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I've read the rewritten Odyssey based off of Homer's book, but I just got the original and i'm a few chapters in. So far, it's really good. Has anyone else read this?

I had to read a large part of it in high school, for my Ancient Greek exam. It set the tone for quite a large amount of fiction that came after it, up until today. The story-telling is sometimes quite difficult to get through, though, especially the whole page-long descriptions of persons and events through vague comparisons. It is a very good read though.

However, I think the whole exam-thingy left some deeper issues that I had to resolve by writing a storygame about it :p 

I read of it back in 8th grade when it was part of the course, along with Edith Hamilton's exemplary Mythology. Matter of fact, based on a class assignment I made a board game based on the Odyssey (using character art from the then newly launched Age of Mythology for the event cards). The book itself is an enduring classic for a reason, good choice, Minnie

I read the Iliad and the Odyssey in 8th grade English. It's been a long time since I read them, but I remember not being able to understand large portions of the epics. I suggest reading the most recent translation, as it will most likely be the easiest to understand. I had to read the Iliad first, but I enjoyed the Odyssey a lot more. Happy reading!

Everyone irl said they hated it. The blessing of being around writers and poets. *sighs happily*

Everyone irl is a fool..

Aren't we people irl, too?

Yes, but I was referring to people who we site members know irl.

Alright then(?)

One of my favorite bits is when Polyphemus is screaming and his fellow cyclopes wake up asking him what the hell is going on and he's screaming "Noman is attacking me!"

And they're like "Well if noman is attacking you, it must be the gods and we can't help you against them." and they all leave.

I remember that part in the rewrite, and i'm almost to that chapter in the original. It's probably my favorite part, just because of how I imagine the other cyclops are thinking when he says it.

"Ok, either this fucker is out of his mind, or the gods are against him."

I'm pretty sure they were just looking for an excuse to leave him for dead. I mean, outside of the maneating Polyphemus, the cyclopes were just big blacksmith dudes who didn't really give a shit and weren't murdering people. They probably just thought Polyphemus was a dick and wouldn't have helped him out anyway.

It's good.

Currently doing a recital of that bit when they go past Scylla and Charybdis for a Speech and Drama examination. (Odyssey)

 

It's funny how the story makes a big deal of Penelope staying faithful for decades, while Odysseus spends like a full year fucking Circe and didn't want to ever leave.

Didn't Penelope marry the son of Odysseus and Circe after Odysseus died?

You just had to go and make things weird.

Blame the Odyssey.

As I remember he also fucks some minor deity as well for seven years on some other island he gets stuck on.

To be fair though they seduced him with their goddess powers and they're also more enchanting than a mere mortal woman could hope to be, so it wasn't like he could pass an easy resist roll.

Calypso?

Yeah her. Vanessa Williams played her in the TV mini-series.

Strangely, I've never read the Odyssey, but I knew that from Percy Jackson.

Yeah I gave him a pass on that one since he didn't really have a choice. IIRC she was literally holding him prisoner.



So hot. So enchanting.

Who made that picture? Between her chest-angles and her weir nose-eyebrow line, she actually looks sort of like a dude in drag. I thought that was frowned upon outside of theatres during the renaissance?

It's just the picture from the wiki article. From a William Hamilton painting, and lol, I was thinking the same thing. Maybe the artist didn't know any girls IRL and had to improvise.

Mr Kettle attempted to slink into his office, to hide his head in the sea of cubicles and slide right in without being noticed. Unfortunately, Mr Pot quickly noticed his employee, a snarl appearing on his face.

"What time do you call this, boy?!" he shouted.

"Sorry, sir. I know I'm late, but it's only by a few minutes, and I had to drop my kids to school! I won't let it happen again sir, I..."

"To school? You expect me to believe that, boy? God knows your kind don't go to school. Tell me, were you up too late last night playing craps, hmm? Listening to that godawful gangster rap, tagging signs?"

"My kind?" he asked in confusion, before hastily adding "Sir".

