Dedaland

I am so lucky my friends have such interesting personalities... they turn their life in somthing to talk about... ergo ... a story.

I always wondered: what was so mysterious or incredibly fascinating that brought me to like stories?

I think in storytelling there are two main things: great stories and great storytellers.

In the first case the story survives its creator and becomes something that belongs to everyone: like myths and legends.
In the second case the creator was so good that transformed something very banal in something worth telling over and over.

I like the second case a lot. For Example if I say Homer everybody thinks Iliad and Odissey (well, somebody thinks The Simpsons) right away. This association is what I like the best... if we consider how entertaining his stories were... well, yes they were pretty nice, but not different from many other stories.
Take the war of Troy for example, which is maybe a prototype to a soap opera, where an unfaitful woman runs away form her husband with a younger man... and that causes a major war.
Well, the whole war lasts 10 years during which we have betrayal, loylaty, love and passion, heroes and cowards...
but deep down the key to this story might be Achillis and his behaviour the fact that his death and the death of Hecotr might have ended the war... and how capricious the King fo the Mirmidoni is. Achillis, okay... a hero? I dunno he cannot be killed so there's nothing heroic in going to battle and kill people if you don't put anything at stake.
Was in love with Patroclus, was in love with Briseide or Cassandra... maybe he was just horny all the time?
and what's with Polissena. She sees him choke her twin brother Troilo (well actually, crash his chest during an attempted rape) and what she does... she plans revenge... she wants to marry him and discovers his weak point.... and as an excuse for her wanting to be hisi wife is the fact... : she got fascinated by the passion he embraced Troilo with. (and he believes that?)
Supposedly Helen too, after Paris dies, gets married with his brother Deiphobo like... tow hours after the funerals?

If this isn't a soap opera kind of story... then tell me, what is it?
It's an ephic... but why is it?
Because Homer told it the right way...
there a big difference in saying:

"So these is the story of these acheian guys and this dude called Achillis who was always might pissed!"

"cantami o diva del pelide Achille l'ira funesta che infiniti addusse lutti agli achei"

(sing me, oh diva, of Achillis son of Peleis and his sad/funereal rage that so many mournigs caused to the acheians)

Now you must agree with me: words sing in the mouth of this Homer fella.... ^_^

and Since the narrator, a good narrator, is the think that makes the story good... or better... I am guessing... if those guys in Hollywood don't make the word sing.... my guess is Troy will flop or totally be a brain farth!