Hearing Homer's Song: The Brief Life and Big Idea of Milman Parry

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From the acclaimed biographer of Jane Jacobs and Srinivasa Ramanujan comes a comprehensive exploration of one of the most influential classical scholars of the twentieth century, who reshaped our understanding of ancient epic poetry and the concept of literature itself. This literary detective story presents a long-overdue portrait of Milman Parry, an Oakland druggist's son known as the "Darwin of Homeric studies." His groundbreaking work in the 1930s fundamentally altered perceptions of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, leading scholars to distinguish between a "before" and "after" Parry. Previously, the epics were assumed to be "written" like other literature; now, it is recognized that they emerged from a rich oral tradition. Parry dedicated his life to developing and validating this revolutionary theory, a journey that ended tragically with his mysterious death by gunshot at thirty-three. Following Parry from UC Berkeley to the Sorbonne, Harvard, and Yugoslavia, we witness how his early ideas evolved into a comprehensive theory. The narrative also delves into his marriage to Marian Thanhouser and their challenges as young parents in Paris, alongside the circumstances surrounding his untimely death in Los Angeles. Kanigel traces Parry's enduring legacy, illustrating how his insights led to the emergence of "oral theory," which continues to influence diverse fields from Beowulf to jazz and hip-hop.