"Yes, your kind! The Negroids! Or as you hoodlums say on the street, the niggers!"

Mr Kettle felt a small bubble of anger form in him, but it was washed out by his confusion at the situation.

"Yes, sir, sorry sir, won't happen again," he said.

"Good! Now get to work!" Mr Pot yelled.

With that, Mr Kettle slunk away from the dark, almost ebony-skinned man in front of him to the safety of his cubicle.

Edit: To clarify because you're stupid, I'm calling you ugly and masculine.

Hey, some traditionally masculine elements can look good on some female faces, just not when you're allegedly Calypso and you look like Eric Idle with blush.

I'm going to ask for three examples.

It's pretty subjective, and I don't really know any celebrities, so I'd have to list off people I know in real life that I'm attracted to, and that'd be kinda fucked up. I do know that "strong" noses and jaws are kinda nice though.

Off the top of my head, Adele, Lady Gaga, and some 80s fashion models were kind of hot, despite having sort of w8der, more angular features than what's usually associated with being a hot chick.

I see no masculine features in the first two examples, and know no 80s fashion models. I'm just going to put this down to your confused sexuality.

Really? Adele's got a bit of a Batman jaw going on, but it's rounded enough that it's feminine again in a different way. Lady Gaga has a strong, high-bridged nose that's slender enough that you don't notice it from the front. Usually having a big nose is a dude thing. I don't know any 80's fashion models either, but I'd assume you'd find similar things in google images, since a lot of girls considered traditionally beautiful back then either had or dressed/framed their face in ways that emphasized square jaws, strong noses, and other face bones, thick eyebrows, etc. The girl in the Aha Take On Me video and Madonna had elements of that going on, and that was hot.

Adele was just a little overweight, never thought she looked masculine though.

Lady Gaga looks like a hideous transsexual, so I'll agree that she's masculine looking.

The only 80s fashion model coming to mind right now that was definitely masculine looking is Grace Jones. I thought she was hideous as well.

Not really gonna be able to defend any of that because it's so subjective, but what I'm talking about with Adele has nothing to do with her weight. She just has a strong, squared, cleft chin. Sigourney Weaver and whoever it was that was her "more manly" latina counterpart in the first Alien also had masculine elements to their faces. It's not a preference or anything, I just think they have their own thing going on that works for them.

Vasquez was masculine enough and incredibly sexy (until she talked and that accent made me softer than a prep lad), so I'd get what you mean about that, but I really don't see it in the face, only the body.

Vasquez also has an angular, squared jaw and some serious eyebrows that are more typical of dudes. Like I said, it's elements of masculinity, but it's not the whole face. It's subtle but it's there.

Hang on, thinking about it, I don't think my opinion should be backing up your point at all, because I think Vasquez would just be sexier as a man entirely.

Yeah, that's the thing, we like it for different reasons. You're into it because you like dudes anyway, so it's no serious difference. I like it because it subverts the tropes associated with femininity and highlights their feminine traits by contrast. Imo that makes girls with some masculine features more cute or interesting to look at than the stereotypical "perfect" kinda thing.

All else being equal, I personally would probably would opt out for a girl with a more feminine face in 98% of cases. But my argument was that masculine facial features don't make women ugly, they just have a different appeal. I guess with time and relationships I could acquire that taste too, but I already have enough reasons for people to look at me weird when I'm out on a date.

Have you ever seen Michelangelo's paintings? Women that look like dudes are kinda his trademark.

The Mary-holding-Jesus and the girl in the circular painting look pretty feminine. I couldn't find am image that was high-red enough to show their faces, but I guess Eve does look weirdly burly for a chick, especially in the 1500s. I'm guessing traps were just a fetish before they had a name for them,

I mean it's perfectly feasible he used a male mode. I don't know how painters worked during that period exactly, but a middle aged guy probably couldn't invite girls he wasnt related to to come hang out at his house and spend hours posing for him.

Considering Michaelangelo was gay, he probably just had his boyfriends dress in drag.

There's a reason Michelangelo's women are often described as 'men with boobs'...