Customer Reviews

Ithaka

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The greatest problem with this book is that Adele Geras has apparently decided that researching source material is something that other people do. In the author's note at the beginning of the book she writes 'This book is not a version of Homer', which is poor comfort for the axe she proceeds to take to the original text.

The more minor flaws notwithstanding, such as Melantho coming to the palace as a teenager rather than having been brought up by Penelope (as she is in the Odyssey, thus making her betrayal of Penelope much more outrageous) and her being Eurymachus' mistress rather than Antinous' (Eurymachus is left out of the book entirely, giving way to a much more minor suitor, Amphimedon), not to mention Leodes being the first of the suitors to try the bow and begging for mercy while clutching Odysseus' knees rather than being accidentally killed by Telemachus in the dark (as he is in Ithaka), the ending of Homer's version, which I consider to be one of the best revenges in all of literature is mostly ignored, giving way to a drawn-out wander around the palace by both our heroes and the suitors with one side occasionally killing the other. To all intents and purposes, the entire chapter of the Odyssey entitled 'The Battle in the Hall' may as well not have happened, for all Adele Geras takes notice of it. The punishment of the unfaithfulness of the serving girls (including Melantho), which in the Odyssey takes place as their removing the bodies and cleaning the palace before being strung up by the neck in a line and thus dying by strangulation, is mitigated to Melantho receiving a cut across her face, thus marring her beauty and being just punishment, because the scar will make 'men shudder and turn away from her', which is obviously a dreadful thing, but somehow lacks the justice that the true ending gives.

All of these errors can be overcome. They lower the quality of the book greatly, but they can be overcome. Alone, they do not merit a rating of one small star. But the unfaithfulness of Penelope, she who is renowned for being the most loyal and true of women, she who spends almost the entire Odyssey weeping because she misses Odysseus so much, she who would rather have killed herself than marry one of the suitors, is intolerable. It is not to be borne. It takes away the entire point of the story. What use is Odysseus' struggle to reach his homeland if his wife has taken a lover and is happy to leave with him? The excuse given in Ithaka, that Telemachus would have killed him (Leodes, for reference), is pathetic. The tradition of xenos (hospitality) forbids the killing of a guest. Only the suitors, the villains, break that code. The emphasis of Penelope's ability to love two men at the same time merely shows up the gaps in the reworked plot (I do not claim that one can only love one person at a time, but for the purpose of this story it simply will not fly).

In conclusion, the flaws of the story and the blatant disregard for the original text far outweigh any possible positive aspects of the book, of which there are precious few even without the jaw-dropping mistakes that would shock any reader with even a basic knowledge of Homer. My greatest worry about this book is that someone who has not yet read the Odyssey will read Ithaka and take Mrs Geras' improvisations for the true story.

Readers familiar with THE ODYSSEY know that it is the story of Odysseus's long journey home from the Trojan War. Odysseus outwits various monsters, witches, and even the gods to win back his kingdom and rescue his faithful wife from the hands of thieves. THE ODYSSEY contains lots of adventure, excitement and heartache. It can also be a challenging read since even modern translations adhere to its original verse format.

Adèle Geras, whose previous book TROY was a retelling of THE ILIAD, has now taken on THE ODYSSEY. ITHAKA is the story of THE ODYSSEY told by those waiting for Odysseus's return. While it doesn't contain the same adventures as Odysseus's travels, Geras's treatment of the material lends quiet dignity to the events as told by an ordinary teenage girl, and fleshes out the story as it might have been experienced by women. Klymene is handmaiden to Odysseus's patient wife Penelope. While Penelope spends her days weaving and waiting for her husband's return, Klymene experiences the changes that are part of growing up, and does her part to keep Ithaka ready for the return of a king she has never known.

