Reading Log 2: The Odyssey Books II-IV

Alright! Go me—I managed to pull off getting all these books read over the course of the weekend. My band class went on a trip to Detroit, and there was a lock-in at the school. Everyone stayed up all night: movies were watched, video games were played, my fellow classmates ran about screaming and yelling during the night…it was a good time. STILL. Amongst the throngs of chaos I got my reading done. Feel proud of me, because that wasn’t easy. =D

Summery:

            These chapters begin with Telemachus’ story. Basically, to condense it into a shortened version, Ulysses’ child begins his journey to other lands to meet those who might know of his father’s fate. He gathers the men of Ithaca to arms, and those who support him come with Telemachus on his quest. Minerva is also involved, taking the form of one of the man’s closest friends; Mentor (yes, both literally and figuratively).

            Telemachus first visits Nestor of Neleus, but is discouraged in his journey to find that Nestor has no news of his old friend’s survival in the Trojan War. However, he doesn’t stay down for long, and goes immediately thereafter to Lacedaemon to visit one of Ulysses’ closest friends: Menelaus. They arrive in the midst of a great party, and are treated with the utmost of hospitality while the group regale stories of Ulysses’ great accomplishments.

            It is with Menelaus that Telemachus first receives good news of his father’s whereabouts. The old war hero tells about how he learned from the Old Man of the Sea that Ulysses was one of the few men that survived the wreck, and is currently imprisoned on an island, held “hostage” by the seductive goddess Calypso.

            Telemachus goes further on his voyage, but not until the readers are shown a terrible plot being hatched by the suitors back in Ithaca. They plan to kill Telemachus on his voyage in order to make access to his land and his mother’s hand in marriage that much easier. They reveal their dastardly intentions to the reader, and Book IV ends with the suitors crouching in an ambush, ready to attack and kill our hero.

Predictions:

• Telemachus will survive the ambush
• Soon, Ulysses will become the main focus of the story as he regales his journey back home.
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Questions:

            None for this chapter, really! Everything seemed fairly straightforward…save for the names. I’ll decide to become a dandelion picker for a living before I can remember all those names.