The Odyssey!

Read the original, explore new perspectives, & discover heroic epics

Tell me about a complicated man . . .  

Christopher Nolan's star-studded new epic, The Odyssey, comes out this week! We're always pretty excited about book-to-screen adaptations, but this release feels especially monumental.  

The Odyssey follows the Greek hero Odysseus as he journeys home after the Trojan War. Over the course of a decade, he must face down monsters, shipwrecks, gods, and powerful temptations. All the while, his wife Penelope and son Telemachus fend off suitors who believe Odysseus is dead.  

One of the oldest surviving works of literature, the Odyssey was first composed around the 8th or 7th century BC. While credited to the revered ancient Greek poet Homer, it is generally assumed that both the Odyssey and Iliad came to fruition as part of oral traditions over hundreds of years. And, given the widespread illiteracy of the times, both poems were generally enjoyed by an audience of listeners, rather than readers.   

Explore the source material

The epic poem has been presented in different ways by a variety of translators over the centuries. Here are a few that remain most popular as well as some special new editions and retellings for younger readers to consider.    

Emily Wilson (2017)—The first English translation by a woman, this fresh, authoritative edition sings with a voice that echoes the epic's music, sailing along at Homer's swift, smooth pace. 

Robert Fagles (1996)—Known for its cinematic energy and dramatic free verse, this award-winning translation captures the energy and poetry of the original. This is an interpretation to read aloud and savor.  

Robert Fitzgerald (1961)—The supple verse in this celebrated translation is reflective and musical, excellent for readers who value the beauty of language over a quick read.  

Super Deluxe Edition (2026)—Just in time for the movie's release, this stunning edition, translated by Samuel Butler, features an elegant faux-leather cover with foil-embossed designs and beautiful sprayed edges. 

The Illustrated Odyssey (2026)—Replete with classic drawings and colorful illustrations, a foil-stamped cover, gilded edges, and a silk ribbon, this beautiful new edition is going fast. 

The Odyssey Graphic Novel by Gareth Hinds—With bold imagery and an ear tuned to the music of Homer's epic poem, this graphic novel tailors the ancient classic for a YA audience. (12 and up) 

The Odyssey: A Modern Retelling by Liv Albert—This gripping middle-grade adventure offers Odysseus's story as our hero is tested to the limits by the Cyclops, sirens, and lots of meddling, angry gods. (Ages 9–12) 

Retellings and new perspectives

We love reading fresh modern interpretations of ancient texts! Some of these inventive novels reimagine the experiences of the women in these stories (a perspective perhaps lacking in the originals). Others are told from the perspectives of minor characters who take part in Odysseus's eventful journey. 

For the feminine perspective: 

Ithaca by Claire North and The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood—Both of these novels breathe new life into experiences of Odysseus's wife. North's book, the first in a trilogy, is set during the same time period as the Odyssey. Atwood offers a fresh take on what follows Homer's story. 

Circe by Madeline Miller—Bold and subversive, this novel brilliantly imagines the life of Circe, played by Samantha Morton in the upcoming film. The formidable sorceress crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including Odysseus, of course. 

Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati—As for queens, they are either hated or forgotten. Like Circe, this novel flips the script on a notorious villainess, Clytemnestra, sister to Helen of Troy. (Lupita Nyong'o plays both sisters in the film.) 

A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes—This is the women's war, just as much as it is the men's. With a narrative framed by Calliope, this novel portrays the experiences of the women, girls, and goddesses during the Trojan War. 

Explore retellings of other Greek myths: 

Mythos by Stephen Fry—The ancient stories of the Greek gods are brought thrillingly to life by a beloved writer, actor, and comedian. These retellings balance faithful respect for the original myths with a vivid, entertaining, modern voice. 

Reimagining's that take the story in a whole new direction: 

The Lost Books of the Odyssey by Zachary Mason—With hypnotic prose, terrific imagination, and dazzling literary skill, these alternative episodes, fragments, and revisions open up the classic epic to endless reverberating interpretations. 

Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier—This award-winning novel brings the epic's themes and structure to a soldier's perilous journey back to his beloved at the end of the American Civil War. 

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller—Odysseus plays an instrumental, and morally complex, role in this brilliant and heartbreaking retelling of the legend of Achilles and the Trojan War. 

More reads like The Odyssey 

If you're interested in reading more ancient epics like the Odyssey, here are some standouts to add to your TBR list.  

The Iliad by Homer—This epic poem narrates the events of the Trojan War. You could call it the prequel to the Odyssey. 

The Mahabharata by Vyasa—One of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, narrating the story of the Kurukshetra War and the struggle between the Kauravas and the Pandavas. 

The Ramayana by Valmiki—This Indian epic narrates the life of Rama, the seventh avatar of the Hindu deity Vishnu, who was a prince of Ayodhya in the kingdom of Kosala. 

The Aeneid by Virgil—This Latin poem follows Trojan prince Aeneas after Troy's fall as he steers his people through storms, divine grudges, and distant shores toward a new home in Italy.  

Ovid's Metamorphoses—The esteemed Roman poet drew on Greek mythology, Latin folklore and legend from ever further afield to create this series of narrative poems, linked by the common theme of transformation. 

The Epic of Gilgamesh—In this epic Mesopatamian poem that dates back to the third millennium BC, King Gilgamesh and his companion Enkidu set out on an epic journey to the Spring of Youth. 

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon