Finished: The Odyssey (Homer). I enjoyed this epic tale! :-) I can't remember if I read The Odyssey in high school, but it did not seem familiar. Yet, the mythologies were definitely familiar. I'm thinking maybe I read The Iliad. In any case, I've now read Homer, and much to my surprise, I was not bored or glazing over. I really enjoyed the story of Odysseus' long journey home, and all the players involved. It may have just inspired me to read (re-read?) The Iliad! I loved Telemachus, and Penelope, and all who were loyal to Odysseus....especially Athena. Though, wasn't it always the gods dallying with the mortals who usually started all the problems to begin with?? And...did Odysseus perhaps deserve his ten year exile after the Trojan War? I'd have to really get into the history to formulate an opinion on that, so for now I'll just say, I was rooting for Odysseus in The Odyssey. :-)

I wish I could understand Greek and read the original. You can tell that the poem had many phrases used over and over throughout that were translated charmingly to my eyes. Some of the ones I liked in particular:

"When the early rosy fingered dawn appeared." (probably the most repeated)

"Surely the wine has touched your wits."

"Athena poured sleep upon her eyelids." or "On her lids, Athena caused a sweet sleep to fall."

"His life flew away."

"What word has passed the barrier of your teeth?"

"I will go to my upper chamber and lie on my bed, which has become for me a bed of sorrows, ever watered with my tears since Odysseus went away to see accursed Ilios, --name never to be named."

lol, love that last one. Reminds me of "He who shall not be named." from Harry Potter! Anyway...I definitely enjoyed this Classic and think it deserves to be on the Classics list.