Whether ‘The Odyssey’ is still part of high school literature these days, I couldn’t say. It was, at some point, during my four years; and thanks to that indoctrination, I knew the story to some degree – so much so as to invite a movie adaptation along some point. However, as this exceptional production from BBC Radio proves, great stories endure through the ignorance of youth to come across onto the other side of life with an understanding beyond the vanities of those early days. This is, as I could now see having lived a bit of life myself, a tale of the realities of life: the joys, the disappointments, the struggle, the enduring faithfulness and perseverance against the troubles that will inevitably arrive.
I have never endured the challenges of war for ten years, separating myself from my wife and young son. I have never spent ten years traveling the seas, battling God and man in a desperate pursuit of home. I have never encountered a rowdy and dangerous band of suitors, eager to steal my wife’s hand and the wealth my life’s work has accrued. But I have seen life with its trials and tribulations, where faith and courage are required to endure. This is Odysseus’ story; and it is the story of every soul with the fortitude to face the monsters and gods of their own islands. If you’ve lived a bit of life, revisit this story and you will understand.
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