The Odyssey: A Manly Book

Home. Love. Justice. Courage. Discovery. Take a story, and without these basic themes it is impoverished. Homer's Odyssey, a foundation for Western Literature, could hardly be surpassed in terms of thematic material and interesting exposition.  On the side of thematic material, it grants man's longing for justice and (almost) satisfies his longing to see a satisfactory life. On the other side of exposition, it keeps the reader interested by introducing many subplots and it ties everything into a comprehensive narrative. Let's look at these two sides in more depth.

Penelope's suitors are asses. They are rude and they don't respect anyone who cannot rival them. Not standing for justice, truth, and beauty, they mock whatever they can to score easy points, and they waste the home of Telemachus. I'm not sure whether these men are condemned for pursuing the living Odysseus' wife, or for their debauchery; however, the debauchery alone justifies their end. For they are even given the chance to repent and leave, but they do not, and Odysseus protects his home from evil. It seems to be a satisfactory way to end the account.

There are so many subplots. It begins on a tangent: Telemachus. He voyages to find his father, and after he arrives at the house of Menelaus, we find Odysseus with Calypso, the beautiful nymph. He leaves and arrives at the island of the Phaeacians. Creating another level of narrative, he recounts at length his previous journeys. It follows Eumaeus and his past. Penelope shortly tells her story. All these stories unite in one thread, but the reader is kept wondering how they will intertwine. And that moderate tension keeps the reader interested.