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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is definitely interesting & quite clever to re-imagine tales from Homer for 1990s Caribbean, but it wasn't my favorite to read. My favorite parts were the almost personification of nature and the islands, but I wish there was more of that. My least favorite parts were the nonlinear narrative that not only shifts between characters, but also shifts between locations/time periods because it makes it hard to track on top of the poetic language and format.
Omeros is a sweeping epic poem that reimagines Homeric themes within the Caribbean context, particularly on the island of St. Lucia. It follows the lives of fishermen Achille and Hector, their love for Helen, and the struggles of their community, blending personal and historical narratives with the legacy of colonialism. Through lyrical language and rich symbolism, Walcott explores themes of identity, belonging, and the interconnectedness of past and present.
Omeros is a sweeping epic poem that reimagines Homeric themes within the Caribbean context, particularly on the island of St. Lucia. It follows the lives of fishermen Achille and Hector, their love for Helen, and the struggles of their community, blending personal and historical narratives with the legacy of colonialism. Through lyrical language and rich symbolism, Walcott explores themes of identity, belonging, and the interconnectedness of past and present.
This book is more than a book. It is a remarkable poetic feat. Walcott retells the story of Homer's Odyssey in modern times, using a tiny island and its inhabitants as the setting and characters. And here's something that is truly remarkable about it--just about the whole thing (a couple hundred pages) rhymes. You don't notice that it rhymes, because the story itself is so absorbing. I'm definitely not somebody who believes that poetry has to rhyme, but anybody who can create an epic poem with a sound narrative structure AND rhyme and meter pretty much running through the whole thing has created a masterpiece. I recommend pulling out your old high school or college copy of Odyssey and reading that before reading this. It will enrich the experience.
i liked the end when he said hey maybe i don't need to write in the style of ancient greek epics ever again
After raving about this to a few friends, I realized the flaw I noticed in the first book never got resolved. Helen, an island as well as a woman, never really gains autonomy, so in his critique of colonialism and neo colonialism Walcott fails to critique one of its oldest and most disturbing tropes--that of the frontier as a virginal woman. To me it's merely tiresome and disappointing but others might have a stronger reaction.
Besides that the captivating language and brilliance of the descriptions made this one of the most impressive and exciting reads for me in a while. And I'm not a big poetry fan.
Minor note: it's seven books, not five as it says in the description on here.
Besides that the captivating language and brilliance of the descriptions made this one of the most impressive and exciting reads for me in a while. And I'm not a big poetry fan.
Minor note: it's seven books, not five as it says in the description on here.
Beautiful writing, but a story that was sometimes hard to follow. But that's poetry for you!