Yes, the podcast continues, as we find ourselves in the company of a swineherd. It’s an older, wiser version of Odysseus although sadly, the same can’t be said for me or Jane-Frances.

There are tall tales, good food, questions of loyalty, and perhaps the beginnings of the final showdown.

But Book 14 also got us thinking how do you tell the story of your life when it hasn’t gone quite as you planned?

Do you embellish it? Rewrite it? Laugh about it? Or, like Odysseus, tell whatever version gets you through the night?

Dear Listeners, Odysseus finally returns home. Sure, it’s the long way and the journey was not easy (for any of us). He has a boat full of treasure, but with none of the men he left with. Athena helps him out, but it’s now up to him to work his way back to his family. Will he do it, will the gods intervene? Or will he just make a mess of it?

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Dear Listener,

After a short - then long - break I have found the lost ‘recap’ episode that we recorded a few months ago. We will be back to our regular programing very shortly. And yes we are aware that a movie block-buster has been made about this very podcast (sort of). No, we have not been invited to the work premier, or even the local premier. Who plays me? Who plays Jane-Frances? We were not consulted.

In this episode we take a breath and recap on the ‘you would never believe what happened to me’ part of the first 12 chapters.

Finally the Sirens make an appearance, amongst other monsters, and Odysseus must avoid temptation. And that’s not all. Will they heed the message to avoid the sun gods beasts? Will they stay clear of the cliff top monsters? In this book we get the best of the Odyssey - monsters, poor decision making and another cracking tale. It’s jammed packed and a fitting way to bring this act to a close. As usual, we find many relevant lessons for us as we navigate our own modern day oceans. Would you eat the sun god’s sheep? Would you be tempted by the call of the siren? Why is this story so relevant in today’s world?

Can Odysseus and his men go home yet? No of course not. In order to go home the crew have to sail to the end of the earth and visit the dead. Why? Because the dead will tell them how to get home and will give them some key pointers on what to do (and not do) on the way home. Go home they tell him - you have but one life. Yes this all makes complete sense. No we do not do ghostly voices.

Its a great book - and we hope you enjoy the podcast. Please subscribe below, leave comments and enjoy.

Odysseus swears he is almost home but is blown off course and swept up to another island with yet another attractive goddess. All is not lost though as another clue is revealed and he saves the day again. Well it’s his story and that is how he tells it.

How many people must die? How do you turn your crew back from pigs to humans? How do you seduce the Queen of Aeaea? Join us as we try to work out what is going on and what on (our) earth we can take away from this ramshackle of a tale.

Oh and becaused you asked: here is a review of the pop up book we talk about.

Book 9 is where Odysseus spills the beans on how he got completely off course after Troy. We get one-eyed man-eating giants, lotus-fuelled apathy, and an escape plan that involves clinging to the belly of a sheep.

As it turns out, underneath the heroics, we meet the real Odysseus: brilliant, slippery, and not nearly as noble as the legends make out.

Oh and sometimes it pays to keep your mouth shut!

Book 9 appears to be a day of games and folly, but like everything in The Odyssey there are plenty of lessons to learn, traps to avoid and feasts to be had. A surprise guest appearance from the local rock star helps move the day along, but also drags the mood down with a the ancient world’s sadest song. Join us as we dodge the flying discus and try to guess the melody of an ancient Greek folk classic. Can we work out who Odyssey realy is, and why is so good at discus?

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The parallels between Bronze Age Greece and our modern life continue to jump out at us as we march through Book 7 (without the help of a invisible fog). Join us as we continue to pull apart each book and find the hidden and not so hidden clues on how to get through our own ordeals. And yes there is another feast. Like what you are hearing? Please subscribe and leave a message. Ask questions and tell us more about what you have learnt from this very, very old story.

Welcome back to the Odyssey Odyssey as we continue the story of our hero as he finds himself washed up, stark naked on a Greek island. Luckily Athena is there with her Glow Up powers, and some brave girls who help him on his way. What on earth can we learn from this book? As usual we find more than one lesson from the ancient greeks - and we try our best to do better… (not just on washing day).