Klymene begins to understand the difficulty of Penelope's task to wait "unchanged and unchanging" when she falls in love with Telemachus, Odysseus's impetuous son. Telemachus only has eyes for Melantho, a beautiful and treacherous girl from a neighboring kingdom who has come to serve in Penelope's household. Klymene's situation is made more difficult by her ability to see the gods, whose appearance around the household usually signals trouble. She is also keeper of the household's many secrets, some of which could mean the difference between life and death for Ithaka's inhabitants.

Geras adds some interesting twists to an already well-known story, detailing aspects that are muted in Homer's original. The sinister arrival of the suitors who plan to marry Penelope and rule Ithaka is expanded upon in the book. Mocking Ithaka's famed hospitality, the suitors defile a once peaceful land with greed, rape and murder, involving Klymene, her family and friends.

Penelope is also allowed some humanity within the confines of her impossible task. Geras questions the inherent sexism of THE ODYSSEY by challenging the double standard of Odysseus's infidelity through the course of his adventures, while his wife Penelope waits faithfully at home. The conflict Penelope faces in actually being attracted to one of the suitors makes her wait more poignant.

Geras gives the ordinary events of adolescence --- unrequited love, outgrown friendships, tense relationships with elders --- a mythic resonance by associating them with a tale as old and beloved as THE ODYSSEY. Critics have long argued about whether life in the ancient world was lived or understood in the same way it is now. We know some things are very different, like the polytheistic system of belief prevalent in the ancient world. Lives were shorter. Yet, by translating the ancient world of THE ODYSSEY into contemporary idiom, Geras brings new life to a work I first experienced only as a dull classroom assignment. There is a reason these stories have survived millenniums and are reinterpreted by successive generations. After reading ITHAKA, I wanted to return to THE ODYSSEY and read it again.

--- Reviewed by Sarah A. Wood

Written by Adele Geras, the author of the spellbinding fictionalized account of the Trojan War, 'Troy', Ithaka chronicles the basic plot of The Odyssey. Using the same formula employed in 'Troy' of a teenaged girl who can see the gods, Geras crafts the character Klymene, a fictional young woman who is the handmaiden of Queen Penelope. She and her twin brother, Ikarios, have always been best friends with Prince Telemachus, who is the somewhat spoiled but good-natured prince of Ithaka. The entire island awaits the return of Odysseus, who has been delayed for 10 years since the end of the Trojan War and is feared dead. Klymene alternately cares for Penelope, helps her Nana (readers of The Odyssey will recognize Odysseus's old nurse Eurykleia) around the kitchen, and harbours a love for Telemachus.
Meanwhile, Penelope pines; Laertes, Odysseus's father, grumbles; and there's some teenage angst.

But not enough.
And none of it is crafted with any of the charm and skill that Geras pulled off in 'Troy'.
In 'Troy', Geras was able to encompass many different personalities because of the scope of the Trojan war: she was able to include Helen, Paris, Andromache, Priam, and a horde of teenagers who serve them. There, the characters were individually crafted and fascinating. Here, Klymene seems a mix of all the generic female characters in historical fiction: simultaneously caring, in love, and sometimes-snappy. Ikarios is completely one-dimensional, though Geras adequately translates Homer's Telemachus as an impulsive, spoiled, and selfish brat.
The author attempts to portray Melantho in some sort of insightful light, but such a character is difficultly translated, and Geras doesn't devote enough time to Melantho's development.
Similarly, the effect of the suitors are mildly felt.

All in all, the reader soon becomes weary of this book. It fails to deliver. Perhaps I feel this way because I had read The Odyssey before I read this book (whereas, I had not read The Iliad before I read Troy), so I already knew what was going to happen.
It seems to me that Geras simply wanted to ride on the coattails of the success of Troy, but Ithaka is not shaped around a war (so it lacks that urgency that a book chronicling a war will have.
And the gods....
Marpessa's ability to see the gods in "Troy" was an interesting trait. So were the visitations the gods made on mortals.

But here, it's forced. Klymene sees the gods almost everywhere she looks, and they keep explaining who and what they are. This depletes the whole practice of its necessary mysticism.

'Ithaka' is not a terrible book, but if you read 'Troy', you will be disappointed.

