Matthew McElroy ’s Reviews > The Odyssey > Status Update
Matthew McElroy
is on page 222 of 348
Most of us read this freshman year, form an opinion and that sticks with us for the rest of our lives. It's actually a better story than we remember. (That isn't the fault of your teacher who was doing the best he/she could.)
Odysseus is a protagonist, not a hero. And let's give Homer some credit. He's creating heroes of nuance 3000 years ago, while the modern era gave us Harry Potter and Superman.
— Sep 12, 2026 11:06AM
Odysseus is a protagonist, not a hero. And let's give Homer some credit. He's creating heroes of nuance 3000 years ago, while the modern era gave us Harry Potter and Superman.
1 like · Like flag
Matthew’s Previous Updates
Matthew McElroy
is on page 141 of 348
Odysseus is one of the great Western heroes, for all that entails. He is proud to the border of arrogant. He is religious, when it suits him. He is a respected leader and ruler, but happy to be petty at the drop of a dime.
How does the oldest and most well-known hero of the West shape its literature and thus, it's entire worldview?
— Aug 26, 2026 04:46PM
How does the oldest and most well-known hero of the West shape its literature and thus, it's entire worldview?
Matthew McElroy
is on page 94 of 348
A lot more happens here than in the Iliad. And Odysseus doesn't seem to be the monster that I remember him being. We shall see.
— Aug 26, 2026 11:45AM