Brann (St. John's College, Annapolis, Maryland) draws on decades of reading and teaching Homer's great epics in her analysis of a series of defining elements in the stories. The volume, which will be useful for undergraduate courses and has a strong focus on character, includes discussion of the gods, the underworld, and time, as well as more particular moments, such as that when Helen recognizes Telemachus. Access to the material is afforded through arrangement in short topical chapters rather than indexing. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Includes bibliographical references (p. 305-326).

Accounting for the Title 1. The Gods 2. Odysseus: His Looks and Transformations 3. Odysseus: His Nature 4. Heroes 5. Odysseus at Troy 6. Ajax the Silent 7. Brief Achilles and Enduring Odysseus 8. Hephaestus' World: the Shield 9. Patroclus the Friend 10. Achilles the Unwitting Liar 11. Hector the Holder 12. The Plan of Zeus 13. Achilles as Hades and Achilles in Hades 14. Beginnings and Endings 15. The Returns 16. The Poet of the Odyssey 17. Naivete and Insight 18. Beauty and Craft 19. Visibility and Visuality 20. Simile: The Double Vision 21. Name Tags and Speaking Names 22. Telemachus and His Telemachy 23. Nestor at Home 24. Helen at Troy and Helen at Home

25. The Stations and Sightings of Odysseus' Odyssey 26. Asleep on the Watch 27. The Poet of the Odyssey 28. The Fame of Men and Women 29. Odysseus' Odyssey I: First Through Sixth Adventure 30. Odysseus in Hades: Seventh Adventure 31. The Wooers in Hades 32. The Treasure House of the Greeks 33. Odysseus' Odyssey II: Eighth Through Tenth Adventure 34. Calypso Who Conceals: Eleventh Adventure 35. Phaeacia the Artists' Colony: Twelfth Adventure 36. The Locales and Settings of Homer's Odyssey 37. The Liar's Goddess 38. The Cretan Liar 39. Lying Tales Versus Fairy Tales 40. Telemachus Returns 41. Odysseus and Telemachus: Convergence 42. Penelope the Kingly Queen 43. Suitors and Servants 44. Crisis 45. At First Sight 46. Testing 47. Time Chasms 48. Twice Told, Thrice Dead.