Homer's ''Odyssey''

 This volume assembles sixteen authoritative articles on Homer's Odyssey that have appeared over the last thirty years. A wide variety of interpretative strategies are represented, including, in addition to traditional close readings, the approaches of comparative anthropology, narratology, feminism, and audience-oriented criticism. Papers have been selected for their clarity and accessibility, and each is informed by close attention to philological and textual detail. A full glossary and list of abbreviations have been included, and a specially written introduction puts the selections in a wider context by giving an overview of major strands in the interpretation of Homer in the second half of the twentieth century.

Review:

"Oxford Readings in Homer's IOdyssey assembles sixteen authoritative articles that have appeared over the last thirty years. their interpretative strategies include, in additional to the traditional close readings, the approaches of comparative anthropology, narratology, feminism, and audience-oriented criticism. Papers have been selected for their clarity and accessibility, and each is informed by close attention to philological and textual detail. A specially written Introduction puts the selections in a wider context by giving an overview of major strands in the interpretation of Homer in the second half of the twentieth century." --Homerica

 Introducton ; 1. In What Sense Can the Iliad and the Odyssey Be Considered Oral Texts? ; 2. The Song of Ares and Aphrodite: On the Relationship between the Odyssey and the Iliad ; 3. Odysseus' Scar: An Essay on Homeric Epic Narrative Technique ; 4. Between Word and Deed: Hidden Thoughts in the Odyssey ; 5. Name Magic in the Odyssey ; 6. 'Active' and 'Passive' Heroics in the Odyssey ; 7. Odysseus and the Art of Lying ; 8. The Philosophy of the Odyssey ; 9. 'Reverse Similes' and Sex Roles in the Odyssey ; 10. The Reunion of Penelope and Odysseus ; 11. Penelope's Agnoia: Knowledge, Power, and Gender in the Odyssey ; 12. Gender and Internal Audiences in the Odyssey ; 13. The Economic Man ; 14. Class Ambivalence in the Odyssey ; 15. Helen's 'Good Drug' ; 16. The Shadow of Ulysses beyond 2001