Argos: The Story of Odysseus as Told by His Loyal Dog

by Ralph Hardy

Fans of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series will love this reimagining of Homer’s The Odyssey told from the point of view of Odysseus’s loyal dog, Argos. Now available in paperback, this rousing story of devotion and determination is an original take on one of the most beloved myths of all time. For twenty years, the great hero Odysseus struggles to return to home on Ithaka. He defeats monsters. He outsmarts the Cyclops. He battles the gods. He does whatever it takes to reunite with his family. And what of that family—his devoted wife, Penelope; his young son, Telemachos; his dog, Argos? For those twenty years, they wait, unsure whether they will ever see Odysseus again. But Argos has found a way to track his master. Any animal who sets foot or wing on Ithaka brings him news of Odysseus’s epic voyage. These tales bring hope that one day his master will return. Meanwhile, Argos the loyal dog watches over his master’s family and protects them from the dangers that surround a throne without its king.

Genres: Mythology, Animals, Middle Grade, Retellings, Dogs, Greek Mythology, Greece

400 pages, Paperback

First published May 31, 2016

About the author

Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name

Reviews

[Katy]

I think this might work for an upper elementary reader, but for an adult I am bored to tears. Moving on and donating this one to the local library.

[Allie Bayer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have…many conflicting thoughts. As someone that has read “The Odyssey” 6x a year for seven years…this bore me to death. It was hard to finish. But I think that’s just because I was essentially…reading “The Odyssey”…again. That said, it was a great “translated” version of the original epic. Struggling readers could easily read this in class as opposed to being given other translations of the epic; it covered allllll of the same scenes in much simpler language, but with extra Argos perspective added.

The problem with this book as an intervention or extension text for *my* district is that we do not read the FULL text. We read scattered bits and pieces of the “important books”. “Argos” covers every bit of the original text, and then some. For this reason, it would be hard to determine if struggling readers would benefit from this fairly lengthy translation. It would also be tricky to assign or encourage students to read this after reading “The Odyssey” because the *majority* of the text would be repetitive. I’m afraid it would likely ignite the same boredom in them.

The conflicting thought I have is that as a REPLACEMENT for the original text, I’m not sure it would be any less boring. I think part of the enjoyment (if any) with “The Odyssey” is that it IS a challenge for my students. This would be good WRITING wise for younger readers….but would it be enjoyable PLOT wise, at all? Do 6th-7th graders have any business or interest in reading an “obtainable” “Odyssey”? I don’t know. I don’t know if it’s because I’m essentially an Odyssey expert that I found this so boring or if the simplified language really did take something from the story. Basically, I’m going to save it and have JP read it (as a stand-alone, first introduction to the text) when he’s in 5th or 6th grade. I need a review from someone coming at it with fresh eyes!

[Zoe Wadsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ralph Hardy has turned the classic story of the Odyssey into something else with his book Argos. The book is definitely written to entertain and Hardy goes above and beyond to achieve this goal. The story of Odysseus is told from the point of view of his loyal dog, Argos. It tells the how Argos received the information of his master and his amazing journey. Argos, Odysseus’s loyal hound, also goes by the name of Boar Slayer. As a cross between wolf and bear, Argos is very recognizable and respected and his name is known across the realm. As he awaits the arrival of his war-torn and exhausted human, Argos communicates and learns of his master’s whereabouts by talking with all of the flying and swimming animals that come and go from Ithaka. This book is written in a way that keeps readers hooked and flipping through the pages.

The theme of the book could be identified as multiple things, but the biggest theme is loyalty. Ralph Hardy has written a book, not only about the story of Odysseus, but also about the unfaltering loyalty of his dog. Argos is a very smart dog, and just like any dog who has an attachment to a human, he will wait until his dying day to see his master again. Argos goes to great lengths to find out where Odysseus is, how he’s doing, and what his next moves might be. He communicates with a crow, a teal, gulls, a plover, a turtle, a hedgehog, a magpie, an owl, mountain eagles, vultures, and many more animals throughout the story. Argos’s thoughts are voiced quite clearly and once after speaking with the crow he thought, “If only my master could fly, I think, he would surely fly home now”(51). In return for information, Argos promises things in return. To the turtle he promised that he would protect her hatchlings on the beach and make sure some made it to the safety of the water. To the plover he promised protection. For others he offered food and knowledge. Argos stopped at nothing to receive anything about his master’s status. Argos watched over and protected the family while Odysseus was away. He came up with plans to keep suitors from getting close to Odysseus’s wife, Penelope. His loyalty lay with his family and he did everything he could to keep his family together until they could actually be together under the same roof once more.

