The Odyssey 4: Christopher Nolan's Odyssey review

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Secret Life of Books 1h 0m 3 speakers 3 chapters transcribed 2 months ago

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How do the hosts introduce the Scylla and Charybdis metaphor at the start of the episode?

Jonty Claypole 0:00

Sophie, in our double act, who is Scylla and who is Charybdis?

Sophie Gee 0:08

That wasn't what I was expecting.

Jonty Claypole 0:11

Do you want a refresh of what the difference is between them?

Sophie Gee 0:14

Really important. So let's remember Scylla is the whirlpool or Scylla is the monster.

Jonty Claypole 0:19

Scylla is a monstrous creature with six long snaky necks, each ending in a head full of shark-like teeth and 12 legs. And she hides in a cave and can snatch six men from any ship passing her cliffside.

Sophie Gee 0:31

Really convenient.

Jonty Claypole 0:32

And Charybdis is a gigantic sea-swallowing monster who lives on the opposite side of the same strait. They're kind of neighbours. You know, there'd be a soap opera version of this story.

Sophie Gee 0:44

Yeah, well, they have a street party.

Jonty Claypole 0:45

And Charybdis would violently drink in and spew out the ocean's water three times a day, creating a deadly ship-sinking whirlpool.

Sophie Gee 0:54

That's a no-brainer, Jonty. I am the six-tentacled, man-eating monster seller.

Jonty Claypole 1:01

OK, but why?

Sophie Gee 1:02

I think I wear my aggression on the outside. I think if someone irritates me, I kind of lean down and swap them with my trunk-like tentacle, as it was rendered in the Christopher Nolan film. So that's my take on it. But do you feel as though you do you want to you want to grab Scylla privileges?

Jonty Claypole 1:19

No, this is something else that makes us a wonderful double act is we both instinctively know which of these monsters we are. I am cryptous. I'm passive aggressive. I suck things into my vortex of gloom and despair and then spit them out again. And it's all it's all under the surface. It's not it's not your naked aggression.

Sophie Gee 1:39

Yeah, you're in there. In my experience of you, Jonty, I'm in the whirlpool. I'm in the centrifuge long before I realise what's happened.

Jonty Claypole 1:48

Well, I find the claw marks on my face long before I realise I've irritated you. It's like, whoa, a slap across my face. I've done something. A gash across your face.

Sophie Gee 2:00

Well, let's hope, shall we, Jonty, that our listeners are able to find a happy passage between the two of us, albeit a sometimes treacherous one.

Jonty Claypole 2:09

This is The Secret Life of Books. I am Jonty Claypole. I am a faithful dog who has waited patiently 20 years for my master to return from war and from his travels, waited patiently so I can die in his arms as he gets back. And I should also mention I have a sideline as an actor and I am better as a dog actor than every Hollywood actor.

Sophie Gee 2:36

That's such a good thing to know. Love it. Great choice, Argus. I am Sophie Gee. I'm an irresistible cave-dwelling nymphette who lures unsuspecting shipwrecked sailors into my clasp and entraps them with what is admittedly an absolutely tremendous setup on my island for up to seven years.

Jonty Claypole 3:03

You've got the Airbnb island retreat going. Totally.

Sophie Gee 3:06

It's like massive yoga retreat vibes.

Jonty Claypole 3:09

You've got the Aesop soap in the little bottles in the bathroom.

Sophie Gee 3:13

Do I ever. And alfresco dining at its best. So this week, The Odyssey by Christopher Nolan.

Alan Sisto 3:23

Hello, if you're the kind of person who loves books and the stories behind them, let me tell you about a podcast you might enjoy. I'm Jack Wilson, the host of the History of Literature podcast, where we talk to writers, scholars, biographers, and other guests as we try to understand just how literature works and what its impact on the world has been. Why are great books so great? How can reading fiction and poetry make us think and feel? And how does that fit into our busy lives today? At the History of Literature podcast, we dive into the greatest books from all over the world, from famous classics to underappreciated gems. Our goal is to stretch our minds and to see what big-hearted and great-souled people we can become using literature as our inspiration and our guide.

Alan Sisto 4:12

If this sounds like a journey you'd like to join, try the History of Literature podcast, available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Jonty Claypole 4:23

Sophie, first of all, paint the scene because we're in different hemispheres. We both saw the film on Sunday, didn't we? Where were you? How did it unfold?

Sophie Gee 4:32

So, yes, as you say, Jonty, I'm in the UK at the moment. I'm actually about to go on a writing residency that we were both invited to, but sadly only I was able to, I'm representing for the team in Scotland, very excited about that.