What happens in my house when the 3rd grade child says he’s bored and he would like to read one of your books and can he read this one that’s written by Homer Simpson?
Um, we don’t have any books written by Homer Simpson.
Yes huh, right here. It’s called the Ode-whys-easy?
The Odyssey? You want to read Homer’s The Odyssey?
Yup.
Hold on just a minute, okay?
(Emails the only person I know who’s ever bothered to actually read that book)
(Gets no response)
(Takes matters into my own hands)
Sure, you can read it. You can read anything on my shelf. But first, get your coat.
And just like that, they had a brand new present and no one had to wrap their brains around some 8th century b.c. poem written in Ionic Greek.
*But now I kind of want to.
**Yes, the other kid has a huge hole in his pants. He’s 10; he makes his own fashion mistakes now.
***I’m fully aware I could have just thrown O Brother on.
phhhst
Sunday, 18 January, 2009 at 2:06I think you should giv ehim the book and see what happens. You know, him looking through the lense of Homer Simpson and all.
phhhst wrote..Friday Foto: Dive On In
Fawn
Sunday, 18 January, 2009 at 2:13You have The Odyssey in Ionic Greek in your house?! Dude.
Once, a long time ago, I read an English translation of it. No, make that interpretation, since it didn’t even pretend to be in poetry form. All I remember is the part about the sirens.
I love that picture of your boys. It totally looks like an ad for literacy. Like, “Reading is cool, man.” :)
Fawn wrote..Not Chinese
colleen
Sunday, 18 January, 2009 at 3:52dude. 1 of 3 TOTALLY looks like he should be in a remake of LOST BOYS. srsly yo.
colleen wrote..Surviving the Unwashed Masses – AKA The Taboo Sex Show
Melisa
Sunday, 18 January, 2009 at 7:02I’m with Colleen. You should get them both an agent:
“Makin’ the Public Library look cool, yo!”
Melisa wrote..Happy Birthday to My Very Own Captain Awesome
Beth Fish
Sunday, 18 January, 2009 at 7:43I’ve read it in English several times and bits of it in Greek. Let him have it, he’ll last five minutes.
Beth Fish wrote..Day in the Life
perksofbeingme
Sunday, 18 January, 2009 at 7:52I’ll be interested in seeing how much of it he reads before going, “hell no.” I read The Odyssey i high school. I also read the Illiad in Middle School (in latin nonetheless, I was a nerd what can I say). I had to read The Illiad again in college (this time in ENglish) and while I still was not a huge fan of the book, it reads so much easier in English (no duh, I know).
perksofbeingme wrote..cough update
tutugirl1345
Sunday, 18 January, 2009 at 7:59I cannot believe you have the Odyssey around your house in Greek! That’s ridiculous. I hated that book in high school and we read it in English. Love the library though. My dad used to put a cap on how many books I could bring home.
tutugirl1345 wrote..An interview with TX Poppet
Xbox4NappyRash
Sunday, 18 January, 2009 at 8:10You should TOTALLY get him to read it, and the Illiad.
Mind bending stuff.
Xbox4NappyRash wrote..So I can blame you
Jo
Sunday, 18 January, 2009 at 8:24Holy crap! I took four years of Latin and some additional Latin related classes and I STILL have managed to ever read the Odyssey. I did see O’ Brother Where Art Thou and I may have been the only person who didn’t enjoy it. Maybe I should watch it again.
Jill
Sunday, 18 January, 2009 at 8:41Most excellent! Did he find a book by Homer Simpson at the library?
Jill wrote..Third time’s a charm? I hope!? AKA The one where I talk about puke a lot
Middle-Aged-Woman
Sunday, 18 January, 2009 at 9:05The hole-y sweats TOTALLY go with the wife-beater shirt.
Middle-Aged-Woman wrote..Techno Geek Celebration
tracey
Sunday, 18 January, 2009 at 9:16O brother rocks..
So, is that a library card? Or… their first credit cards???
I haven’t read the comments yet. Can you tell?
tracey wrote..Some numbers to mull over…
Lee of MWOB
Sunday, 18 January, 2009 at 10:12Those boys of yours are friggin’ gorgeous and that almost 11-year-old of yours is gonna break some hearts – or maybe he already is…. ;-)
I also think that pic is a very hip ad for the library….”It’s where all the cool kids hang…”
Happy Sunday.
Lee of MWOB wrote..A Blind Date, A Beginning to a Blogroll and a Friday BASH!
Zoeyjane
Sunday, 18 January, 2009 at 10:18You did not email me. Seriously? It took this long for library cards? WTF do YOU people do on rainy days?
Zoeyjane wrote..On Twitterpation (and Not Very Weekly Winners)
raino
Sunday, 18 January, 2009 at 10:21your kids are gorgeous.
SciFi Dad
Sunday, 18 January, 2009 at 10:46Hmmm… my email must’ve gotten lost in the interweb, I suppose.
(Also? Reading the Illiad first would make more sense, since it takes place before The Odyssey.)
(Also also? Reading The Aeneid after The Odyssey would be interesting, since they both follow heroes after the Trojan War.)
(Also also also? OK, I got nothing, but typing “also” three times made me think of that Brady Bunch episode with the “Marsha Marsha Marsha”.)
Woah. I just included classical Greek and Roman literature and 1970s tv in one comment. My head hurts.
super mama
Sunday, 18 January, 2009 at 10:49lol, i agree with the others, they make the library look cool! Peanut and I go all the time…nothing beat free books and movies.
super mama wrote..Not as planned, but what a great alternative
Angie [A Whole Lot of Nothing]
Sunday, 18 January, 2009 at 11:04Make sure you check out Mishi’s post about books at the library or you’ll have a whole other subject to talk about.
Jeanette
Sunday, 18 January, 2009 at 12:55I’m very impressed that you actually have a copy of that book in your house!
Miss
Sunday, 18 January, 2009 at 13:16All we have in our house is Stephen King novels. And you JUST got them library cards?? Mine’s had a library card since he could walk. WOMAN.
Miss wrote..Lullabies
Jack
Sunday, 18 January, 2009 at 13:48I read The Odyssey and loved it. But these days it almost always makes me think of Creams- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GmaCnheB64
Jack wrote..A Bag of Mixed Nuts
Tara R.
Sunday, 18 January, 2009 at 14:08My vote goes with letting him have the book too. Who knows, he might find a love for Greek tragedies.
Tara R. wrote..Weekly Winners ~ perceptions
some chick
Sunday, 18 January, 2009 at 16:13Duuude, I don’t think even my dad has The Odyssey in ionic Greek. That is seriously cool.
Maria
Sunday, 18 January, 2009 at 16:46My daughter has had a library since she was three. And it was the smartest thing I ever did for her…
Maria wrote..Watching that train slide through Delaware.
Jen
Sunday, 18 January, 2009 at 19:02My girls are geeks, too! My older daughter, now 8, knows the Odyssey story from various readings of it. Then I found this fantastic book which has the basics (I skimmed a lot when I read the grown-up version to her) that your boys will probably like, too. It’s got the basic story, plus nice graphics. Let’s see…shuffle, shuffle…here it is: “The Adventures of Odysseus,” Lupton, Morden, Balit. Published by Barefoot Books. Read on, McDuff! :)
Jen wrote..Do Jedi Mind Tricks Work on Frozen Poles?
The Real Life Fairy Tale Princess
Sunday, 18 January, 2009 at 19:09I believe the Odyssey was one of those long, drawn out stories, that they forced us to read in High School. Or maybe that’s the Iliad… same diff. If he’s going to dive into the epic poetry we might want to start a little easier. I vote for Beowulf… because its only about 100 pages long and more importantly… there’s an awesome movie!!
The Real Life Fairy Tale Princess wrote..Have I told you all I’m busy?
MommyTime
Sunday, 18 January, 2009 at 21:50Um, hello? My email got lost too. But I’ve never read it in Greek. There are parts of it that he would probably love — all about fighting giants, etc.. If you want me to tell you the “good” chapters, email me. I will say, though, that the prose translation (Dover Thrift version is nice and cheap) will probably be easier for him to get his head around that the poetry ones, and it still does a reasonably good job of capturing the flavor of the elevated language, the lists, and other stylistic devices of the original.
MommyTime wrote..Good News for Small Toy Makers and Craftspeople
Geri
Sunday, 18 January, 2009 at 22:23Let him have it and see what happens. If he reads it, you’ve got a genius on your hands.
Geri wrote..Apple Cider Vinegar
Em
Sunday, 18 January, 2009 at 22:25It was a great day when Oldest got his library card. He was so proud. Put it in his velcro wallet, right next to his go kart racing drivers license.
I think I shed a tear.
Very cool!!
I guess I’d be the geek in the room to say I loved The Iliad and The Odyssey – English version only, please.
Em wrote..Thank you! He’ll be here all week.
NukeDad
Monday, 19 January, 2009 at 0:36Nukeboy1 wants to read “Misery” by Stephen King. He also mentioned “It”. I said; “Let me save you 1100 pages: It’s a spider. A. Freakin’. Spider. Sure; the clown will get you and you’ll never look at a balloon the same again, but; Stephen? 1100 pages for a spider? Seriously? And I didn’t read anything else of his for 10 years.”
NukeDad wrote..Phished To Death
Kori
Monday, 19 January, 2009 at 12:48We are no longer allowed at the public library. I wish I were joking. Good thing I have lots and lots of books, but alas, no Homer….
Kori wrote..Another Monday
Chris
Monday, 19 January, 2009 at 13:03Back in college, I heard a tape of a guy who actually sat down and recorded his reading the whole (English translation of) Odyssey, keeping as close as possible to the meter of the original Greek.
I think this might be a great way to introduce them to it because it will let them experience the story without getting bogged down with the vocabulary.
I still can’t find any info about what I must have listened to, but I’m looking…
Charlie on PA Tpk
Tuesday, 20 January, 2009 at 10:04Reminds me of when my 9 year old son wanted to read Playboy … we had watched some of the Tony awards, and he then asked What’s Playboy?
When I asked where he had heard it mentioned, he said On Regis and Kelly! See, whenever they have a star of a Broadway show, they always hold up a copy of Playboy and….
the planet of janet
Tuesday, 20 January, 2009 at 14:17*snort* i say let him. it’ll send him running for the REAL homer simpson ….
the planet of janet wrote..Birthday dinner: without the birthday and without the family
Jaina
Wednesday, 21 January, 2009 at 14:15Lol, I hope he enjoys it. ;)
Jaina wrote..Spring Cleaning
amysprite
Wednesday, 21 January, 2009 at 14:30I so LOVE the pic of your boys with their library cards!! I just let my 9 y.o. get his library card this past summer and he was so proud of himself and put the card in his cub scouts wallet, so pleased as punch! Love it!
And it is for the best that he didn’t dip into Homer’s Odyssey OR Oh, Brother, Where Art Thou?, yo.