Recommended Listening: On this week’s episode of CBC’s The Sunday Edition, Michael Enright interviewed literary historian, Adam Nicholoson. His new book, The Mighty Dead: Why Homer Matters, argues that the Illiad is, well, the best thing ever, and that Homer continues to be of enormous cultural importance. Obvs, Adam!
This segment is worth a listen for Adam and Michael’s interrogation of the Illiad (actually a hideously depressing poem, friends, not a celebration of warriors. Yes Troy, I am looking at you) but really shines when Michael brings up the Percy Jackson books. I expected at least a verbal eye roll from Adam, but no, he says that Percy Jackson could be Homer: Percy the character and the Percy Jackson stories would be well at home in the Homeric tradition; the great dividing line between Rick Riordan and Homer is poetics.
Sorry Rick Riordan, no love for your prose here, but much appreciation for the fun tales.
