English Class

This summer, The Odyssey, directed by Christopher Nolan, will hit theaters. Not only will it be interesting to see how Nolan frames the wily Odyssseus, it presents an opportunity to read or re-read this Greek classic. Because it is impossible to trace the exact origins of the epic — scholars continue to dispute how was the oral stories were organized and who might have of penned the pages — more questions arise from the text than answers. The story, however, (simply put) is about a man who wishes to go home. As translator Emily Wilson writes, “Odysseus is a man who longs to recover his own identity.” He is also a man who fails as he does not successfully guide his men home from Troy; they perish along the way. These summarizing bits raise a series of questions, including: Who is Odysseus? How can we understand his adventures? And what is the meaning of home?
Please join us this summer at the Stowe Library on Wednesday evenings @ 5:30pm for a deep dive into Homer’s The Odyssey (translated by Emily Wilson). We will read, discuss, and compare the epic “song” with contemporary film.