Some words of advice from Celica Milovanovic, our discussion leader:

• As you are embarking on this reading adventure, have a notebook and pencil ready. Then, decide what specific aspect of the story you are going to zero in.
• If it is the main hero, make note of every act of his, every speech, thought, emotion, mood, reaction, etc, so that in the end you may get an impression of what person he is and what makes him tick.
• Alternately, you may pay attention to all the women in the story, who they are, where they live, what their socio-economic status is, how they relate to men, what their domestic responsibilities are, etc.
• Or, you may be interested in the realities of daily life at that time, the social mores, the religious beliefs and customs, etc.

Whatever you choose will help you understand better the overall story of Odysseus’ heroism and adventure.