Answer:
Error of this sentence started from (banging, thumping and pounded so loudly that I couldn't sleep)
8. Is an overrated game that many would call "cancer" and 11. means something that is parasitic (like a leech or tick)
The setting which begins to answer your question is the sentence that begins "Most conversations between husband and wife ... " this is near the beginning.
The real core of your question comes with "This aloofness ... " which shows how he handles the disputes with his wife. This is followed by "He attained this by ... " which tells exactly how the aloofness came about. Finally he surrounds himself with people that insulate him from the fights he has will his wife. His bridge games probably insure that he does not have to talk to her.
Odysseus is saying he is so famous, even the gods know who he is. (A little conceited, if you ask me!) He may also be giving an honest assessment of the situation- it depends on the context a little. I think he is bragging - it sounds the most likely.
