. Tricking him."

Telemachus stirs, makes a moaning noise, and wakes up. He starts to fuss, and his mother gathers him up into her arms, nuzzling her face into the soft folds of his neck. Odysseus looks at his wife and child, and tears stand in his eyes.

"Listen to me, Penelope. I'll come back. I swear I will. On the life of my precious son and on the love that fills me when I look at you, I'm telling you that I'll return. Don't stop waiting for me, my darling. You have to believe me. Please, Penelope. Say you believe me."

"How can you ask such things of me? And how can you swear to come back? It's war, Odysseus, and men die in wars. They're wounded. They're torn apart. They're buried far from home."

Her tears are falling now, and Telemachus touches the drops that flow from his mother's eyes with his small fingers, enchanted by this novelty.

"I will fight in Troy," Odysseus whispers, "and I will come back to you. I give you my word."

He leans over and puts his right arm around his wife's shoulders and draws her to him. She turns her face up to his and he kisses her on the lips.

"You are my life," he says. "My life is nowhere else but here. On Ithaka. With you."

The sun rises higher in the sky and the light filters through the leaves of the pomegranate tree, scattering gold in Penelope's hair as she clings, weeping, to her husband.

"I believe you," she tells him. "And I will wait for you."



THIRTEEN YEARS LATER . . .

Pallas Athene in her owl shape flies over the water. The sky above the horizon is streaked with gold and pink as the burning chariot of the sun, driven by her brother, Phoebus Apollo, and pulled by his fire-footed horses, plunges down into the dark waves. Below her lies an island washed around on every side by the wide blue ocean. This place is beloved of everyone who lives there. Beloved, too, of one who is sailing toward it, and who has been longing to return to his home for many years. The white bird hovers on a breath of wind and fixes her amber eyes on Ithaka.

Mountains rise from a coastline that curves into coves and bays and inlets where the sand is pale and silvery and where rocks fringe the shore and caves stand with their black mouths gaping wide. The lower slopes of the green-clad hills are terraced and planted with vines, and wherever the land lies flatter, farmers have cultivated groves of olive trees and almond trees and orchards where figs and peaches and lemons grow.

The owl soars over the harbor: a natural curve in the landscape, with small boats and fishing vessels tied up along the seafront. Down on the quays, even though the clamor of the port is hushed, fishermen are working on their boats in the dim light of lanterns. They will set out before dawn to cross the seas around the island and fill their nets with silver fish. A town has taken root here, gathering together those who live on what they can take from the sea and by trade with their neighbors. They sell their fish and buy the produce of those from distant lands whose ships, laden with metal and cloth and spices, sail into Ithaka's waters. The market is quiet now, and the stalls lie covered up for the night, but light spills out of the doors of taverns, and in kitchens everywhere, fires are already lit to cook the evening meal.

Away from the harbor and up and up to the great gates of Odysseus's palace, the bird follows the road that leads from the town. Many are sleeping, but here and there a light shows at a window: a mother tending a feverish child, perhaps, or someone who is finding it hard to escape into dreams. Silence lies over everything, but from time to time, a groan or a sigh floats into the cool air.

The rulers of Ithaka live in a palace built around two courtyards, one leading from the other, like squares joined by covered passages. The white owl comes to rest on a fig tree that grows below Penelope's chamber. This is the only room in the palace where a light is still burning. This is where she is needed.

***

Penelope is wide awake. It happens to her often that she falls into a black sleep as soon as she lies down and then wakes a little while later, tormented by dreams. Then, it is hard to rest again. Tonight she finds herself gripped by a terror so strong that she has difficulty drawing breath. She goes to stand at the window and leans out into the fresh night air, trying to calm herself by looking at the branches of the fig tree that grows against the wall and spreads itself almost into her chamber. How happy they had been, she and Odysseus, when they used to sit under this tree and the rest of the palace seemed to fade away till there was nothing left but the two of them under a green canopy of leaves. She sighs. Those days seem very distant now.

Behind her is the bed that her husband carved out of a single olive tree before they were married. She has slept there alone for so many years that she sometimes thinks of it as a kind of desert. The headboard, chiseled into intricate patterns of flowers and garlands, reaches up to the ceiling of the chamber. Every one of the pillows has a cover that she has made with her own hands. A chest, its lid inlaid with mother-of-pearl, stands in one corner. It holds all her clothes, and whenever she opens it, a fragrance of cedarwood fills the chamber.