Ralph Hardy’s style of writing is narrative. The story narrates the journey of Odysseus from when he left Ithaka to when he returned home. Hardy strives to entertain his readers with this book and I believe he has reached this goal. It was intriguing how Hardy was able to turn a classic story into what he did. He weaved in all of the details from the Odyssey while still focusing on Argos. I really liked how he worked in all of the messenger animals in the adventure. An example of Argos getting information is, “‘Yes, I have seen him,’ the bat says. ‘I was on Circe’s island while he was there…”(116). I thought that it was very clever that many different animals were messengers and cool that each animal had its own, genuine personality. I’ve never really had much interest in reading the Odyssey, but I really thought Argos was a good read.

Though I’ve never really had much interest in reading The Odyssey, I’ve always been interested in the story. It’s an adventure story with loss and love and determination. I’ve been fascinated by the obstacles Odysseus has come across, but I was never interested enough to actually pick up the book. Ralph Hardy wrote, Argos, the book I was waiting for. I’ve always been an animal lover and I couldn’t help but see this book from across the room and go for it. They say, “Never judge a book by its cover,” but I can’t help but admit that it was the cover that called to me. I love dogs and Argos just looked so awesome on the cover. I was very happy to find that the description of the book was of a story I’d always wanted to read, but never could bring myself to. I love all of the animals in this book and I really admire Argos’s loyalty. I never really wanted to put the book down after I had picked it up for the first time or anytime after that, but when I had to, I couldn’t wait to pick it up again and continue reading. I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in the story of Odysseus but wants to read about it from a different perspective. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it’s one that I may read again in the future.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hardy's taken the story of the Odyssey and retold it through the eyes of an imaginary loyal dog. While Odysseus is attempting to make his way home from the Trojan War, Argos, The Boar Slayer, remains at home attempting to take care of Odysseus's wife and son. What should have been a simple voyage home becomes much more complicated as Odysseus and his men visit various islands and have a bunch of adventures along the way. After blinding a Cyclops who happens to be the son of Poseidon, they find themselves facing destruction. Greek gods in this tale were creatures of whim and grudges. During the ten years that follow, Argos works hard at taking care of his master's flocks while daily seeking news of his master from any and all animal visitors to the island. Thus, Argos follows along by proxy his master's troubles. But many on the island believe that after so long a time, Odysseus must be dead, thus a hundred suitors descend on Odysseus's home to court and marry his wife. Argos and Telemachos struggle to contain the excesses of the suitors while trying to maintain hope that Odysseus will be coming home. Hardy does a nice job covering ten years of time while keeping the action going both at home with Argos and through the stories of Odysseus's adventures. This is a fun book for middle grade readers who enjoy Greek mythology and stories about dogs.

[Jennie Langberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book because I teach The Odyssey and wanted to see how Ralph Hardy portrayed Argos’ death scene from Argos’ point of view. Overall, this book is a creative, accessible take on a classic but becomes repetitive at times. The bulk of the book consists of Argos hearing from various birds what Odysseus is doing as he island hops around the Mediterranean. Conveniently, the birds’ stories end on cliffhangers (Will the crew make it past Scylla and Charybdis?) and the next messenger is able to pick up where the previous bird left off.

The other qualm I had with the text is that much of the human characters’ speech read like direct quotes ripped from various translations of the Odyssey. When I teach The Odyssey again this year, I’ll keep this book by my side and see how my theory bears out.

Repetition issues aside, the book does have some fun moments- puppy love, humanizing interactions between Telemachus and Argos, revenge on various suitors, etc.

I’d recommend this book to lovers of mythology fan fiction and to parents who want to get their kids into the classics.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

When this first arrived I was intimidated by it. It looked long and the topic seemed intense (The Odyssey!) but I'm really happy that we jumped right into it. I thought the story moved along well and it was fun to read it from the perspective of a herd/hunting/protective dog.

My daughter, who is 7.5, said she would rate it a 5.

This book arrived in the BYL Reading Crate themed Books At Sea. I am also using it for the 2019 BYL Reading Challenge category "A story based in mythology."

[Jae Carbon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this so much. The only complaint I have for this book is that it was a bit repetitive in the environment. I realize that this is about Odysseus' dog - but the story never leaves Odysseus' homeland so it felt one-note at times. Regardless, it was a very sweet story about loyalty, Homeric myth re-tellings, and the animals surrounding Odysseus' home. If you love dogs and ancient Greece, you'll love this!

