Ithaca Forever Penelope Speaks, A Novel
Ithaca Forever Penelope Speaks, A Novel by Luigi Malerba, published by Univ of California Press in October 2019, presents a fresh perspective on the classic tale of Odysseus and Penelope. This first edition, comprising 184 pages, explores the complexities of their relationship after Odysseus’s long absence. Upon his return to Ithaca, he finds himself in a tense confrontation with Penelope, who feels betrayed by his lack of trust. The narrative delves into their emotional struggles, highlighting the dynamics of marriage and the challenges of reconciling after years apart.
In this retelling of the Odyssey, readers will encounter Penelope as a formidable character, asserting her voice and agency in a story traditionally centered on her husband. The novel shifts between the first-person perspectives of both Odysseus and Penelope, revealing their inner conflicts and desires. Through this dual lens, Malerba examines themes of family life, marriage, and the interplay of myth and reality. Translated by PEN award-winner Douglas Grant Heise, Ithaca Forever offers a nuanced exploration of love, loyalty, and the quest for respect within a marriage that has endured the test of time.
Official synopsis Publisher
After twenty years, Odysseus finally returns to Ithaca, but instead of receiving the homecoming he had hoped for finds himself caught in an intense battle of wills with his faithful and long-suffering wife Penelope. When Penelope recognizes him under the guise of a beggar, she becomes furious with him for not trusting her enough to include her in his plans for ridding the palace of the Suitors. As a result, she plays her own game of fictions to make him suffer for this lack of faith, inspiring jealousy, self-doubt, and misgivings in her husband, the legendary Homeric hero.
In this captivating retelling of the Odyssey, Penelope rises as a major force with whom to be reckoned. Shifting between first-person reflections, Ithaca Forever reveals the deeply personal and powerful perspectives of both wife and husband as they struggle for respect and supremacy within a marriage that has been on hold for twenty years. Translated by PEN award-winner Douglas Grant Heise, Luigi Malerba’s novel gives us a remarkable version of this greatest work of western literature: Odysseus as a man full of doubts and Penelope as a woman of great depth and strength.
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