Reviews - The Odyssey | The StoryGraph

485 reviews for:

3.5 stars.

This was a nice change of pace for me. I enjoyed it. Overall, it is a quirky book with an eccentric main character. You could say this type of novel is an acquired taste. The experience of reading this book more about being symbolic, poignant and thought-provoking than it is to tell a story or sweep you away. It can be a little dark, very weird and.... "British" (I do love British humor tho...) It was a compulsive read for me.

As it is, I love unusual/flawed/eccentric/quicky characters, so Ingrid was a delightful match for me. I also am fascinated by "cruise culture" and wish there were more books about the crew on cruise ships. (I find those mini societies deeply fascinating).

SUMMARY: 5-ish years ago, Ingrid went to work on a huge cruise ship. Cruise employees works nearly every single day, only occasionally getting a day off to go off the ship if they choose. Ingrid doesn't mind and takes pride in her work. She's also been recently selected for an advancement program/mentorship on board.

Ingrid has two close friends on the ship, whom are basically her family. However, once she enters the new program, tensions arise. Meanwhile, in her sessions with Keith (her mentor) we learn more about Ingrid's upbringing and that she is/was married. Eventually she realizes being busy on the ship keeps her from thinking about her husband and the life she had abandoned.

As more time passes, Ingrid also realizes the ship is declining. For example, there are less guests. The carpets start to appear dingy and dirty, etc. This leads Ingrid to wonder if it is time for her to go home.

I also hope to find more books by this author and narrator. Thank you Net galley for my ARC.

pocketclown's review against another edition

3.0

Kind of weird book about a cult cruise ship, alcoholism and running away from your problems. Her reason for running away is a bit disappointing and stereotypical even if it is a real struggle that women grapple with. It’s a lot of behaviour to pin on that sort of shortcoming.

The book wasn’t exactly funny, more disturbing and edgy although it wasn’t very try-hard in the way a lot of edgy books are. I think it tried to be outrageous funny but veered into disturbing and gross.

I wish there was some sort of confrontation of the cult dynamics that developed on the boat. It was rather glossed over in favour of Ingrid’s own issues. A lot of that could have been expanded on. I enjoyed the parts where she’s working, her take on cruise ship life. I feel like that’s what made this book good.

zeynepkazmaz's review against another edition

2.0

The Odyssey is about Ingrid, a woman who has left everything behind to work on a cruise ship, being selected for a special programme on deck. The whole story is very unsettling and even quite anxiety inducing, though I’m not entirely sure what happens in it.

I came across a review on bookstagram saying this book might be taking place on a cruise ship but it might also be taking place in a mental hospital (I don’t remember who this was but if it was you, please let me know!), and this rings very true. The line between reality and fever dream is very thin here, with scales constantly tipping between the two.

I’m honestly not sure what else to say about this book - you should definitely experience it for yourself. Just make sure to put on a life vest before you dive in.

jdrews's review against another edition

2.0

This book was well-written but incredibly strange. I am not sure I really understood any of the characters or what was happening but I enjoyed the attention to detail in the slow process towards entropy that happened on the WA. The character's decisions did not make sense to me and their motivations were never truly explained which I found to be a little frustrating but I think the mystery was the point.