BOOK REVIEW :THE ODYSSEY BY HOMER.

 THE ODYSSEY

BY: HOMER

Odysseus and his long journey home from Trojan war. All warriors returned home but Odysseus, who was shut up by Calypso, a nymph and very Goddess. During this time the suiters captured Odysseus palace and awaited for his wife Penelope to marry one of them which she avoided. Telemachus, his son, decides to hold an assembly and rebukes the suitors for attempting to steal his father's kingdom.All advices from Athena, disguised as a friend of the Prince grandfather. During this assembly soothsayer announces Odysseus return to home. After listening to this he visits Pylos and Sparta in search of this Father's whereabouts. Then to king Menelaus and Nestor who were his Father's companions during the war, they informed him about his Father being trapped by Calypso. On Mount Olympus Zeus sends Hermes to rescue Odysseus from Calypso. Hermes persuades Calypso to let Odysseus build a ship and leave. The homesick Odysseus sets sail but Poseidon , god of the sea, sends a storm to wreck Odysseus ship. As he holds grudges with him for making his son Polyphemus blind, earlier in his travel. Athena came for help and saves Odysseus and leads to king's land at Schermie, home of Phaeacians. They beg to hear the story of his adventures and promise to gave him safe passage to Ithaca.

He recounts his trip to the land of lotus, the battle with Polyphemus. Tells how he and his companions in search of food in land of cyclopes entered a cave until Polyphemus arrived and sealed the cave's entrance. Finding themselves trapped Odysseus trick him and gets Polyphemus drunk while telling his name as NOBODY and jam a red-hot pole from fire into his eye. Polyphemus shrieks in pain. When other Cyclopes arrive and ask if someone is attacking him, he screams 'Nobody! Nobody! is attacking me!' they get confused and depart. After which Odysseus tells his real name that's how Polyphemus father's Poseidon ,came to know his name and decided to take revenge. He tells how at the land of Aeolus, the keeper of wind, gave him a bag full of wind to push his ship to Ithaca but one of his foolish crew opened it in search of gold, got the wind driving them back to Island of Aeolus. He shares how his crew was eaten by a Cannibalistic giant called LAESTRYGONIONS, goddess there tries to turn them to pigs. Odysseus gets saved by sharing bed with her but still keeps him for a year and then releases him and tells him to find directions from dead prophet Tiresias. The ghost of Tiresias tells him the direction. After all storytelling Phaeacians return Odysseus to Ithaca where he is disguised as a beggar. He meets Telemachus and reveals his identity to him . They devise a plan to massacre the suitors and regain control of Ithaca. Only person who recognizes him was his old nurse Euryvleia who promises to not reveal his identity to anyone. Penelope organizes an archery contest the following day and promises to marry any man who can string Odysseus great bow and fire an arrow through a row of twelve axes. None accomplished the task but Odysseus only who then turs bows towards the suitors and kills  them. He reveals his identity and reunites with his loving Penelope. He travels to outskirts of Ithaca to see his aging father Laertes. There gets attacked but Zeus sends Athena to restore peace.

The whole summary of the book The Odyssey above , quit hard to stick to read this book but overall tells the epic story of Odysseus in Ithaca his journey and try to come back home, seek revenge and reunite with his family