An Odyssey

A Father, a Son, and an Epic

By: Daniel Mendelsohn

Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot

Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

From award-winning memoirist and critic, and best-selling author of The Lost: a deeply moving tale of a father and son's transformative journey in reading - and reliving - Homer's epic masterpiece.

When 81-year-old Jay Mendelsohn decides to enroll in the undergraduate Odyssey seminar his son teaches at Bard College, the two find themselves on an adventure as profoundly emotional as it is intellectual. For Jay, a retired research scientist who sees the world through a mathematician's unforgiving eyes, this return to the classroom is his "one last chance" to learn the great literature he'd neglected in his youth - and, even more, a final opportunity to more fully understand his son, a writer and classicist. But through the sometimes uncomfortable months that the two men explore Homer's great work together - first in the classroom, where Jay persistently challenges his son's interpretations, and then during a surprise-filled Mediterranean journey retracing Odysseus's famous voyages - it becomes clear that Daniel has much to learn, too: Jay's responses to both the text and the travels gradually uncover long-buried secrets that allow the son to understand his difficult father at last. As this intricately woven memoir builds to its wrenching climax, Mendelsohn's narrative comes to echo the Odyssey itself, with its timeless themes of deception and recognition, marriage and children, the pleasures of travel and the meaning of home. Rich with literary and emotional insight, An Odyssey is a renowned author-scholar's most triumphant entwining yet of personal narrative and literary exploration.

©2017 Daniel Mendelsohn (P)2017 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Mendelsohn is an artful storyteller whose skills are equal to the task of weaving Homer's poem into his own life. In this insightful, tender book, Mendelsohn gracefully marries literary criticism and memoir to describe an intellectual and personal journey that becomes one of profound discovery for both [father and son]. Most impressive are his transitions from scholarly consideration of The Odyssey to intimate stories of his family life, as when the class discussion flows effortlessly into a magical moment, witnessing [his father] Jay as he offers a heartbreakingly beautiful tribute to his wife.... [There are] many wise lessons to be gleaned from this lovely book." (Harvey Freedenberg, BookPage)

"Beguiling...in this memoir, Mendelsohn recounts a freshman class on the Odyssey he taught at Bard College with his father, an 81-year-old computer scientist, sitting in. ...Mendelsohn gradually unwraps layers of timeless meaning in the ancient Greek poem; Homeric heroes offer resonant psychological parallels to a modern family. Mendelsohn weaves trenchant literary analysis and family history into a luminous whole. A gem." ( Publishers Weekly)

A Gift of a Memoir

This book is one of those where I felt completely bereft when it was finished. I have loved listening to this multi faceted story. Every level interconnects from what we learn about ancient languages to the epic itself, about a teacher and students, and most of all, about fathers and sons. Beautifully crafted. I am left with so many things to think about. Thank you, Daniel Mendelssohn.

Pretty nice

Interesting book, good insight on oddyssey class and father-son relationship.

But the narrator was in my opinion irritating and pathetic. He read it like some high school drama class...

Beautiful story & writing

This book was fascinating! I added so much to my meager memory of reading The Odyssey 50 years ago. The father/son conversations were so real to me. I have been moved by this book and will recommend it to others.

A voyage for all of us

This is an astounding and moving book. Part psychological meditation on identity, part linguistic and mythological explication, having Mendelsohn as a guide is having the best teacher you could imagine. His compassion, insight and love of both his father and his students--as well as his subject--were spot on. I was sorry to reach the end.

nice story

it's like being in a real good book club for Homer's The Odyssey, different perspectives and insights throughout.

Beautiful story

This was a beautifully told story about how stories connect us across generations — told with both heart and

Seems written with the READER in mind. Perfect

I believe this was written FOR ME, and I believe you will feel the same. Not only is it about the teaching college freshmen the story of the Odyssey, it is about the authors' discovery of the universality of family strife and love. It is cunningly written in the same ring composition that Homer uses to write The Odyssey. The whole book is a circle, even the similarities between his father, Jay, himself, even his wife and other relatives. We don't learn much about Dan's sons, but I am sure he could write circles around them too!! I love the slow reveals, the apparent diversions and easy return to the story at hand. There are stories within stories, AND sentences within sentences. It's easily readable. It's almost like a Proem itself. Read this book before taking the class.... **everything** is in it and prepares your reading mind to understand it.

For me, it's a lesson in fiction composition, narration, and structure. I love the language lessons, the breakdown As for the Odyssey, I feel like I gathered enough facts to survive a trivia game if some basic facts of the Odyssey were included. LOL.

At any rate, it's worth your time. I purchased the Kindle edition just to keep up with the words. You can read it at the surface or you can dissect it and discover its application to your own life.

Great story! Great Performance!

Daniel Mendelsohn is a Classics Scholar and college professor. He uses his formidable knowledge about Homer’s Odyssey, the story about one man’s ten year quest to return to his beloved homeland, wife, son and father, to illustrate his own quest to better know his own father. Mendelsohn’s mastery of Homer’s storytelling techniques makes this an engaging read on both an emotional and intellectual level. While Daniel’s father Jay can be hard, unyielding and downright annoying, the slow unpacking of Jay’s personal history allows us to discover a man who is also warm, compassionate, and very human.
I deeply appreciated being allowed to vicariously sit in on a one semester of Daniel Mendelsohn’s Odyssey classes. Absolutely brilliant!

Spectacular

What captivating story telling! Analyzing Homer’s epic and describing the joys of teaching are 2 of the wheels Mendelsohn spins around the hub, which is the relationship between fathers and sons. This book is brilliant.

Pleasantly surprised

I read this for a book club. Expected to be bored by it but really enjoyed it, especially since I had never read the original Odyssey. Great reoccurring themes and parallels. Would definitely recommend.