She turns to look at the small loom that has been set up for her here, where she spends so much of her time. It is somewhat shorter than she is and narrower than the span of her arms: a wooden frame with threads stretched across it from top to bottom. Next to the loom lies a large basket woven from dried reeds, and this is where Penelope keeps her wools: skeins and balls in brown and green and purple and red and yellow; pale shades and dark ones in each color; thick strands and fine ones that she can push between the threads already on the frame, backward and forward again and again, until a small piece of fabric is finished: a wall hanging, or a decoration of some kind. The loom is placed to the right of the window to take advantage of the light. When she sits at her work, if she lifts her eyes, what Penelope sees is a white wall. All the beauty of the island is behind her as she weaves.

Suddenly, she notices a movement near the sill. She leans out to see better and catches sight of a white owl settled on a branch of the fig tree. She thinks, How beautiful and how peaceful this creature is! and feels joy flowing through her, filling her whole body. The bird is near enough to touch, but she doesn't dare to put out a hand, because the whiteness of the feathers is so perfect that she is frightened of marring it in some way.


Copyright Adele Geras, 2005

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work
should be mailed to the following address: Permissions Department, Harcourt, Inc., 6277 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, Florida 32887-6777.


Continues...
Excerpted from Ithaka by Geras, Adele Copyright © 2006 by Geras, Adele. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Read More Show Less

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4
( 10 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(4)

4 Star

(5)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(1)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identity on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

 
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously
Sort by: Showing all of 13 Customer Reviews

  • Posted November 2, 2008

    more from this reviewer

    Reviewed by Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius" for TeensReadToo.com

    If you've ever read the epic poem THE ODYSSEY by Homer, you know that the author focuses on the thrilling journey of Odysseus. After the Trojan War has ended, Odysseus must battle witches, supernatural monsters, and even gods to gain back his lands and his faithful wife from the thieves that have kidnapped her. In the story of ITHAKA, the focus isn't on Odysseus, but on those that were left behind--first when he went off to war, and then when he fails to return home after the war ends. <BR/><BR/>The book is narrated by Klymene, a teenage girl who serves as handmaiden to Penelope, the wife of Odysseus. It's been two years since the Trojan War ended, and still her husband has not returned home to rule their land. There is a steady, never-ending stream of suitors vying for Penelope's hand in marriage, hoping that the (mostly) faithful wife will soon realize that her husband is gone forever. Penelope is not sought after because of love, but because of her wealth and the lands she will soon possess if she gives her husband up for dead. <BR/><BR/>For Klymene, it's difficult to fathom why Penelope is so determined to stay faithful to a husband who is most likely never to return. She soon learns about love and the matters of the heart, however, when she becomes infatuated with Odysseus's troublesome son, Telemachus. Matters are complicated even further when Klymene realizes that she, a lowly handmaiden, is not the apple of Telemachus's eye. That privilege belongs to another young woman who has come to serve in the household, Melantho. <BR/><BR/>One of the most interesting parts of ITHAKA is the paranormal aspect of Klymene, who is able to see the gods. She is also a keeper of secrets, and since she deals every day with individuals who would do anything to keep those secrets safe, it's a somewhat demanding job. <BR/><BR/>This is not a retelling of THE ODYSSEY. This is a completely different story, full of magic and heartbreak, joy and sadness, and the trial and error of growing up. There's something for everyone here, with mystery, romance, and action-adventure. If you love historical stories, or those based on myths, you won't go wrong with ITHAKA.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted August 15, 2011

    more from this reviewer

    Loved this book!

