Review: The Odyssey: Homer or Lucifer?
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 2, 2013
This well-written and engaging dystopian novel by Vardan Partamyan starts with a scene from the narrator's childhood. "I was five when the first bomb dropped," states the now-adult narrator. What follows is a recollection of scenes and situations that led to his confinement, along with his peers and teachers, to the fully-equipped fallout shelter. The story is dark, but the ending is hopeful. And that hope at the end of the story is no surprise, considering that the author works for a humanitarian foundation in his native Armenia and donates proceeds from this book to an orphanage. Not believing in positive outcomes would contradict the very way he lives his life.There's a lot to like about this book, both in style and in content. The gradually changing age and role of the narrator at the school add to the complexity of the story as the story weaves together his childhood recollections, presented as immediate experiences,  and a deeper analysis of the significance of the events as shown through the more mature perceptions of the same narrator as he gets older.The lyrics of "Sympathy for the Devil" by The Rolling Stones that act as a refrain throughout the story, add another layer of philosophical complexity to the book, making the readers think about the cruel acts committed by humans at different times in our history, as presented from Lucifer's point of view. The lyrics also make us question who the Lucifer in the story really is. Quotes from "Sympathy for the Devil", in combination with the plot events, made me wonder about the reasons and circumstances that transform childhood innocence into evil.Homer's Odyssey is another important reference in this tale.  The narrator explains that he finds the main appeal of the Odyssey in the fact that it recounts a "a simple man's journey into the unknown and his strive for home." And that journey seems to be one of the main themes of Vardan Partamyan's story that promises to be explored in more depth in the continuation of this saga in Part II that is yet to be released. As Part I ends, the narrator's Odyssey is just beginning. As a reader, I can't wait to find out what happens next in this amazing story by a talented writer. I hope Part II comes out soon and takes me on my own Odyssey!