Ich bin ein riesiger Fan von Odysseus, aber das Buch ... ich weiß nicht.
Es hat nie richtig gezündet.
Und das bei einer der besten Figuren der Ilias.

I struggled with Glyn Iliffe’s Return to Ithaca, but I want to be very clear in that I believe much of my difficulties stemmed from opting to read the series out of order. The books are six in number, but I picked up the final volume without so much as a glance at the novels that preceded it. I knew The Odyssey well enough to feel comfortable with the material and figured it wouldn’t matter, but the reality proved my assumption grossly misplaced.

Iliffe’s characterizations are firmly established at this point and while I respect the author’s creative choices, the tone and direction of the novel are not easy for readers who haven’t followed the retelling chronologically. I felt myself at a great disadvantage with this piece and caution others from following in my footsteps.

The action was well-written and I think the series boasts a unique degree of creativity, but it should be firmly understood the novels are not stand-alones.

So here we are, Odysseus’ journey is coming to an end. I have followed his and Eperitus’ travels, trials and tribulations through the previous five books. Now we have the Return to Ithaca.

As someone who is familiar with the works of Homer, one thing has bothered me since the first chapter. If I’m spoiling anything for you, sorry, but the story has been around for three thousand years – Odysseus arrives home alone, everyone he left with for Troy is dead. But Odysseus is not our hero; it’s Eperitus. How will Glyn Iliffe reconcile these two things? Does he kill off the protagonist? Or does he completely ignore a key element of the original story? I made this a black or white question in my mind, forgetting all the shades of gray. I’ll say this, Iliffe walked this tightrope with impeccable skill.

With five books read, it’s difficult to find something new to say about the author’s writing. I think that since I am still invested in these characters after all this time it is a testament to the author’s abilities. Glyn Iliffe has created a great cast of characters that not only are respectful to the originals, but also breathe new life into such a well-known tale.

With this journey complete I am left with one nagging question. What’s next from Iliffe? Does he create new stories around Eperitus and Odysseus? Perhaps an adventure for Telemachus? There are plenty of other Greek myths that could use a modern reboot. Or…there is a certain survivor from Troy. I think his story could offer an equal amount of excitement and could benefit from Glyn Iliffe’s knowledge and skill; as a reader, I would be on board.

*4.5 Stars

This is the final volume of a six m=novel series about Odysseus. You do not need to be familiar with the Odyssey or have read the previous novels to read and enjoy this imaginative retelling of Odysseus' homecoming.

The action begins with the hero still ensnared on Calypso's island, having been there for 7 years. By the gods' command the nymph releases him and he sails off to Ithaca on a raft. After one more shipwreck, he finally is landed on his island home. These events will be familiar to readers of Homer.

So will the stories of his son and his wife. The difference here is that they are told with more depth and psychological insight than in the epic poem.

Another difference is that more attention is paid to the suitors. In Homer they are an undefined group of boors, but here they have names, characters, and, most importantly, political ambitions. This does not serve to make them more sympathetic, but instead makes the actions that form the climax of the book (and Homer's epic) more understandable.

The biggest difference in this retelling is the survival of two others from the shipwreck that landed Odysseus on Calypso's island. One, his close friend, plays an important part throughout the book. He is entirely the author's invention. The second is a bard who is blinded in the shipwreck and loses most of his memory. His new name is Omerus, and he is at work on what will become Homer's epic poems.

I love The Odyssey and so I'm always sympathetic to retellings of it. While I liked much of the emphasis in this book on how the characters were feeling, I felt that the book spent just too long on many parts, especially the slaying of the suitors. Where Homer has his climax with relative dispatch and without details of almost every killing, here the battle goes on and on.

Much as I enjoyed to book, it is not enough to make me pick up the other volumes.