I bought and read Ithaca, the first book of the trilogy concluded by The last song of Penelope on a whim, not realising that a decade ago I had read and loved North's The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August. I love Ithaca, and it's follow-up House of Odysseus, but I have to confess having been blown away by The last song of Penelope. Conclusions are always tricky, but in this third volume, the scope and cleverness of North's narrative unfolds and it really brings the whole trilogy to another level. You already know the story: Penelope waits 20 years by the throne of Ithaca, fending off suitors waiting for Ulysses to come back, and when he does, after a decade galavanting about the Mediterranean and being unfaithful (as heroes are supposed to) with nymphs and witches, the Trojan hero comes back home and fights off the suitors with bow in hand and son at his side. But this is the story that the Goddess Athena wanted the poets to tell, not exactly the story of what happened, and not the meek role that Penelope played. A fantastic tale of mythology that questions the role of women in age-old stories. Absolutely recommended, should be at the top of your reading pile.
Comments
Post a Comment