Alexandrian-Library

The Odyssey: Core Pronunciation Lexicon (Books 1–3) This document will be updated with new entries as we read further. It aims to provide three pronunciation help modes: A layman’s phonetic spelling The robust IPA phonetic spelling The Shavian alphabet rendering I have chosen to follow Robert Fagle’s guide as my primary source, and then adjust where I have a strong preference. Geographical & Ethnic Designations Ithaca The rocky island kingdom of Odysseus; the stagnant home front in our opening act. Phonetic: ITH-uh-kuh IPA: /ˈɪθəkə/ Shavian: ·𐑦𐑔𐑩𐑒𐑩 ...

Suit Up If I were to wake up one morning and discover that my every move was being narrated by a disembodied voice, like Will Ferrel in Stranger Than Fiction, then I do not think I do any better than the voice of Emma Thompson uttering these words: When young Dawn with her rose-red fingers shone once more the true son of Odysseus sprang from bed and dressed, over his shoulder he slung his well-honed sword, fastened rawhide sandals under his smooth feet and stepped from his bedroom, handsome as a god.1 ...

Recapitulation Since we flew through the first book discussing some of the more unfamiliar aspects of the text, I want to walk through the events of books one and two more carefully. When reading epic poetry it is wise to get the events straight on a first pass and then take a second pass to thoroughly enjoy the effect the poetic descriptions have on the narrative. As we acquire more experience with this genre, this process will become more natural and integrated into a single reading. You may choose to pause, read a line over a couple times, turning it over to see it clearly, and then savoring it with relish. Reading in this fashion will help us build a frame for the story and then layer on detail. This skeleton will take on flesh and come alive as our fluency with the genre and story increases. ...

Book 1 In Medias Res When beginning a story, it is customary to begin at the beginning. Quite sensible, in fact. The Harry Potter saga begins while the Boy Who Lived is a small child, and not yet The Boy Who Receives His Hogwarts Letter. You might even say that story begins before the beginning, functioning like a prologue. If we think a little more carefully though, we might say that The Philosopher’s Stone starts in the middle of the action (for all us thick Americans, that is The Sorcerer’s Stone rightly named). Harry has just been exfiltrated from the ruins of his former home after the tragic death of his parents at the hands of Lord — Thingy. We learn this as the scene unfolds through dialogue cues, since the events happened off-screen (or off-page, but let’s face it, you’re thinking of the film). Throughout the saga we will receive flashbacks and supplemental accounts from other characters that start to fill in the missing details of that night. ...