The Oddyssey Books V-VII

 Calypso does not seem happy. But hey, you can't keep a man on your little island for seven years against his will, then expect to be happy for the rest of your life. Anyway, Ulysses is off Calypso's island, and despite a small holdup enduring Poseidon's wrath, has made it to land. The people he found have agreed to take him home. I'm pretty sure I caught some foreshadowing when it said Poseidon had told them not to be so easygoing about escorting people home. One question though, why is Ulysses putting up with the feast and the games? i would think he would want to leave for home right away, not wait around until afternoon.  And just one more thing, why does everyone want Ulysses to stick around and marry someone? Calypso, Nausicaa...

The Oddyssey Books II-IV

The most important thing that happens in this section of the Oddyssey is that Telemachus begins and and finds success in his quest. Telemachus finds out from Menelaus that his father is being held captive by Calypso. But the good things end when the narrator informs us the suitors are awaiting Telemachus's return    so they can murder him. Which just reminds me that the suitors are just terrible people in general. They kill all of Telemachus's animals and refuse to leave his house, then decide to kill him because he wants to find out what has happened to his father.
On a separate note, I found it very ironic that Minerva had to pray to Neptune, seeing as they hate each other.

The Oddyssey Book I

I read The Oddyssey Book I today. When Telemachus learns his quest from the goddess Minerva. He must  travel far and wide to find any news of where his father might be. I found the suitors very obnoxious, just hanging out at a mourning woman's house. And eat all her food and drink all her wine as they sing and play the lyre. I also thought it was terrible that Neptune make Ulysses' family suffer for something he did. But I've heard Gods are very self-centered.

Summer Reading

Unfortunately I was unable to read as much as I would like to this summer, but here are the most memorable.

A Separate Peace, by John Knowles: The story of A Separate Peace is of two prep school boys that are best friends that have their relationship and beliefs challenged when one pushes the other out of a tree. The fall costs him a broken leg and never being able to play sports again. I didn't enjoy the story of this book. Yet it was memorable because I spent most of the time reading it trying to match a mental illness with the main characters' symptoms.

The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak: I can honestly say this is one of the best books I've ever read. The book is narrated by Death himself and tells the story of the orphaned Leisel Memminger. A young girl in Nazi Germany. I loved Zusak's writing style is so fluent and unique. His descriptions are wonderful. The words 'I'm Sorry' are big and clumsy. The smell of pea soup and confrontation was in the air. Again, one of the best books I've ever read.

The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein: This is written from the point of veiw of a family's dog. The only one in the family that knows a family member has fatal brain cancer. It's a very good story that was unexpected and sees things how they are. I'm glad I read it.