Welcome to this final episode of Odyssey, translated by Emily Wilson. In this episode, Rhea and Shari discuss their deep love of Odysseus and Penelope’s reunion, and their utter confusion with Book 24—why it felt random, rushed, unnecessary, etc. They talked about where the climax was, and what the story is ultimately about. They talk about story telling as the collective love language of the ancient classical world. This led to a lengthy discussion wondering what our collective love language is: Do we have one? If not, why not? Which led to a discussion about coming home, the problem of homelessness and whether or not homelessness is the worst thing a person can suffer. What about a society? Are we a “homeless” society?

It was a twisty-turny, full of questioning, fun discussion. A great way to end our deep read on this ancient-but-ever-relevant epic story.

R&W’s next deep read is Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe. We’re excited to take on this obscure, controversial, oft avoided novel written by the man James Joyce called “the father of the English novel.”

Stay tuned for the latest reading schedule for Moll Flanders. We highly recommend you read the Penguin Classics version (linked to the title) to avoid confusion with page numbers (there are no chapter breaks)

Read this post on a programming update for R&W’s reading and writing schedule in May.

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