So you watched the Odyssey…now what?
If you were one of the approximately 7.5 million people[1] who (like myself) attended the opening weekend of Christopher Nolan’s epic interpretation of Homer’s “Odyssey,” perhaps you now find yourself bitten by the classicist bug. Maybe you walked out of the theater eager to consume more bronze-aged media. Or maybe you already count yourself amongst the regular readers of Greek retellings, and want to dive even more deeply down the rabbit hole.
Well, you’ve come to the right place.
The Odyssey is a 3000-year-old epic (give or take a few centuries) that details the (mis)adventures of the hero-king Odysseus following the events of the Trojan War, as well as the trials and tribulations that occur at home in his long absence.
Before we get to the part where I list all the books, I do feel the librarian-need to issue a few caveats:
First, The Odyssey is, as a story, a fantasy. There are some historical and archaeological truths to be found in the Homeric verses, but for the majority of the story, we are thrust into a fantastical realm of the gods, monsters, and people who populated that known universe.
Second, the epic was composed approximately 450 years after the supposed events of the Trojan War (if there even was such a war). That’s as though someone today wrote a story about the lost colony of Roanoke and treated it as absolute fact.
In other words, don’t take the Odyssey at face value; it isn’t intended to be read as a historical tome, but rather as a story of the fallibility of man, especially in the wake of his own actions. Like all stories, it has its themes and tropes and plot, and so don’t be intimidated by the fact it’s almost three thousand years old and multiple scholars are currently arguing over it. Instead, have a little fun! Use the recommended books and movies/tv shows below to explore the different pieces of the story, and, who knows, you might just find a new favorite genre.
And, if all else fails, keep an eye out on Wowbrary for the Odyssey movie when it comes to library shelves!
Original sources:
The Odyssey, translated by Emily Wilson (2018)
- This is the version Nolan himself used as inspiration for his movie. Wilson’s new translation offers a modern approach to the epic, both in regards to language and storytelling. Wilson also emphasizes a new interpretation of characters, particularly the women of the story, that sheds light on the roles these previously lesser-emphasized people played in Bronze Age civilization.
The Iliad, translated by Emily Wilson ( 2023)
- The Iliad serves as a “prequel” of sorts to the Odyssey, detailing the end of the Trojan war. It does not, however, actually tell the story of the Trojan horse or the fall of the city. Instead it speaks of the “rage of Achilles” and his quarrel with King Agamemnon (don’t be fooled by his larger-than-life appearance in the Odyssey film…he kind of sucked). Wilson’s translation is lauded for stripping away the inaccessible prose favored by previous academics, and instead creates an unrhymed structure to mimic how it may have appeared to those listening to the original bards.
The Aeneid, transl. By Scott McGill (2025)
- If you’ve read the Iliad, or have seen the 2004 movie Troy (see below), the name Aeneas might be familiar. In the Roman poem The Aeneid, composed by the author Virgil in the first century BCE, we learn the story of the brave Trojan prince Aeneas. After the fall of Troy Aeneas led a contingent of survivors on a quest to find a new homeland, facing perils and adventures along the way. Spoiler alert- his people did find their new home, and his great-great-grandsons (Romulus and Remus) would end up founding the Roman Republic.
Read More
Great Mythology series by Stephen Fry
- We know and love Stephen Fry from his various acting roles, but he’s also a classics enthusiast! If you love the sound of his voice, be sure to check out his recountings of Greek cosmology.
- Mythos (2017) – From Prometheus to Zeus’s exploits, this tome tells the various tales of the Olympians.
- Heroes (2018) – To quote a favorite Disney character, here you’ll find “Theseus, Perseus, [and all the other] -eus’s…
- Troy (2020) – If you want a whole recounting of the Trojan War, from inciting incidents to the fall of the walled city, Fry’s got you covered.
- Odyssey (2024) – Fry’s version of the Odyssey tells the same tale as the direct translations, though it is told in an approachable, novel manner that modern fiction readers will find enjoyable!
Circe by Madeline Miller (2018)
- Did the scene where Circe turns Odysseus’s men into pigs make you feel…things? This book is possibly one of the most beautifully-written books I’ve read, and tells Circe’s story in a humane way, from her girlhood on Olympus when she aided the “hero” Prometheus, through her time with Odysseus, and beyond, to her time with (spoilers again) none other than Odysseus’s son, Telemachus.
Ithaca by Claire North (2022)
- Did you also start tearing up when Penelope threw the screens back and was holding Odysseus’s bow to challenge the suitors? The first in a trilogy, Ithaca tells Penelope’s story during the time Odysseus is gone, detailing in depth her struggles, being a first-time mother, ruling in her husband’s place, and the incursion of the suitors into her sanctuary; aka, her home she made with her husband. It tells the story of a bold, brave woman, whose resolute will helped keep her household, and her kingdom, safe.
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood (2005)
- If you want to know more about the maid who hid under the table during the challenge with the suits, this novella is perfect for you. Following Odysseus’s battle royale, twelve unfaithful maids were hanged for their treachery. Atwood’s Penelopiad tells Penelope’s story from her own point of view…until the maids (already hanged and dead, but forming a chorus of twelve spirits) interject with their own versions of what exactly happened during Odysseus’s wanderings and his subsequent return.
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker (2018)
- Did you watch the 2004 movie Troy, and want to know more about Achilles’s lover, Briseis? This book also tells the story of Chryseis, another character of the Iliad who was stolen and “given” to Agamemnon at the start of the Trojan War. It was Agamemnon being forced to give Chryseis back to her father, a priest of Apollo, that spurred him to steal Briseis from Achilles…and we all know how that ends up. But more than the machinations of men and their beastly appetites, Barker tells a harrowing, gut-wrenching story of women with little autonomy at the hands of legendary warriors, and how they maintain their humanity and bravery in the face of such dire conditions.
A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes (2021)
- Are you curious about what happened to the other women of the war? Similar to Barker, Haynes takes on the Trojan War and tells it from the views of the women involved. Narrated by the muse Calliope (the muse of epic poetry), the stories of Hecabe, Briseis, Andromache, Cassandra, Penelope, Clytemnestra, Iphigenia, Achilles’s mother Thetis, the goddess Athena, and more besides are recounted with wonderful attention. Trojan, Greek, and Olympian, these women are all bound by one thing; the bloodshed and quest for vengeance that is a hallmark of the Trojan War.
Daughters of Sparta by Claire Heywood (2021)
- Did Lupita Nyong’o’s dual presentation of Helen and her twin sister Clytemnestra intrigue you?. The twin girls were born from eggs laid by the Queen Leda of Sparta – yes, eggs; Leda was assaulted by Zeus, and so Helen, renowned for her beauty, was fathered by the king of the gods, while Clytemnestra was fathered by the King of Sparta, Tyndareus. Renowned for their beauty and powerful heritage, the twins married brothers of the two most powerful city-states of Bronze-age Greece – Agamemnon of Mycenae and Menelaus of Sparta. Told in alternating points of view, we get the story of the Trojan War and its aftermath from, arguably, two of the most important women to the story; Helen, whose face and love affair “launched a thousand ships,” and Clytemnestra, who murdered her husband Agamemnon in vengeance for sacrificing their daughter to get the Greeks to Troy (amongst other grievances).
Elektra by Jennifer Saint (2022)
- Do you want to know more about what happens in Mycenae after the walls of Troy fell? Told in three alternating perspectives, this book is narrated by Queen Clytemnestra, her daughter Elektra, and the princess-seer Cassandra. Each of these three women are integral to the story of Agamemnon and his downfall; his wife, who murdered him. His daughter, who loved him. And Cassandra, the woman he stole and assaulted, who predicted his downfall…
Clytemnestra by Constanza Casati (2023)
- In case you can’t tell, I find Clytemnestra fascinating. Historically villainized as an adulterer, murderer, and virago, Casati tells us the Queen’s story in an empathetic light, giving the reader new insight into a woman who was expected only to marry and give birth. A mother whose daughter was sacrificed for the wills and wants of men. And a lover who saw her possible salvation in a new lover, one who could help her set her life into her own narrative.
Watch More
“Wishbone: Homer Sweet Homer” (1995)
- Pure nostalgia and a great story, Wishbone, a Jack Russell Terrier, was known for telling stories in a friendly and approachable manner. This early adaptation of the epic is as heartwarming as it is fun!
Arthur, Season 4 episode “D.W. Tale Spins: The Odyssey”
- Do you want a kid-friendly adaptation of the Odyssey, told in a unique engaging format? Yes, this IS Arthur and Dora Winifred Read, everybody’s favorite aardvark family. D.W. retells the Odyssey in this episode, and I still vividly remember the show’s recounting of the cyclops scene.
“The Return” (2024)
- Do you want more of Odysseus coming home to Penelope? Focusing on the end of his voyage, this film stars Ralph Fiennes (aka, Voldemort) as Odysseus, and portrays all the drama of his homecoming and the trial of the suitors.
“Clash of the Titans” (1987 & 2010)
- Perfect if you want more Greek mythology and heroes. And Pegasus! The 1987 version is the original, and well-loved by enthusiasts, though I personally like the 2010 Sam Worthington version.
“Legend of Troy, the epic rise and fall” (Hulu, 2026)
- This is the one you want if you’re looking for an actual documentary that looks at archaeological and historical evidence for the existence of Troy.
- Not entirely accurate, but still fun, this is for you if you want Brad Pitt and Eric Bana in entirely too little clothing. Or a fantastic reimagining of the Iliad and battle of Troy. Either works.
“O Brother, Where Art Thou” (2000)
- A retelling of the Odyssey with George Clooney?? This reimagining is set in depression-era Mississippi, with George Clooney and two close friends being escaped chain gang prisoners just trying to get home.
- A fun film to watch if you are interested in Sparta (where the characters Menelaus and Helen live) and want more epic battle scenes. It’s also somewhat based on historical events! (Bonus read, check out the new book Sparta by Andrew Bayliss”)
“Jason and the Argonauts miniseries” (2000)
- Do you want more of the Odyssey-type voyage, with heroes completing impossible tasks…with really bad wigs? This miniseries is so cheesy, it’s great. Plus, Odysseus’s dog is named after the ship Jason sails.
“Spartacus” (2010)
- Did you love the battle sequences and want more historical figures? Yes, this one is about Roman gladiators, but it is based on true events of the Spartacus revolt in 73 BCE, and will feed your need for all the gory, intimate details.
[1]“The Odyssey Slays…” (D’Alessandro, Deadline.com, 2026); https://deadline.com/2026/07/box-office-the-odyssey-1236993792/
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