The other day I found in a Paris bookstore an illustrated version of “The Odyssey” by Marvel, and bought it so my eight-year-old, Lucas, could feel like he was participating in Dad’s and Matthew’s thing. It has been a big hit. Lucas is sitting over there re-reading it now. He said a moment ago, “Dad, I love it when Odysseus goes down to Hades. It’s always good to see zombies.”

He’s very, very fond of the part in which Odysseus and his men stick the burning log into the Cyclops’ eye and fries it. Ah, little boys.