The Odyssey of Greatness

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The Odyssey of Greatness

Throughout time, books have opened the minds of many people. It permits people to travel to a dream world where every word captures their suspense and urges them to read on. Books that are so fascinating and vivid to the point they can not be put down are considered great. A great book is a piece of literature that allows the reader to relate their own experiences and feelings to that of the characters depicted. The Odyssey by Homer would be considered a great book; the reader can relate to Odysseus' longing for Penelope, his quest to be home with family, and the continuous wrestle with free will v. determinism.

One important theme of a great book is a character longing for love. In The Odyssey, Odysseus, after years of war and slavery to a goddess, longs to be with his wife Penelope. In Book Five, the reader is introduced to Odysseus. He has been a slave of the goddess Calypso for seven years. Everyday, for seven years, he would sit and weep for home and his wife Penelope. The goddess Calypso informs Odysseus that she will send him home. She says, " Much as you long to see your wife, the one you pine for all your days...and yet I just might claim to be nothing less than she, neither in face nor figure " (159). She tries to understand how Odysseus can still long for Penelope. Calypso, "lustrous goddess" has given herself completely to him even offering him immortality. He turns down her offer and confesses his true motives, "Look at my wise Penelope. She falls far short of you, your beauty, stature. She is mortal after all and you, you never age or die... Nevertheless I long-I pine, all my days to travel home and see the dawn of my return" (159) .Odysseus' love for Penelope is so strong that he refused the beauty, charm, and immortality the goddess offered him. Readers can relate to Odysseus' feelings. His constant weeping and his will to be with his wife can spark reader's interest that have experienced a love so strong that nothing could stand in the way of them being together. The feeling that love conquers all truly makes The Odyssey a great book.

Odysseus' struggle to return home makes for a suspenseful series of events that is essential for a great book. Odysseus stumbles upon more then one obstacle after the Trojan War.

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