Ithaka was a book that I took great pride in reading. I found myself enticed by the book and its accurate historic events. Having already read the first book "Troy" also by the author Adele Geras, I found myself hoping that Ithaka would be as good or better as the first. I was proven correct.

The novel starts out with fresh characters in their early years. I have always enjoyed when an author does this because I feel I can get to know the characters better if I start out reading about them when they were younger. I'ts like you kind of watch them "grow up." So i applaud Adele Geras on this. Then as you get farther into the book, events from the greek story begin to take place. Like how Penelope is forever waiting for her husband's return from the war in Troy. I absolutely love how the author invents new characters and intertwines them with the real characters in the old story. It spices up the story even more and keeps you wanting more. These new characters inserted in the story are also developed very well. An example would be how Klymene is portrayed as she grows up. At first she believes she is in love with Telemachus but soon finds her own heart is with a different man. Many love triangles form in this book which just adds to the already ancient story plot of Penelope fighting off the suitors coming to take her hand in marriage.

So in conclusion I rate this book four out of five stars. Why did I not give this book five starts you ask? I did not give it five stars because I found the end to not suit this book. It did not give a very good sense of closure and I was extremly dissapointed to have such an abrupt ending. Althought it can be good to leave a reader hungry for more, this left me almost to hungry. Otherwise this book was great and deserves to be read endless times.

It has been many years since King Odysseus has left to fight in the Trojan War. And many on the island from which he rules, Ithaka think that he is dead. Only a few still believe that he is alive, one of whom is his devoted wife, Queen Penelope. Not only must the lonely queen deal with running the island and its many affairs, but with Odysseus' quite mother Antikleia and temperamental father Laertes. Not to mention she and Odysseus' hard-heaeded son Telemachus. But Klymene, Penelope's lovely handmaiden is there to help in any way. Especially with Telemachus, who she is starting to have feelings for. She and her twin brother Ikarios have grown up with the young prince and been like extended family to him and Penelope. Then a young girl named Melantho comes to Ithaka and things become more and more stressful for Klymene and Ikarios. And when suitors from neighboring isles come to ask for Penelope's hand in marriage, and wear out their welcome, it makes things even worse.

Anyone who is fan of Ms.Geras' previous works will not be dissapointed in this novel. Shocks and surprises abide in this great pageturner. Ms.Geras has once again dove into the world of Ancient Greek Myth and come out with a perfect 10. Even if you're not that familiar with The Odyssey, you won't need to know it to enjoy this.

This book has everything a person might want in a novel, not to mention one in the historical fiction genre. Adele Geras has proved time and time again how to capture the true elements of love, passion, war and time. What a joy!

If you've ever read the epic poem The Odyssey (Penguin Classics) by Homer, you know that the author focuses on the thrilling journey of Odysseus. After the Trojan War has ended, Odysseus must battle witches, supernatural monsters, and even gods to gain back his lands and his faithful wife from the thieves that have kidnapped her. In the story of ITHAKA, the focus isn't on Odysseus, but on those that were left behind--first when he went off to war, and then when he fails to return home after the war ends.

The book is narrated by Klymene, a teenage girl who serves as handmaiden to Penelope, the wife of Odysseus. It's been two years since the Trojan War ended, and still her husband has not returned home to rule their land. There is a steady, never-ending stream of suitors vying for Penelope's hand in marriage, hoping that the (mostly) faithful wife will soon realize that her husband is gone forever. Penelope is not sought after because of love, but because of her wealth and the lands she will soon possess if she gives her husband up for dead.

For Klymene, it's difficult to fathom why Penelope is so determined to stay faithful to a husband who is most likely never to return. She soon learns about love and the matters of the heart, however, when she becomes infatuated with Odysseus's troublesome son, Telemachus. Matters are complicated even further when Klymene realizes that she, a lowly handmaiden, is not the apple of Telemachus's eye. That privilege belongs to another young woman who has come to serve in the household, Melantho.

