Homeric Moments: Clues to Delight in Reading the Odyssey and the Iliad FROM THE PUBLISHER
Eva Brann demonstrates a way of reading Homer's poems that yields up their hidden treasures. With an alert eye for Homer's extraordinary visual effects and a keen ear for the musicality of his language, she helps the reader see the flickering campfires of the Greeks and hear the roar of the surf and the singing of nymphs. In Homeric Moments, Brann takes readers beneath the captivating surface of the poems to explore the inner connections and layers of meaning that have made the epics "the marvel of the ages."
SYNOPSIS
Brann (St. John's College, Annapolis, Maryland) draws on decades of reading and teaching Homer's great epics in her analysis of a series of defining elements in the stories. The volume, which will be useful for undergraduate courses and has a strong focus on character, includes discussion of the gods, the underworld, and time, as well as more particular moments, such as that when Helen recognizes Telemachus. Access to the material is afforded through arrangement in short topical chapters rather than indexing. Annotation c. Book News, Inc.,Portland, OR
FROM THE CRITICS
Library Journal
We might all wish that philosopher and classicist Brann had taught us Homer. Falling short of that, we can read Homeric Moments, a study of Homer's epics, the Odyssey and the Iliad, based on Brann's 40-year teaching experience at St. John's College in Annapolis, MD. Eschewing issues of contemporary theory or the technical concerns of classical philology, Brann instead focuses on a close reading of Homer's narrative and characters, with a concern for what makes them enduring and insightful. She draws attention to Homer's language, exploring the layers of verbal connotation, and she is especially interested in how Homer creates "delight," a pleasure that appeals to the senses and comes from the extended action and inward refiguring of the events narrated. Brann then contrasts this with the more intense pleasure of tragedy, where the purification of passions induces a more thoughtful response. Written with wit and clarity, this book will be of value both to those reading the Odyssey and the Iliad for the first time and to those teaching it to beginners. Recommended for public and academic libraries. T.L. Cooksey, Armstrong Atlantic State Univ., Savannah, GA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
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