    A must read loved the story line loved the characters super fast read couldn't put it down.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted November 15, 2008

    more from this reviewer

    I Also Recommend:

    A Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle Trilogy #1)
    Troy

    A Moving, Exceptional Novel From the Author of Troy

    Ithaka was a great book, that pulled you right into the setting of ancient Greece. The book is about Klymene, a young handmaiden to Penelope, the wife of Odysseus. It has been many years since Odysseus left to fight in the Trojan War, and many believe he is not coming back. Penelope holds fast to the belief that her husband will return, even as uncouth suitors propose marriage to her and Ithaka falls into ruin. Meanwhile Klymene has fallen in love with Telemachus, her mistress's son, and must deal with the fact that he doesn't return her ardor. Adele Geras has weaved a story of myth with everyday life, that has splendid details about the lives of several characters. Klymene is a heroine you can sympathize with, and the appearance of several Greek gods adds spice to the story. Although the beginning is slow, and it doesn't measure up to Ms. Geras's previous novel Troy, Ithaka is definitely worth reading. It was a great book that examines the nuances of human emotions and the trials and tribulations that life has to offer.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 21, 2007

    Another of my favorite books

    I loved Geras's first book, Troy, and it will always be in my personal collection, but I was even more thrilled to discover and read this book, the sequal to Troy. Each plot twist was great and I loved the personality of each and every character!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted January 4, 2007

    Great!

    I LOVED this book! i thought it was even better than the first one! i wouls recommend it to anyone.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted August 25, 2006

    Courtesy of Teens Read Too

    If you've ever read the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, you know that the author focuses on the thrilling journey of Odysseus. After the Trojan War has ended, Odysseus must battle witches, supernatural monsters, and even gods to gain back his lands and his faithful wife from the thieves that have kidnapped her. In the story of ITHAKA, the focus isn't on Odysseus, but on those that were left behind--first when he went off to war, and then when he fails to return home after the war ends. The book is narrated by Klymene, a teenage girl who serves as handmaiden to Penelope, the wife of Odysseus. It's been two years since the Trojan War ended, and still her husband has not returned home to rule their land. There is a steady, never- ending stream of suitors vying for Penelope's hand in marriage, hoping that the (mostly) faithful wife will soon realize that her husband is gone forever. Penelope is not sought after because of love, but because of her wealth and the lands she will soon possess if she gives her husband up for dead. For Klymene, it's difficult to fathom why Penelope is so determined to stay faithful to a husband who is most likely never to return. She soon learns about love and the matters of the heart, however, when she becomes infatuated with Odysseus's troublesome son, Telemachus. Matters are complicated even further when Klymene realizes that she, a lowly handmaiden, is not the apple of Telemachus's eye. That privilege belongs to another young woman who has come to serve in the household, Melantho. One of the most interesting parts of ITHAKA is the paranormal aspect of Klymene, who is able to see the gods. She is also a keeper of secrets, and since she deals every day with individuals who would do anything to keep those secrets safe, it's a somewhat demanding job. This is not a retelling of The Odyssey. This is a completely different story, full of magic and heartbreak, joy and sadness, and the trial and error of growing up. There's something for everyone here, with mystery, romance, and action- adventure. If you love historical stories, or those based on myths, you won't go wrong with ITHAKA.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted May 2, 2006

    disapointed

    I was very excited about this book, so i went to the library to pick it up. Right, it began well enough, all the characters were likable and interesting. But it went downhill from there. By the middle of the book I only liked one character, and there were a couple, alright a lot that I wished would just go away and die. This hardly ever happens to me, I usually become attached to characters. I was dispointed in the way Penelope acted, and the way her son acted too. He became obnoxious, and just stupid. I hated him more with each passing page. On a good point the writing was neat, and interesting. don't get me wrong, her writing style is beautiful, but she needs to work on the stories. Seriously.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 12, 2006

    Simly amazing

    I really loved Ithaka, it is much like Adele's Troy. Beautifully written, both got me thinking about Greek Mythology. I loved all the characters (not Melantho), from the beggining. Simply amazing and HIGHLY reccomended!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted January 14, 2006

    An interesting concept

    I loved Adele Geras' previous book, 'Troy', so naturally, I couldn't wait to read her version of 'The Odyssey.' It did not disappoint the characters were remade three-dimentionally and the twists were intriguing. The only thing that threw me off was the fact that in this version (minor spoiler) Penelope wasn't the faithful wife mythology and Homer made her out to be. Other than that, it was a great story, and I highly recommend it.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 26, 2005

    simply amazing.

    this book was just wow. i got it yesterday and just couldn't put it down. Ms. Geras's writing is once again breathtaking in this novel. It is definately the best book I have read since her Troy.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted January 14, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted February 6, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 1, 2008

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 13 Customer Reviews
If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)