One of the most interesting parts of ITHAKA is the paranormal aspect of Klymene, who is able to see the gods. She is also a keeper of secrets, and since she deals every day with individuals who would do anything to keep those secrets safe, it's a somewhat demanding job.

This is not a retelling of The Odyssey (Penguin Classics). This is a completely different story, full of magic and heartbreak, joy and sadness, and the trial and error of growing up. There's something for everyone here, with mystery, romance, and action-adventure. If you love historical stories, or those based on myths, you won't go wrong with ITHAKA.

in a sentence or two: faithful Penelope is waiting for Odysseus to come home after the trojan war (still waiting 16 years after...yeesh) and in the meantime, the palace is overrun by dirty, nasty, stinky, mean men who are determined to marry Penelope and become ruler of Ithaka.

i was really excited to see this title, especially after having read Troy and really liking it. i am personally intrigued by greek mythology and the stories about the trojan war, and having the ability to read them in young adult form is just perfecto for me.

Ithaka focuses mainly on Klymene and her interactions with the other characters - the main of whom are Penelope (Queen of Ithaka, Klyemene is her personal handmaid / honorary daughter), Ikarios (Klymene's twin brother), Telemachus (Son of Penelope and Oddyseus and first love of Klymene), Melantho (the newest handmaid to Penelope, and rather conniving and slutty actually), and then the suitors (the dozens of men living at the palace for like 6 months waiting for Penelope to choose one of them).

as with Troy, there is a casual incorporation of the gods from Olympus and they are only seen by some characters. this element helps keep the story flow to the nature of a greek myth nicely. the god's don't consistently intervene, which is nice, but when they do you get a glimpse of them and their intentions before they vanish.

the best way that i can think to describe Ithaka is that it's a multi-layer love story complete with betrayal, murder, sadness, and hope. i did feel like it got a little long, however, that may have been the attempt by the author to help portray the extreme waiting that Penelope did so faithfully (well, most of the time) for Odysseus and to help the reader realize just how long and unpleasant the icky suitors made time at the palace for everyone in the meantime.

i couldn't help feeling like some of the characters were more shallow than i'd hoped for. while i really dug Klymene as a caring, devoted, and genuine person, i was let down by Telemachus, completely forgot about Ikarios at times, and felt that while Melantho provided a solid element of bitchyness that was necessary for the twists in the story, that she was a pretty underdeveloped character herself. i felt like they had to be deeper than they were portrayed, and that really bugged me.

overall, i appreciated the take on the flip side of the Odyssey from the palace point of view, and particularly from Kylemene's perspective. similiar to Troy in that the main characters are part of the palace life, Geras paints a vivid picture of that life and the surrounding landscape of the island of Ithaka and at times i really did see what she was describing. the story doesn't end perfectly, which is refreshing, and there are some serious heartaches along the way. Geras deals with first loves, doubt, and hope in an interesting and serious way.

fave quotes: "'Sorrow', said Odysseus, 'has to be borne, or we might as well die on our way out of our mothers' wombs. Life is threaded through with it, but you must face it and grieve and carry on if you're to be a real man. It's easier to do that when you've got your family around you. When you're in your own house. Home...that's the best that we can hope for this side of Hades, and it's worth fighting and even dying for. Ithaka is worth every bit of agony I've gone through to get here.'" (299)

"The only answer was a shrug, and Klymene sighed. She was used to the way men sometimes behaved, but it was exhausting. The wouldn't ever admit, straight out, what was wrong, but waited for the thing - whatever it was that was bothering them - to be drawn out slowly like a thorn from an animal's paw. You had to ask questions. They had to be the right questions. You had to guess and cajole and tease the pain out of them, and it could be a tedious business." (319) - a good example of Klymene's character also.

fix er up: i really wanted deeper character development from others besides Klymene!

We are going to Greece this spring and I am trying to read stories of ancient Greece that are not dry. This one is great fun. The story of Ithaka while Odysseus was gone.