Of course I know Robert Graves from his "I Claudius" novel (and 1970s TV serial) but it wasn't until last night that I suddenly realized I know him actually much longer as he also wrote "Greek Myths" that I loved and cherished as a child raised on Greek mythology - it was probably thanks to him that I could rattle names of every hero and supporting character in front of our unsuspecting visitors and my proud parents. It all evaporated from my brain at this point but it didn't took me long to grab this book the moment I saw it and finally finished it last night with lots of skipping and mumbling to myself. Apparently I have really changed since than.
This time around Graves was not so interested in story itself - although there is a very exciting story to tell - as to theory how all those memories and oral traditions probably became interwoven into what we know today as "Odyssey". The novel is set in ancient kingdom on Sicily where princess Nausicaa has to somehow maneuver group of young rascals who in absence of her father plan to swiftly take over the rule and her hand - remember Penelope and her suitors? - along the way she connects previous stories, legends and myths together with her own. It is curiously dry book, intentionally written as ancient epic (lots of empty talk and declamations, long serious speeches and talks about Gods) that stop the story in tracks and often almost sideline the potentially exciting story with so much academic theorizing. If Graves wanted to present this as some ancient Greek play the way they were usually presented thousands of years ago in theatre, he definitely made his point but I found myself skipping a lot of empty talk and was relieved when I finally finished the darn book. I still love Graves but maybe I should give this another chance when I am in different frame of mind.
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