A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
Reading Homer's heroic epic poem, The Odyssey, introduces middle and high school students to many of the Greek myths, gods, and goddesses that are referred to in centuries of literature that came afterward; along with Shakespeare and the Bible, the Greeks are essential background for any modern literature student.
Though morality in the world of The Odyssey bears little resemblance to 21st-century codes of behavior, goodness and courage do win out in this poem, and the gods eventually reward Odysseus for his steadfastness and past heroic deeds.
Positive Role Models
The hero of The Odyssey, Odysseus, occasionally strays from his homeward path, but he always returns to his mission of returning home to his family. He fights his enemies bravely and honors the gods. Odysseus' son, Telemakhos, is also courageous and resolute in his mission to find news of his father out in the world. Odysseus' wife, Penelope, shows cleverness and loyalty when she fools the suitors by unraveling her weaving every night.
Violence & Scariness
The Odyssey contains plenty to offend pacifists and vegetarians. The slaughter and cooking of animals for foods, and for religious sacrifice, is described in detail. Odysseus loses several crewmen to the six-headed monster Scylla, and faces numerous dangerous threats in his journey. When he returns home, he kills the evil suitors with bow and arrows, and with the help of the goddess Athena. The events in The Odyssey take place 10 years after Odysseus fought in the Trojan War. Throughout the poem, Odysseus' achievements as a warrior are recounted.
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
There's a degree of implied sex in The Odyssey, as readers know that Odysseus spends long visits with various temptresses, and beautiful young women bathe and adorn men in the book. However, sexual acts are not described in detail.
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
Lots of wine is consumed by the travelers and the suitors in Ithaca. The suitors are particularly greedy, and they consume much of the wine in Odysseus' cellar while he's away.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that, as the name implies, The Odyssey is an epic poem of journey and discovery. It's an essential book for students of literature and students of Greek history and culture. Because the book recounts not only Odysseus' tumultuous journey home and his son Telemakhos' coming of age but also tales of Odysseus' bravery in the Trojan War, it includes a good deal of violence. There's also some implied sexual activity (though nothing graphic).
Is It Any Good?
The Odyssey isn't just an important book, it's also a very exciting book and a beautiful work of literature. As the popular Percy Jackson series for younger readers attests, kids are fascinated by Greek tales of gods, monsters, and heroes, and The Odyssey is the original Olympian tale. The epic hero, Odysseus, overcomes supernatural creatures and all kinds of magic, thanks to gods warring among themselves. The prose of The Odyssey, while possibly daunting for middle school and younger kids, is worth appreciating with its beautiful, rhythmically repeated images: "grey-eyed Athena," dawn spreading her "fingertips of rose," etc.
