This is what's wrong with the world today, or at least the part of it I inhabit: I
cannot walk up to someone in the office and say, "Y'know, it's funny. I've been
listening to the Odyssey on my way to work and this time through it, I'm
finding that my perception of Odysseus' character is very strongly influenced by
Tennyson's Ulysses," and have them answer something like, "Really? That's odd,
since Tennyson's Ulysses is so much later in his life." Or, really, any
answer indicating a rudimentary knowledge of either the story or the poem (the
latter of which shouldn't be too difficult since there's lengthy chunk of it
posted on my wall). Though I did walk by a meeting the other day and hear someone
talk about his fondness for Tolkien and the Harry Potter books, so they're not all
complete illiterates. I have never, except during my four years as an undergrad,
known anyone in school or at work with whom I could discuss much of my reading. I
have known a few bright fantasy and SF fans along the way (endemic in engineering)
and I used to work with one Jane Austen fan, but I don't think she'd read anything
but Emma (she liked Stan Rogers and Great Big Sea, too -- clearly a woman with
superior tastes). If there's one major blessing the Internet has brought, it's the
ability to connect with other people who can discuss books. As well as other
obscure subjects like folk music and rowing, but most of all and especially
books.
Another more serious problem with the world is the existence
of stupid or corrupt judges, but that's a different story and belongs to someone
else.
The Odyssey tape is very well done, by a storyteller who
calls himself Ods Bodikins. The case says that he does "over 37" voices for
different characters (uh, would that be 38?), which seems paltry compared to the
400+ Jim Dale reportedly mustered for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,
but I impressed at how these book readers can summon up voices so different from
their own that I wouldn't have been able to tell it was the same person. He's
having a bit of a hard time differentiating Odysseus' sailors, but I suspect
that's because the story never does treat them as individuals, except for the
second in command. My only real problem so far with the story is that Ods
Bodikins's Circe sounds far too much like Miss Piggy for me to take her seriously.
Perhaps changing the sailors to pigs was meant to be a compliment? (Come to think
of it, Polyphemus sounds a bit like a Muppet too -- one of the monsters.) To
balance that, his sound effects are very good (almost all vocal, I think), his
Odysseus does sound like a man who would be trusted and followed, and the 12-
string guitar and harp accompaniment are enchanting.
To insert my
almost-obligatory non-sequitur, I am wearing my new red shoes today. The only
problem with them is that I keep wondering if I could escape work by clicking my
heels together three times and repeating, "There's no place like home." (Even
though yes, I do know that in Baum's original the shoes wre silver. Presumably
ruby slippers were more impressive in Technicolor.)
Also, I would
like to welcome yet another new person to the world, even
if this one has ink instead of blood in her veins.