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A review by amarj33t_5ingh
Ithaca Forever: Penelope Speaks by Luigi Malerba
5.0
This is quite a conscientious piece of alternative fiction delineating a 'what if' scenario adapted from the classic Odyssey. Luigi's greatest achievement is in humanizing the characters of the Illiad and the Odyssey while shearing away all superstitious references to Gods and the like to present what is essentially a more 'human' (read reality) based story.
This is a book which will make you feel uncomfortable. It is a study in human psychology and what-aboutism. The characters in the novel are stuck in a convoluted plane which clashes between fiction and reality. There are references to adultery, betrayal and disloyalty. By the end, it is up to the reader to conclude whether Penelope was indeed faithful to Odysseus or whether Odysseus's own suspicious mind is properly summarizing that she was on the cusp of selecting a suitor to supplant him.
This is a book which will make you feel uncomfortable. It is a study in human psychology and what-aboutism. The characters in the novel are stuck in a convoluted plane which clashes between fiction and reality. There are references to adultery, betrayal and disloyalty. By the end, it is up to the reader to conclude whether Penelope was indeed faithful to Odysseus or whether Odysseus's own suspicious mind is properly summarizing that she was on the cusp of selecting a suitor to supplant him.