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October 2021 Vol. 59 No. 2

Using ideas taken from modern psychology, Christensen (Brandeis Univ.) explores “the extent to which the epic is responsive to human emotions and experiences, how it dramatizes problematic patterns of response to life through its characters, and how it depicts these characters either succumbing to or transcending their challenges. In this process, [he] see[s] the epic as having a therapeutic function for its ancient and modern audience” (p. 2). The book comprises nine chapters followed by a conclusion: "Homeric Psychology"; "Treating Telemachus, Education, and Learned Helplessness"; "Escaping Ogygia, an Isolated Man"; "Odysseus’s Apologoi and Narrative Therapy"; "Odysseus’s Lies: Correspondence, Coherence and the Narrative Agent"; "Marginalized Agencies and Narrative Selves"; "Penelope’s Subordinated Agency"; "The Politics of Ithaca: From Collective Trauma to Amnesty’s End"; "The Therapy of Oblivion, Unforgettable Pain, and the Odyssey’s End"; Conclusion: "Escaping (the) Story’s Bounds." While the arguments are usually complex and intricate, Christensen has successfully achieved what he set out to do, thanks in part to his clear style and presentation. Attentive and contemplative readers will gain insights not only into the Odyssey but also into their own experiences.

--H. M. Roisman, emerita, Colby College

Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty.