Reading: Theo’s Odyssey

Theo's OdysseyIn a busy time of year, this journey took me four weeks to read, one location at a time. Nevertheless, it was irresistible!

The title character, Theo, is a much loved but incurably ill teenager, whisked away on a mystery tour of the world by his well-connected, crazy Aunt Martha. In this tour, every stop is a meeting with a new religion, or a few.

Just as in his favourite computer game, at every stage he must decipher a cryptic clue to discover the next destination, often calling his girlfriend at home for hints.

Clément’s characters are deeply shaken or transformed by their experiences and insights. The extraordinary accomplishment of this book is the vivid portrayal of the cultural and subjective experience of adherents of each religion. She strongly shows the link between religious practice and politics, national character, history and tradition, without trivialising.

The final reunion with family and friends felt unlikely but a narrative necessity: it prompts Theo to describe his own synthesis of his many observations, experiences and conversations. The story urges for religious tolerance, but gives a simple explanation of the attractions, consequences and inevitability of fundamentalism in many religions.

The book has been compared to Sophie’s World, for plot similarities and parallels of method. However, this book is much easier to read, perhaps because it does not have to demonstrate the reflexivity of philosophical thought after Berkeley. Read Theo first.

Clément has created an enchanting stimulus for comparitive religious studies.

References

  1. Clément, C., Cox, C. (tr), Schwartz, R. (tr) 1997, Theo’s Odyssey, Flamingo, London.
  2. Gardner, J., Moller, P. (tr), 1994, Sophie’s World, Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
  3. Cover image from Amazon, online at http://www.amazon.com/Theos-Odyssey-Catherine-Clement/dp/1559704993