Waiting for Odysseus

by Clemence McLaren

Book Overview

Four women. Four stories. One man's journey. Odysseus. His epic tale has been told countless times, but rarely is it heard through the voices of the women who loved and served him. Penelope, Circe,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0689867050
• ISBN13: 9780689867057
• Release Date: March 2004
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
• Length: 178 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 4.3" x 7.1"
• Age Range: 13 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 8 to 12

Customer Reviews

The Book To End All Feminine Books

This book was fantastic! Usually, you never hear about the women in Greek or Roman mythology, but in this book, the whole story is told through the women's point of view. My favorite was the profile of the story as told by Penelope, because since it was the first, it set the stage for all chapters ahead of this one. She was a lot less quiet in her own words than she is in the Odyssey. The suitors, on the other hand, are bad! Very bad! You don't spend someone's money and try to seduce their wife, unless your sure that the guy is dead!It gets difficult, but it just has to be. This is a great book, in language simple enough to understand, not like the actual book, and pretty much every woman can relate to.

A wonderful novel

McLaren brings new life to Odysseus' tale. The story is told through a fresh perspective--the woman's perspective.I was thoroughly impressed by McLaren's ability to stay true to the roots of the tale.Somehow the book manages to hold the attention of even those who are well-versed in the trials of Odysseus. A fun read.

Clemence McLaren is a mastermind! This book is amazing!

As soon as I was asked to read this book, I was ecstatic. I had just finished reading Inside The Walls of Troy, another fantastic book by Mrs. McLaren, and I was lusting after another book by her. I really love her unique way of portraying her way of looking at the story, and telling it through the women in the story. Through her books, I looked at the women in ways I had never thought of looking at them. I had never imagined Penelope the way Mrs. McLaren showed her, and thinking of her that way truly opened my eyes. I am always on the lookout for new books, and my favorite genres are Historical Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, and Science Fiction. Of all of the Historical Fiction books that I've read, Clemence McLaren is definetely my favorite author. In other books I've read, it's always from the same viewpoint, but she really gets into the characters heads, and shows you their personality in a new light. Books like Waiting for Odysseus and Inside the Walls of Troy are inspirations to all aspiring writers. Anyone who is interested in Greek Mythology has to read them. They are true gems in the group of retold Greek Myths.

Thank you!

I would like to personally thank Mrs. McLaren for writing this wonderful book as well as 'Inside the Walls of Troy'. I found both of these spectacular books absolutely fascinating and I strongly contradict those illiterate people out there who don't appreciate good literature. I already knew the stories of the Iliad and the Odyssey when I read these books, but they gave me a whole, new and different point of view on the subject. The first time I read the book, I couldn't put it down. I believe this book will now rank among my favorites, which I read over and over again. Some of those books are the 'Golden Compass', and 'Wild Magic'. This book defienetly is destined to be ranked among the best. I would also like to thank Mrs. McLaren for visiting our classroom, and I encourage her to keep on writing, for those who truly appreciate good literature.