The Lost Books of the Odyssey

Starred review from September 28, 2009
Mason's fantastic first novel, a deft reimagining of Homer's Odyssey
, begins with the story as we know it before altering the perspective or fate of the characters in subsequent short story–like chapters. Legendary moments of myth are played differently throughout, as when Odysseus forgoes the Trojan horse, or when the Cyclops—here a gentle farmer—is blinded by Odysseus while he burgles the Cyclops's cave. Mason's other life—as a computer scientist—informs some chapters, such as “The Long Way Back” in which Daedalus's labyrinth ensnares Theseus in a much different way. Part of what makes this so enjoyable is the firm grasp Mason has on the source material; the footnotes double as humorous asides while reminding readers who aren't familiar with the original that, for instance, Eumaios is “the swineherd who sheltered Odysseus when he first returned to Ithaca and later helped him kill the suitors.” This original work consistently surprises and delights.

June 15, 2010

Debut novelist Mason compiles and re-imagines 44 short Homeric episodes, portraying Odysseus as less of a hero and more of a mariner's bard. Classical characters are redefined as the Odyssey serves as a springboard for extrapolation on ancient themes, characters, and even chess. (References to more modern technologies, like paper and books, jarred this listener's sense of the ancient.) Unfortunately, much of the understated humor is lost in the polished, classical, British theater voice of Simon Vance (see Behind the Mike, LJ 10/15/09). Listeners with a strong background in classical literature may appreciate the humor and Vance's rendering, but those libraries whose budgets are strained should pass. [Audio clip available through us.macmillan.com; the Farrar hc was a Young Lions Fiction Award finalist of 2009 and won the Starcherone Fiction Prize; for another recent retelling of The Odyssey, see also Ioanna Karystiani's Swell (LJ 1/10).--Ed.]--Sandy Glover, Camas P.L., WA

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