The Odyssey, Books 2-4

I hope I did this right, I read books 2,3, and 4. I'm not sure if I was supposed to read to four, or through for, but I guess it doesn't matter now, because the damage has been done. I am actually really liking this book so far! This 'active reading' thing sometimes seems annoying, but it helps me to pay attention, especially when I realize that I've been writing the strangest things on the paper. Sometimes I would look back and have no idea why I underlined what I did, but I would remember what I read really well. I also wrote notes to myself that, although I felt stupid writing, made sense, kind of. I wrote connections that I made like 'Wait, if the man-servant tells Penelope that the suitors are planning to kill her son who's in another city far away, then that means that she will know her son is/was at sea!' and then less than a paragraph later it says the same thing and I feel stupid that I took time to point that out to myself. Another weird thing I do is when I write things to myself, after a while of reading, I start to write them like the people talk, so 'old English' I guess. I guess it feels sort of harsh to say 'The guy is sad'. I don't know why I like the story so much, but I'm feeling pretty confident that the beginning is the worst of it. The one thing I noticed that I don't like is that it seems like he is only liked because of his father. Even Athena (or Minerva) although she seems to like him, seems to only be helping him because it means getting Odysseus back. I also don't like, now that I think about it, how I can't always tell why the people do or say something, or if they know something. For example, when Athena disguises herself as 'Mentor' does Telemachus know it's her? It seems like he doesn't, but he also hinted that he could tell it was her before, and then when she turns into an eagle and flies away, is he paying attention? It seems obvious that he would see, since it seems like he should still be there (how far could he have gotten in a few lines? But how do I know? I also can't always tell (and it might be my stupidity) when Telemachus is acting and when he sincerely is thinking something. To a degree, he is always acting, and so in Athena (yes, I know I'm referring to one in a Roman name and one Greek, but that's how I think), but how do I know when he seriously is thinking that he will never find Odysseus and when he is acting for someone. I guess sometimes it doesn't matter, but I want to know. I don't know whether or not I like not knowing what he looks like, other than once being referred to as 'tall and strong'.

People I don't like: the suitors, of course! They are hogs, and I can see what can sparks their greed of money, because Penelope obviously has a lot of riches in her house, but they are definitely a little crazy. I love how they can't be pushed in their greed and they can seem so stupid, because then I can picture them better. I somehow felt that they would come to be a stronger problem, although I didn't think they would try to sail after him. It seems too easy, I guess. I just thought they would stay and be more trouble to his mom, which they would have been, and still are, except now I don't know why she would marry any of them after they plot to kill her son. Which brings me to my other point, I don't like Penelope, for many reasons. She seems to not think much of her son. There are many times when she says something like 'he's not strong enough' or things like that. This especially bothers me when she seems to prize her husband so much. I realize that she loves him to bits, but she regards him as stupid in his decisions and weak and small, like he's still an infant. He doesn't even score as heroic in her mind when he goes off to find his father, which makes me even angrier. Of course, we could give her the excuse of being overcome by grief and suitors who are jerks, and her son can be a little pushy and mean to his mom, but you'd think she might think something of him. Penelope's character also seems to change a lot. At first she seems to be the poor women who lost her husband, and they we're told stories about how she tricked the suitors, so maybe she's smart. Then she seems to be helpless again and cry a lot. She's almost like a baby, in a way. Of course, I'm probably being hard on her, but I can't help thinking badly of her.
One of the people I do like, even though she has a tiny part, is the nurse, whose name I can't think of, who helps get Telemachus supplies and has to tell Penelope about him leaving. Although at first I though she would tell of him leaving, she seemed to really care about and know Telemachus. She was obedient, and loved him, then she also proved to be intelligent. She covered his story and when the word got out he sailed away, she even took responsibility for his departure. "Then the dear old nurse Euryclea said, "You may kill me, Madam, or let me live on in your house, whichever you please, but I will tell you the real truth." This woman is so loyal, and she tells the truth even when it could, as she knows, get her killed. Not only this, but then she has either thought out, or comes up with a perfect way to do three things: relax, even slightly, Penelope, get her to stop crying, and keep her busy and not crying. Although she still cries later, Penelope seems to really listen to what she advises, and what she says has good reason to it.
The people Telemachus visits and stays with Nestor (who is preparing dinner at sunrise) and Menelaus are just okay. They seem similar, and are both long-winded about their past. They both seem to only like him because of his dad, and both seem kind and generous, and although they tell interesting stories of their past, they seem a little dull. I liked the story about Proteus, but it seems like it only told us what we already knew for the seventh time.
Even though I talked a lot and said a lot of things I didn't like, I think it just means that it was written well, because I think people should feel like that about the characters in the story. I can't wait to keep reading, (but I have to admit I spent a long time reading)!