[Beth Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this aloud and really enjoyed it. After 13 years of homeschooling, it was fun to have a different version of The Odyssey to read. I gave it three stars because I feel like Ralph Hardy did so well telling the story until the end. He got to the death of the suitors and the completely skips Penelope’s trick with the bed. Why? Was there a page limit? As a retelling of The Odyssey, this novel should have included the part about the olive tree bed. Disappointing!

[Munchie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Middle of the road retelling of "The Odyssey". It was a sweet take on the tale. I enjoyed the little parts about the dog and his legacy and who he served. A bit repetitive at times with some chapters almost seemingly like repeats, but the end was just like how the story of Odysseus was told. It was hard to get through by the middle of the book and I had to force myself to finish it. Once I did, the book was donated.

[A. Schooly]

I just saw a tiktok that reminded me of this book I read all the way back in middle school. I LOVED this story, I remember sobbing my eyes out to my mom when it ended. This book was my original Marley and Me, the eternal love and loyalty an animal has for those it loves will just never be something I can take lightly. Thank you to the random depressing tiktok I found that reminded me of Argos and Odysseus ❤️

[Jordan Berday · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for dogs and a story told from a dog's vantage point is a good start but this one was a little too difficult to grab my full interest. Likely a tad difficult for even middle school students. The writing was too complex. While the idea of an animal as the main character and the plot would normally interest me in learning more about Greek Mythology but it was a little boring.

[Tiffanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

My 10 year old disliked this book so much he cried.
He is in the gifted (accelerated) 4th grade and drew the short end of the stick to read this book for their book club. Funny thing is, he loves dogs and he enjoys Greek mythology but this book was a bust :-(

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

what a masterpiece. i love dogs. i love sitting at home as well— relatable main character. everything i’ve ever wanted. maybe i will grow old and then die after seeing the person i love return. would be lit

[Tammy Landgren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun story. I really liked Argos as a character. It got a bit tedious in parts with so many birds relaying messages throughout, I wish there had been a bit more variety in the ways the author furthered the plot.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cried so hard. Dogs!

[Deann Doolittle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok book. Little long and sometimes repetitive.

[Two BookWorms Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Argos, however, is a retelling. However, it is told from the viewpoint of Odysseus’s faithful dog, Argos

For the full review: https://twobookwormsblog.wordpress.co...

[Cecilia Rodriguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Narrated by Argos, Boar Slayer, loyal dog to king Odysseus; Hardy re-tells the ancient Geek epic from Argos' perspective.
This would make a good complement to the original epic

[DeAnna H. Koch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pure joy

A fresh and exciting version of one of history’s greatest stories. Very fast moving tale with a unique perspective. Brilliant.

[Elizabeth Ramirez]

I think that I want to read the book

[Valerie Dye · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was pretty cheesy but an interesting perspective on an ancient story. Considering my beloved late dog was named after Argos, I had to read it

[Emily W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg i totaly cried. Why are books so amazingly emotional these days!!?

[Isabella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so sad, so beautiful, and so well written that I can only give it 5 stars.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun retelling of The Odyssey from the dog’s POV.

[HeartzieHearts · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Kay J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this BOOK SOO MUCH.

[Rachel Clinger-Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story was very good. But there were some parts that drug on to much for me.

[Zachary Flye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review:

Protagonist: This is my second adventure into books with animal protagonists, and for the most part I don't mind it, however it doesn't feel all that special. I mean essentially the author just gives human intelligance and understanding to an animal or multiple animals of their story. In this story we have Argos who's fierce loyalty to his master is well known. So much so that various animals seek him out to tell him tales of his master. What I really enjoyed about Argos in this tale is that he felt very much like a king of Ithaka in his own right, though more of the animals of the island. He's a very responsible and motivated dog, and I really enjoyed learning his tale.

Writing: So my biggest problem with this book is the writing. Disclaimer: I'm going to be going on a rant here. So this is a Middle-Grade book, regardless of what the author set out to create, it's now a Middle-Grade book. However the writing in this book is way too complex for the average Middle-Schooler to comprehend. That itself wouldn't have been terrible, if the story was compelling enough they could power through and come out more well-read for it, however the story moves at a very slow pace and in this day and age I can hardly see a Middle-Schooler having the attention span to keep up with this book. Next the writing is so grandiose that it begins to come off as pretentious. At first I didn't mind how the author wrote the book in a way that mirrored old-English while keeping it fairly accessible, however between the grandiose writing, the pseudo-Old-English, and the fact the it seems the author goes out of his way to spell every word he can in the least common way, things got really annoying and aggravating really fast.

