Grant Buday

Another fascinating Trojan War retelling. The War is at stalemate after 10 years; Agamemnon and Menelaus, brothers who inflicted it on everyone, ask Odysseus to think of some subterfuge to bring an end to hostilities. The story is told from Odysseus's viewpoint: the last few days and months--spring to summer--ending the War, interspersed with reminiscences. Thinking of his little son, Telemachus, luring crabs out of their holes to catch them, leads him to conceive of the wooden Horse. If the Trojans lead it into their city, Greeks hidden inside can emerge secretly and overpower the Trojans for a decisive victory. The idea is debated. The Greeks finally decide to use it, with modifications. Chosen men enter the belly of the Horse, wait and the Horse is taken into the City. At the end he muses, "... at long last the Trojan War is finished ... soon, very soon, in a month at most, I will be home."

These familiar characters are given personalities. We see Odysseus not merely as the trickster and with a slippery tongue, but truly longing for wife and son. His family appears in his memories. He has "hoist himself by his own petard" by having suggested an Oath of mutual help, years ago and now being bound by it. Written with vividness, terseness and imagination. I took dragonflies as a symbol for change--life to death, change of seasons.

Highly recommended.… (mere)

The beauty of a good coming-of-age novel is that we can empathize or at least learn from the pain of the characters. And that is what one can do with this book. The story is set in September 1965 and it is Jack’s first day of school. But it also the day that Jack’s mother learns of her husband’s affair while trying to deal with the suicide of their downstair’s tenant (And her secret love.) Buday divides the narrative of the of the book between the voices of the three family members to brilliantly make the reader hear and feel the confusion and anguish of the lifestyle that exists in that cohesion.
http://tinyurl.com/ps6hqb9… (mere)