The Odyssey, attributed to the ancient Greek poet Homer, is one of the two major epic poems of ancient Greece, alongside The Iliad, likely composed in the late 8th or early 7th century BCE. Emerging from an oral tradition, it reflects the values, mythology, and societal structures of the Archaic Greek world, blending historical echoes of the Bronze Age with fictional elements. Set after the Trojan War, the poem follows Odysseus’s ten-year journey home to Ithaca, weaving tales of divine intervention, heroic endurance, and human cunning. Its composition likely occurred during a period of cultural and political transition in Greece, with the rise of city-states and increased maritime exploration, which shaped its themes of navigation, hospitality, and identity. Passed down orally before being written, The Odyssey draws on earlier myths and folktales, its narrative depth and universal themes ensuring its enduring influence on Western literature.

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Gulliver’s Travels, published in 1726 by Jonathan Swift under the pseudonym Lemuel Gulliver, is a satirical novel that stands as one of the most enduring works of English literature. Written as a parody of travel narratives popular in the 18th century, it follows the voyages of Lemuel Gulliver, a ship’s surgeon, to fantastical lands like Lilliput, Brobdingnag, Laputa, and the country of the Houyhnhnms. Swift, an Irish clergyman and political writer, used the novel to critique human nature, European politics, and societal institutions, employing sharp irony and exaggerated scenarios to expose the absurdities of pride, greed, and corruption. The book’s blend of adventure, humor, and philosophical reflection has made it a timeless classic, appealing to readers as both a fantastical tale and a profound commentary on humanity’s flaws.

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Don Quixote, written by Miguel de Cervantes and published in two parts (1605 and 1615), is widely regarded as the first modern novel and a cornerstone of Western literature. Set in early 17th-century Spain, it emerged during the Spanish Golden Age, a period of cultural flourishing amid political decline. Cervantes, a former soldier and captive, wrote the novel partly to satirize the popular chivalric romances that captivated readers, reflecting a shift toward realism in literature. The story follows Alonso Quixano, a minor noble whose obsession with knightly tales drives him to become the delusional “Don Quixote,” embarking on absurd quests with his pragmatic squire, Sancho Panza. Blending humor, pathos, and metafiction, the novel explores the tension between idealism and reality, influencing countless works and establishing the novel as a literary form.

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