"The Wanderings of Odysseus"
by Homer, retold by Rosemary Sutcliff, illustrated by Alan Lee.
Delacorte Press, 1995, 119 pages, Grades 5-8.
Epics tell of the founding of nations. They are usually heroic and entail great sufferings and final triumphs against determined enemies.
The great Greek poet Homer wrote two such epics. The first is the Iliad, which details the end of the Trojan War and the final victory of the Greeks over their Trojan enemies. The second epic is the Odyssey, in which the Greek hero Odysseus attempts and finally returns to his native land of Ithaca. As both epics are written in a beautiful, poetic style, younger readers usually have a hard time understanding the text. Rosemary Sutcliff, famed British writer of children’s literature, has rewritten both epics in shorter, easier to read versions for children.
Titled “The Wanderings of Odysseus,” Sutcliff retains the high interest of the original version while giving children an understandable text. Not the easiest task to complete, but Sutcliff has succeeded with this interesting account.
Odysseus (“Ulysses” in Latin), having fought to the successful conclusion in the Trojan War, leaves Troy and sails back to his beloved Ithaca. He has been separated from his beloved wife, Penelope, for 10 long years. But the journey is fraught with peril.
Odysseus and his men sail across the sea and land on a strange island. Taking 12 men, Odysseus explores the island and follows a herd of sheep into a cave. Suddenly, a one-eyed giant, a Cyclops, appears and quickly moves a huge rock across the entrance to the cave. He then eats some of the Greek men.
Odysseus knows the monster will kill all of them if he does not come up with a plan. He takes a pole and sharpens the end. Then he hardens the end of the pole in the fire. For his plan to work, Odysseus must both blind the Cyclops and then get the Cyclops to roll away the heavy stone so the sheep can go out for their daily grazing. The sheep will then be used by the Greeks to fool the Cyclops after he moves the large stone. Using some drugged wine, Odysseus gets the Cyclops to fall asleep. Now is the time to act. Odysseus and his men take the hardened pole and attack the Cyclops. What happens?
Does Odysseus blind the monster? How does he use the sheep to fool the Cyclops? What other dangers does Odysseus face on his return to Ithaca? Who are the Sirens? Why do their voices pose such a danger? Why is the god of the sea, Poseidon, determined to harm Odysseus. Is Odysseus finally reunited with his beloved Penelope? To find out the answers to these and others, go to the library and check out “The Wanderings of Odysseus” by Rosemary Sutcliff.
Rosemary Sutcliff wrote a number of outstanding novels about Great Britain during Roman time. Her most famous book is “The Eagle and the Ninth,” which details the destruction of the Ninth Legion in northern England and the later recovery of its military standard.
She has done an exceptional job in writing a revision of the Odyssey that is understandable by children. No easy task. “The Wanderings of Odysseus” is entertaining while teaching children about the ancient world. Highly recommended.
