Book 13
Summary: Oddy makes it to Ithaca, meets Athena, and she disguises him.
Let me start by saying how confused I was that Odysseus made it back to Ithaca half way through the book. What else was he going to do? I wondered. I knew he had to meet Argos, shoot the axes, and kill the suitors, but that didn't seem like it could take another 200+ pages (especially when the whole story so far was about that long).
Truthfully, this is a shortish chapter and I didn't take many notes.
Book 14
Summary: Oddy meets his pig farmer and tells a truish account without revealing himself.
Fitzgerald's translation has a kind of old-timey, charming slightly goofy way sometimes and it really comes out in this chapter. After Eumaeus saves Odysseus from the guard dogs he says, "You might have got a ripping, man!" A page later, the narrator says they eat "two young porkers." I don't think I could eat a pig if someone called it a porker. That's too adorable.
Eumaeus doesn't get enough attention in culture. Most of the human side characters don't, but it's particularly noticeable with him. He's in a full half the book (unlike the crew members who are lucky to show up on five pages) and he's very helpful and loyal to Odysseus.
After Eumaeus asks Odysseus how he came to Ithaca ("I don't suppose you walked here on the see") we get the great epithet "the master of improvisation"
He tells a story of his missing time, which is mostly true in the broad strokes, but changes specific names, locations, etc. (also, less goddess/sorceress fucking). He tells a story about being cold when he had to wear a kilt, which is interesting. I assume the original is "skirt" or something.
Tomorrow, Telemachus makes it home!
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