DD is regularly belittling "The Odyssey" and I don't like it

[Anonymous]

I remember when we read it in 9th grade we all got annoyed at Odysseus when he was fretting about his wife potentially cheating on him, when he had slept with multiple nymphs on the way home. Because that is about on par for 9th grade analysis.

[Anonymous]

I love that this is OP’s hill to die on. Sincerely. You should legit do battle with your teen over literature. Way better than boring bedtimes and Snapchat. You’re a good mom, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She is 100% trying to get under your skin, whether she knows it or not.

Yep, this. Why not just laugh about it next time? Say you’re going to incorporate her feedback into your next lecture and see if your students agree.

[Anonymous]

Talk about a 1st world problem...OP Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey will be released in 2026, and then it will become cool again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD (15) is reading "The Odyssey" for school. I am a professor of Greek literature, so I may be biased, haha. But I adore this book, maybe more than any book I've ever read. DD has...different views. She regularly announces that she hates or thinks it's bad, and that's okay, she can have her opinions. But she often makes jokes about its apparent poor quality and has even taken to mocking Homer. Yesterday she claimed at dinner that "Sabrina Carpenter could have written The Odyssey but Odysseus couldn't have written Bed Chem". This is starting to seem to me that she's trying to get under my skin. Why is she doing this? If she doesn't like a book that's fine, but why this persistent need to make fun of the book that plays a large foundation in my career?

I like what she said. It's clever. She's a teen. Don't let it bother you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She is 100% trying to get under your skin, whether she knows it or not.

I disagree. She doesn't even see her mother. They are not peers. The DD is an adolescent who can't begin to understand her mother's take on the Odyssey. Leave her alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD (15) is reading "The Odyssey" for school. I am a professor of Greek literature, so I may be biased, haha. But I adore this book, maybe more than any book I've ever read. DD has...different views. She regularly announces that she hates or thinks it's bad, and that's okay, she can have her opinions. But she often makes jokes about its apparent poor quality and has even taken to mocking Homer. Yesterday she claimed at dinner that "Sabrina Carpenter could have written The Odyssey but Odysseus couldn't have written Bed Chem". This is starting to seem to me that she's trying to get under my skin. Why is she doing this? If she doesn't like a book that's fine, but why this persistent need to make fun of the book that plays a large foundation in my career?

I'm impressed that your daughter reads ancient Greek at age 15!

Fairly certain that was the point of the post. One of the best VBAs I have read in a while.

What does that mean?

[Anonymous]

First world quirky weirdo problems

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD (15) is reading "The Odyssey" for school. I am a professor of Greek literature, so I may be biased, haha. But I adore this book, maybe more than any book I've ever read. DD has...different views. She regularly announces that she hates or thinks it's bad, and that's okay, she can have her opinions. But she often makes jokes about its apparent poor quality and has even taken to mocking Homer. Yesterday she claimed at dinner that "Sabrina Carpenter could have written The Odyssey but Odysseus couldn't have written Bed Chem". This is starting to seem to me that she's trying to get under my skin. Why is she doing this? If she doesn't like a book that's fine, but why this persistent need to make fun of the book that plays a large foundation in my career?

Also, you're daughter is fckin funny as hell. You're doing better than you think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love this thread.

How do you react, OP? I can see how this could be painful, but maybe it could be fun if you were both being playful and curious.

"Really? Wow! Can you play me some of your favorite lyrics? What makes you think of that comparison?"

Can you give her "Circe" or "Song of Achilles" by Madeline Miller to compare? Maybe she'd like a more feminist-centered view of mythology from a more modern author.

TBH I had trouble with The Odyssey in school but enjoyed Miller's take as an audiobook.

If this is what counts as painful in your life, or OP's, you should consider yourself extremely fortunate. And sheltered. And ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Just say "without Homer, there wouldn't be a Sabrina carpenter," and leave it at that. Or remind her that the point of the book includes gaining cultural literacy--once she is through it she will pick up on a lot of references in other works. Great books education allows greater access to other literature/art, so there is a point to it....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love this thread.

How do you react, OP? I can see how this could be painful, but maybe it could be fun if you were both being playful and curious.

"Really? Wow! Can you play me some of your favorite lyrics? What makes you think of that comparison?"

Can you give her "Circe" or "Song of Achilles" by Madeline Miller to compare? Maybe she'd like a more feminist-centered view of mythology from a more modern author.

TBH I had trouble with The Odyssey in school but enjoyed Miller's take as an audiobook.

Those were two of the best books I've ever read. Definitely in my top 10 and I read 50+ books a year.

I just rolled my eyes so hard, I think I pulled something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love that this is OP’s hill to die on. Sincerely. You should legit do battle with your teen over literature. Way better than boring bedtimes and Snapchat. You’re a good mom, OP.

Why do you assume OP is a woman? They never identified as such.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD (15) is reading "The Odyssey" for school. I am a professor of Greek literature, so I may be biased, haha. But I adore this book, maybe more than any book I've ever read. DD has...different views. She regularly announces that she hates or thinks it's bad, and that's okay, she can have her opinions. But she often makes jokes about its apparent poor quality and has even taken to mocking Homer. Yesterday she claimed at dinner that "Sabrina Carpenter could have written The Odyssey but Odysseus couldn't have written Bed Chem". This is starting to seem to me that she's trying to get under my skin. Why is she doing this? If she doesn't like a book that's fine, but why this persistent need to make fun of the book that plays a large foundation in my career?

I'm impressed that your daughter reads ancient Greek at age 15!

Fairly certain that was the point of the post. One of the best VBAs I have read in a while.

What does that mean?

It is the best veiled brag alert I have seen in ages.

Oh, my kid is smart enough at 15 to be in a class where they are reading The Odyssey and also precocious enough to be baiting me by slamming it, which happens to be my favorite book.

Come on, now, it’s bloody brilliant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love that this is OP’s hill to die on. Sincerely. You should legit do battle with your teen over literature. Way better than boring bedtimes and Snapchat. You’re a good mom, OP.

Why do you assume OP is a woman? They never identified as such.

Because if your IQ is above room temperature you can infer these things from style and contextual clues.

Like when I'm watching the Yankees I'm not bothered by all the he/him pronouning even though they don't each self-identify with pronouns during the lineup.