Homer and the Odyssey – Suzanne Said
Oxford University Press, 2011.
Find it at the LTL: PA4167 .S2513 2011
Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2012.02.03
Reviewed by Christos Tsagalis, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
A book with so broad a title may give the impression that it is simply an introduction to the Odyssey aimed at the general reader. This is only part of the truth. Suzanne Saïd gives us a sophisticated presentation of the entire panorama of Odyssean studies and admirably succeeds in exploring multiple aspects of this truly multilayered epic.
The book consists of eleven chapters, the first three devoted to the notion of Homer and the other eight to various themes permeating the Odyssey. The material is presented in a lucid and straightforward manner. Τhe author divides each chapter into smaller, thematically organized, sections that help the reader follow the arguments presented. Clarity of thought and effective presentation of material are two of the merits of this long book.