Luigi Malerba - King Without shoe
The novel begins with the 13th Song of the Odyssey, one, that is, the arrival at Ithaca - with the recognition that really is Ithaca. The progress of the presentation very similar to then, at least in the "external affairs" is concerned - only from 23 Singing is different from the whole and makes a change that is caused by the fact that Penelope is independent and it by looking over planned deception. Although she went to slip to them - thus began the game but would like to stop at a time as it may determine, and not to that for which the Odysseus would have liked. The cherished by Odysseus self-doubt fuel the whole thing too far that he, in despair and defeat breaks suffer the Island to leave again. While he is on the way, there is Penelope their doubts and let him return.
The novel does not form a continuous narrative, but is episodic, dramatic or even more like a diary, set up, Penelope and Odysseus "speak" in turn, with relatively equal speaking parts. This raises the question of why the draft title has been taken as the German title and not the real Italian title (Itaca by semper), which clearly ended the primacy of Odysseus and Penelope equally integrated as a main character.
Odysseus wakes of self-doubt met on the shore of Ithaca. The doubts are so strong that he does not trust Penelope - his Son, Telemachus does not. He tries so deceiving - the longest of all - what he does not succeed, however. But just like so stirred up to their own unrealistic, expectations of the return, which he envisions as great. His environment, his own past with his lies downright notorious list of empires. In his own ego imprisoned he manages not to seek a reconciliation with Penelope and him a way no other choice than to go away again. Penelope, however, is disappointed by Odysseus simply distrust and can not understand it. This brings doubt on their own feelings towards Odysseus with it, the General conditions and that they will not feel as his puppet, and behave. She also sees no reason to put a justification for their lives, just as Odysseus is justified for his life. Through these two positions defines detailed Malerba open the game of negotiating social identities have.
Malerba builds a bit more on Ernst Bloch's Odysseus - that is the subject of self-uncertainty with him, unlike Homer, unleashed. This does not happen to light, as if only the character of Penelope is another. The traditional, patriarchal gender roles that Odysseus has been based, even on a devaluation of women, as a snake, a motif that appears quite - Besides the snakes are indeed animals of Athena, to distrust is so fundamentally. In any case, more than the son of his own blood, even if you do not really know him. Closely connected to then the relationship to violence, brutalized by war, his attempt to escape military duty at Troy, disguised as a fool, is also listed, he slaughtered the suitors off. In clear rejection of Penelope, this is clearly unbehanglich. Odysseus also has doubts about his relationship to violence and the sense of their own actions. Finally, the Trojan war the "most stupid of all wars" was. There already the seeds are sown for his understanding of home - home is where the woman you love. And some love. But precisely such a reading makes it impossible for him to be sure whether he is really back there. Finally, it lets him go easily. Thirty
