tldr (tim reilly) on Warpcast

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Some thoughts about The Odyssey: - The story was told by a bard over a 3 day period - The first 12 books are about Odysseus and his struggle on the way back from Troy, but it is told to the Phaeacians, and is narrated Odysseus (his internal story is told to an external audience - The latter half (the last 12 books) focus on his adventures back in Ithaca, time slows down, and it becomes a story of more political and how to end the story - it is told from a third person view mainly and contrasts so well with the pacing of the first half - The evolution of Telemachus in the first few books first vs the last few books is Breaking Bad level character development I think, (good Walter white is to bad Walter white as young Telemachus is to mature Telemachus) - there are just so many great moments - great similes to describe the reunification of Odysseus with Telemachus, Odysseus with Penelope - the sirens, Calypso, Nausicaä, the Phaecians, - reuniting Odysseus with his dog is heartbreaking

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Also the story is so strikingly non linear - it tells the story to really maximize intrigue and excitement- we don’t even see Odysseus till book 4

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tldr (tim reilly)

I only began to appreciate this fact on my last reading. I believe it is about letting us experience the disarray inflicted on so many (not just family, but city) by Odysseus' absence. This has to be considered part of his active character, since it is the side effect of his wanderings.

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You may also have to consider the economics of the delivery too :-) These stories were told by bards, and I guess they needed to keep attention for days, so it makes sense to delay the entrance of the main character? Just speculating, nothing to base this on. But it's important to keep in mind that the Odyssey we got is the result of repetition over centuries, so I wouldn't rule out optimizations related to delivery and payment.

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