World-Building: While this story is about Argos and his adventures on Ithaka while awaiting his master's return, it's also a retelling of The Odyssey, the epic tale of how Odysseus, after the fall of Troy, spends the next ten years trying to get back to his wife and son, while they deal with suitors who've come to marry Odysseus' wife Penelope after it's assumed Odysseus dies on his way home from Troy. So I will confess again, I haven't read The Odyssey, however I know many of it's stories and many of Odysseus' adventures from the epic poem. From what i do know this seems to be a faithful adaptation breathing new life into these old stories for a younger generation to discover.

Predictability: Since I know a lot of the story of The Odyssey, there wasn't all that much that came as a surprise for me. However that isn't to say there were no surprises. In fact I don't know if it's because I've recently read another, vastly different, tale of the dog Argos, or if the author did a great job with the foreshadowing, though I suspect it's the former, but there were quite a few fun little twists in this book. Nothing unexpected, but still a great surprise to read.

Ending: So the ending of this book is kind of weird. I don't want to spoil anything, but I'll just say that it shifts focus a bit. The final "book" in this story really encompass the ending of The Odyssey very well. Though I will say it was more drawn out than I expected. There were a few things towards the end that, while they didn't piss me off, did really annoy me that the author would dare even tease the readers about that. Since this is a standalone everything ends in a very wrapped up way, and while I did sort of feel as though this book ended too soon, another part of me felt that it didn't end soon enough.

Rating:

At first I really enjoyed this book, but as I began looking at it through the eyes of it's intended audience, I began to see it's flaws. While there are some MGers who I am sure can easily follow this story, the average MGer most likely couldn't. Plus with it's slow pacing and nausiatingly grandiose writing, even I got sick of this book. While the story itself is great, it could have been told in a much more accessible way.

[Tessa McMillan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has been many years since Odysseus left Ithaca for the Trojan War. Odysseus’s dog, Argos, maintains his promise to protect Odysseus’s family during his absence. But times are becoming desperate for Penelope—Odysseus’s wife—and Telemachos—their son. Greedy men, calling themselves suitors, take advantage of Penelope’s hospitality on a daily basis. These suitors try to pressure Penelope into admitting Odysseus is dead so she can remarry one of them. Since many suitors see young Telemachos as a threat, they plot to kill him. His life is repeatedly spared thanks to Argos’s keen intellect and boundless strength. During these troubling times, any word about Odysseus reinforces Argos’s loyalty to his master. Argos charges all seafaring birds to come to him with any information. Through these birds, Argos hears the adventures and tragedies of Odysseus’s journey.

Argos is a great introduction for young readers to a “PG” version of The Odyssey. Hardy’s canine spin on the classic Greek tale is an insightful read on the power of loyalty and family. Argos is a bear-like dog, recognized by all as the faithful “Boar Slayer” to Odysseus. When Argos is charged to protect Odysseus’s family, he goes above and beyond his call. For example, Argos takes on the fatherly role of teaching young Telemachos how to properly hunt and be brave during a fight. Argos does this because he knows Odysseus would have taught his son these skills if he were there. Later, Argos actually becomes a father and he learns, like Odysseus, how much it hurts to be tragically separated from his family. At times, the story can be a bit tedious because more than half of the book is just the retelling of Odysseus’s adventures. But Hardy does a good job at keeping the narrative fresh and unique, while he sets up suspenseful problems Argos must undergo at home.

(Review Found on Children's Compass Chronicle: childrenscompasschronicle.blogspot.com)

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this book would be great for middle graders who are just being introduced to the world of Greek mythology. The writing is extremely simple and Argos is a fun narrator to follow around. However, as an adult, I found the book as a whole to be extremely boring. Going into it, I thought that we would be following Odysseus on his adventures and that Argos (in an interesting twist) would be with him. Instead, Argos is left behind to guard the mistress Penelope and their son, Telemachos. A good 80% of this book is made up of Argos tracking down some sea-faring creature for news of his master; the animal then relaying- in astonishing detail- what Odysseus and his crew are up to while Argos interrupts impatiently and is chastised by the weary messenger. I didn't mind at first, but it gets so tedious to just have different birds telling me what Odysseus is doing now and how he is suffering. I want to be in the action, not told it. Argos does have plenty to do on the island, but aside from taking revenge on the nasty suitors and ensuring the sheep don't stray too far, not much really happens aside from the monologues from the various birds. I did like that Argos lives his own Greek tragedy- his romance was so sad. And the mythology seemed very well researched. However, I wanted more from the main storyline. I also was highly disappointed by the ending. Argos told this story from the beginning- I wanted him to be the one to tell the end, not Leander.