French Literature Reviews - 2026

Sylvain Fort, Odysséennes. Cinq femmes homériques
Comparative and World Literature

Posterity has seized upon the women of the Odyssey. There is Circe turning Odysseus' companions into swine, Nausicaa discovering a naked Odysseus in a thicket, Calypso detaining the hero on her island, and Helen returned home, pouring a soothing draught for the men. Finally, there is Penelope, unravelling thread by thread at night the tapestry she wove by day. Sylvain Fort, who addresses these Odyssean women with familiarity and admiration, reveals them to us one by one in the originality of their stories, the mysteries of their identities, and the secrets of their desires.

Women or goddesses. Women and goddesses, immortal or mortal, they are those who see beyond the present, beyond conventions, and sometimes even beyond life itself. The strength and charm of these portraits lie in how these women of yore, nestled within mythology and legend, poetically become strangely contemporary to us.

The figures of the Odyssey have long occupied a central place in the Western literary imagination, inspiring countless rewritings across poetry, drama, and narrative prose. Figures such as Circe, Calypso, and Penelope embody complex archetypes of power, patience, and transformation within ancient epic poetry. Sylvain Fort approaches these immortal and mortal women with familiarity, examining the distinct narratives, hidden identities, and inner desires that animate each character.

By bridging classical tradition and contemporary sensibility, these portraits highlight how ancient mythological figures continue to resonate with modern readers. Readers interested in classical literature and mythographic studies may find it relevant to explore how these figures perceive realities beyond immediate conventions, offering a perspective on well-known episodes from the ancient literary canon.