- Mass Market Paperback: 160 pages
- Publisher: Simon Pulse; Reprint edition (Feb 24 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0689867050
- ISBN-13: 978-0689867057
- Product Dimensions: 18 x 10.8 x 1.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 95 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #864,925 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon
Odysseus took the long way home from the Trojan War--20 years of wandering and adventuring through the islands of the Aegean Sea. The story of his voyage is one of the great tales of Western civilization--but meanwhile, what about the women who loved and yearned for this handsome, crafty hero? Homer has very little to say about how these women felt about being at the mercy of Odysseus's wanderlust. To even the score, Clemence McClaren follows her award-winning Inside the Walls of Troy with a novel that offers a backstage perspective of Odysseus's life and adventures from the voices of the four women who cared most.
First, of course, is the spectacularly faithful Penelope, who was struck with love for Odysseus at first sight, and plotted to win him from her cousin, the beautiful Helen. And then there is the sensuous witch Circe, who turns men into swine and lures Odysseus to stay, only to be caught in the trap of love herself. The virgin goddess Pallas Athene watches over her favorite with fond amusement, and his ancient nurse Eurycleia grumbles and hopes through the long years, raising Odysseus's son Telemachus and helping Penelope fend off a bevy of suitors. As any woman might expect, when the hero finally does return there is emotional baggage to be cleared away before the longed-for happy ending. An extra treat for mythology buffs, especially girls, to accompany a first reading of The Odyssey, or simply to be enjoyed as an exotic love story. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Grade 7-9-For generations, the story of Odysseus has intrigued readers who have followed the Greek hero's journey from Ithaca to Troy and then from island to island as he attempts to return home after the Trojan War. Like many retellers before her, McClaren uses the basic tale first recounted in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, but instead of narrating the events in the voice of Odysseus, she tells the story from the point of view of the four women who were most intimately affected. The tale begins romantically as Penelope tells of meeting, falling in love with, and marrying Odysseus. The seductress Circe, in love with the willing though homesick Odysseus, continues his story, which is then picked up by the goddess Pallas Athena. She helps him reach home where he must rid his palace of suitors who demand that Penelope marry one of them. Here, his old nursemaid, Eurycleia, continues the narration and relates the satisfying ending of this journey. By changing the narrator a number of times, McClaren adds variety and richness to this already dramatic tale, full to bursting with love, adventure, and hard questions about life. The women's voices are distinctive, and their stories broaden readers' understanding of the meaning of this timeless journey. In her fine epilogue, McClaren discusses characters, themes, and symbols, and she explains some of the underlying questions that made her tell the story in a way that addresses the concerns and interests of modern readers.
Barbara Scotto, Michael Driscoll School, Brookline, MA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Barbara Scotto, Michael Driscoll School, Brookline, MA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
I loved him in that first moment. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
I loved him in that first moment. Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Book To End All Feminine Books,
By A Customer
This review is from: Waiting for Odysseus (Hardcover)
This book was fantastic! Usually, you never hear about the women in Greek or Roman mythology, but in this book, the whole story is told through the women's point of view.My favorite was the profile of the story as told by Penelope, because since it was the first, it set the stage for all chapters ahead of this one. She was a lot less quiet in her own words than she is in the Odyssey. The suitors, on the other hand, are bad! Very bad! You don't spend someone's money and try to seduce their wife, unless your sure that the guy is dead! It gets difficult, but it just has to be. This is a great book, in language simple enough to understand, not like the actual book, and pretty much every woman can relate to.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Review for Mr. Goldman-GHS,
By "shwjmpr1189" (Manakin-Sabot, VA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Waiting for Odysseus (Hardcover)
I thought this was a great book, especially for girls who are interested in Greek mythology. I was assigned this book to read and see whether or not my teacher should buy a class set. My answer is definetly yes. I also went ahead and read her two other books (both are excellent, I may add). This book has many facts combined with spellbinding tales of adventure, romance, virtue, heroism, and all is viewed through the eyes of women. The last example was the fact that decided my liking this book, so many of the books on Greek mythology are written from a man's gory point of view. This book has dynamic parts of light and dark to tell the age-old story of Odysseus in a new aura. I liked this book a lot and I believe that all Greek history lovers, be they boy or girl, should read this and get a new angle on Odysseus' drama.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not my favorite retelling,
By
This review is from: Waiting for Odysseus (Hardcover)
Four women retell The Odyssey through their relationships with Odysseus in this historical fiction piece. McLaren introduces Penelope, the faithful wife who fell for her warrior husband at first sight; Circe, the seductive siren who kept him captive for years; Athena, the goddess who favored him, and Eurycleia, his nursemaid.Impressively, each voice is distinct. Athena is done particularly well, with just the right degree of arrogance and benevolence befitting a goddess. She is a master at manipulation. Circe uses sex as her weapon, and Penelope was just pathetic. The issue of Odyssus' infidelities is never addressed, and Penelope becomes an icon as a patient, faithful, and unquestioning wife. Such a view serves to subjugate women. Granted, this is historical fiction, and perhaps historically, culturally accurate, but it is frustrating that such gross inequality between the sexes is still touted as ideal. The story itself is frustrating, because McLaren leaves out the good parts in the retelling. Perhaps women may not have embellished upon the gory details, but to skip over the battle scenes and skim over the Trojan War makes the book devoid of any excitement and alienates many adventure fans. McLaren did a wonderful job with Inside the Walls of Troy: A novel of the women who lived the Trojan War. The characters were real, had some power, and were sympathetic. The point of the McLaren's work is to make ancient Greece more accessible to today's students; while the details of culture and history are excellent, Waiting for Odysseus is a disappointment overall.
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