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Ni Mengi au Ni Machache? Kile utakachokipata na kisichokipata katika kitabu hiki. "Kusoma mashairi ya Homer, ""Odyssey"" na ""The Odyssey"" inawafundisha wanafunzi wa shule ya sekondari na ya sekondari hadithi nyingi za Kigiriki, miungu, na miungu ya kike ambayo inatajwa katika karne za fasihi iliyofuata, pamoja na Shakespeare na Biblia, Wagiriki ni msingi muhimu kwa mwanafunzi yeyote wa fasihi ya kisasa." Ingawa maadili katika ulimwengu wa Odyssey yanafanana kidogo na kanuni za tabia za karne ya 21, wema na ujasiri hushinda katika shairi hili, na miungu hatimaye humpa Odysseus thawabu kwa uthabiti wake na matendo yake ya ushujaa ya zamani. "Mfano mzuri wa kuigwa ni yule Odysseus, ambaye mara kwa mara anajitenga na njia ya kurudi nyumbani, lakini mara zote anarudi kwenye kazi yake ya kurudi nyumbani kwa familia yake.""" Yeye hupigana na maadui wake kwa ujasiri na kuwaheshimu miungu. Mwana wa Odysseus, Telemachus, pia ni jasiri na mwenye azimio katika utume wake wa kupata habari za baba yake nje ya ulimwengu. Mke wa Odysseus, Penelope, anaonyesha busara na uaminifu-mshikamanifu anapowadanganya waombaji kwa kufungua ufundi wake kila usiku. Jeuri na Hofu Odyssey ina mengi ya kukasirisha pacifists na mboga. Kuuawa na kupikwa kwa wanyama kwa ajili ya chakula, na kwa ajili ya dhabihu za kidini, huelezwa kwa undani. Odysseus anapoteza wafanyakazi kadhaa kwa mnyama mwenye vichwa sita Scylla, na anakabiliwa na vitisho vingi hatari katika safari yake. Baada ya kurudi nyumbani, anawaua waombaji hao waovu kwa upinde na mishale, na kwa msaada wa mungu-mke Athena. Hadithi za Odyssey zinaanza miaka kumi baada ya Odysseus kupigana katika Vita vya Trojan. Katika shairi hilo lote, mafanikio ya Odysseus akiwa mpiganaji yanaelezwa. Je, unajua unaweza alama maudhui ya mashaka? "Kama ilivyoelezwa katika kitabu cha ""Uchumba, mapenzi na uchi"" katika kitabu cha Odyssey, Odysseus alitumia muda mrefu na wanawake wengi wenye kuvutia na wanawake vijana kuoga na kupamba wanaume." Hata hivyo, matendo ya kingono hayajaelezwa kwa undani. Je, unajua unaweza alama maudhui ya mashaka? "Kama unavyoona, ""kucheza"" na ""kucheza"" ni sehemu ya utamaduni wa utamaduni wa utamaduni wa utamaduni wa utamaduni wa utamaduni wa utamaduni wa utamaduni wa utamaduni wa utamaduni wa utamaduni wa utamaduni wa utamaduni wa utamaduni wa utamaduni wa utamaduni wa utamaduni wa utamaduni wa utamaduni wa utamaduni wa utamaduni wa utamaduni wa utamaduni wa utamaduni wa utamaduni wa utamaduni." Waombaji ni wenye pupa hasa, na wao hutumia divai nyingi katika chumba cha chini ya ardhi cha Odysseus anapokuwa mbali. Je, unajua unaweza alama maudhui ya mashaka? "Kama ilivyoelezwa katika kitabu cha ""Uchezaji wa Uchawi na Uchawi"" cha The Odyssey, ""Wazazi wanahitaji kujua kwamba, kama jina linavyodokeza, Odyssey ni shairi la hadithi ya safari na ugunduzi." Ni kitabu muhimu kwa wanafunzi wa fasihi na wanafunzi wa historia na utamaduni wa Kigiriki. Kitabu hicho kinataja safari ya Odysseus ya kurudi nyumbani na kumzaa mwanawe, Telemachus, na pia hadithi za ujasiri wake katika Vita vya Trojan. Pia kuna baadhi ya shughuli za kingono zinazotajwa (ingawa hakuna picha). Je, Ni Jambo Bora? Odyssey ni kitabu cha kihistoria, lakini pia ni kitabu cha kihistoria. "Kama vile mfululizo maarufu wa Percy Jackson kwa wasomaji wadogo unavyoonyesha, watoto wanapendezwa na hadithi za Kigiriki za miungu, monsters, na mashujaa, na ""Odyssey"" ni hadithi ya awali ya Olimpiki." Mhusika mkuu, Odysseus, anashinda viumbe wa ajabu na aina zote za uchawi, shukrani kwa miungu inayopigana kati yao. "Kama vile hadithi ya Odyssey, ambayo inaweza kuwa ya kutisha kwa watoto wa shule ya sekondari na vijana, inastahili kuthaminiwa na picha zake nzuri, za kurudia kwa mdundo: ""Athena mwenye macho ya kijivu,"" ""mashariki kueneza vidole vyake vya waridi,"" na kadhalika." Je, tulikosa jambo fulani kuhusu utofauti? Utafiti unaonyesha uhusiano kati ya kujithamini kwa watoto na picha nzuri katika vyombo vya habari. "Kwa hivyo, tumeongeza sehemu mpya ya ""Uwakilishi wa Mengi"" kwenye ukaguzi wetu ambao utaanza kwa kuendelea." Unaweza kusaidia kusaidia watoto kwa kupendekeza sasisho la utofauti.