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The Adventures of Captain Harvey: A Modern Odyssey by Edgar Allan Poe
Reader Reviews A remarkable book, May 5, 2002 Reviewer: Francis Salus from Chicago, Ilinois This is truly a remarkable book. It was recommended to me by a professor at my college who teaches comparative literature, and that's exactly what it is. The entire novel is a dialogue between the greatest literary masterpieces of Western Literature. The main character, Captain Harvey, travels around Europe retracing the "steps" of Homer, Don Quijote, Dante, Van Gogh, to name a few, living out the adventures of both fictional and non-fictional characters in what becomes a humorous and profound parody. Clearly, it helps if you have some knowledge of the classics, especially Greek mythology, Dante, and Shakespeare, but even if you don't you can follow the story on a more superficial level as simple series of travel adventures. This is not a cookie-cutter John Grisham-type novel that you can read in your sleep, it requires a reader who is awake and is willing to stop and think about the very serious question, "What is the essence of personal identity?" If you are willing to ask questions, this novel will supply endless rewards.
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