Homeric Moments by Eva Brann

I have to admit that I wasn't exactly looking forward to the Homeric phase of my re-studying of ancient Greek history.  I wasn't dreading it, but I didn't think it would be a highlight.

But this extraordinary book is changing that.  In the book Brann takes readers through 48 chapters (matching the 48 chapters in the combined Iliad and Odyssey), each focused on a particular facet of Homer that personally fascinates her.  

The result is an unconventional analysis of the Iliad and the Odyssey, seemingly random in order (not chronological) but utterly fascinating. Collectively these "moments" instill a deep new love for Homer's works.

Just one example.  In chapter 32, The Treasure House of the Greeks, Brann puts forth her belief that Hades, the dark underworld populated by the dead, serves as a treasure house for Greek Mythology.  It's filled with the characters of mythology, each of whom is filled with the stories of their lives, that is mined by Greek poets for Greek myth.  

As evidence she points out that Hades is filled with dead Greeks from the Iliad, including Agamemnon and Achilles and countless others, but not a single dead from the Trojan side of the war.  It's a treasure house for the Greeks, after all, not for non-Greek mythology.

Her writing has instilled me with a greater appreciation for Homer, and a fresh anticipation for re-reading of his works, which I intend to begin just as soon as I finish this wonderful book.