Wanderings - The retelling of the classical story of King Odysseus and Queen Penelope by Aleksandar Bajić

The famous story of Odysseus’s long journey home after the Trojan War, comprising some history and a whole lot of mythology, becomes the subject of this classical, yet essentially modern, novel.

The trials that King Odysseus must endure in strange lands and the lonely vigil of his Queen Penelope during his absence – all this will be familiar territory for many readers. What makes the novel so compelling are the psychological depths to which the author takes the reader in bringing his characters to life.

These are no mythical heroes, but real and immediately recognisable people caught in equally recognisable human situations. The time is 1200 years BCE, but, in terms of human motivations and behaviour, it could just as well be right now. The struggles of the royal couple reach their climax when Odysseus arrives home after twenty years. His challenge is to defeat his enemies, Penelope’s suitors, and reclaim his home and kingdom, while leaving behind the warlike past for the sake of a peaceful life with his family.

Penelope’s challenge is to find a way to accept her husband again and welcome the lessons taught by sacrifice and suffering in pursuit of marital harmony. ‘Wanderings is a deft, engaging retelling of a classical story. It revives, with new depth, the characters and accounts of the ancients in a compelling novel that is both comfortable and genuine in it’s telling.’ Wesley Thompson, editor.

About the Author:

‘Aleksandar Bajić was born in Serbia. His stories were published in magazines there and as a collection titled Short Stories. He relocated to South Africa in the 1990s. He was educated at the University of Belgrade and the University of South Africa. Aleksandar lives in Johannesburg where several of his stories have been published in the Migrate magazine. Wanderings is his first novel.’