Review by Choice Review
Katz (Wesleyan University, CT) presents an intriguing and complex narratological study of the Odyssey, in which she sees the text's configuration intratextually with reference to the Trojan War, and Penelope's Kleos in particular as set in counterpoint with the stories of Helen and Clytemnestra that the text itself constructs. Katz finds neither unitarian nor analytical foci on the Odyssey satisfactory, discovering rather an overall coherence in the text in the light of its "disjunctive structure and discordant texture." She finds that the device of withholding and deferral, which centrally defines Penelope's character, to be a master strategy of the text, and indeed the ruptures in Penelope's character to govern the text's own indeterminacy. Katz's reading is original and exacting, particularly in her close textual analysis and in her treatment of the recent critical literature. The book provides a scholarly bibliography, complete index locorum, and general index. Recommended for upper-level college students and above.-M. Dobson, The Colorado College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review