All the Ways to Experience ‘The Odyssey’
If you can’t stop thinking about it after the movie, you’re not alone.
Few stories in history have endured quite like Homer’s The Odyssey. First composed nearly 3,000 years ago, this timeless epic created the ultimate blueprint for every hero’s journey, monster-slaying adventure, and war-torn homecoming across Western literature. But right now, ancient Greece is having a massive pop-culture moment.
Thanks to Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster film adaptation The Odyssey, starring Matt Damon as the weary king of Ithaca, alongside a star-studded cast including Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, and Zendaya, the world is obsessed with Homer’s mythological masterpiece once again. Nolan’s sprawling, IMAX-shot film is already dominating the summer box office and ignited a global wave of curiosity. Readers, moviegoers, and listeners alike are eager to dive deeper into the lore of the Trojan War's aftermath, Poseidon's wrath, and the treacherous decade-long voyage home.
Whether you want to conquer the original text, devour a modern feminist retelling, or immerse yourself in stunning audio and visual formats, there are countless ways to join the trend. Here are six of the absolute best shoppable ways to experience The Odyssey right now.
Read ‘The Odyssey’ by Homer (Translated by Emily Wilson)
If you want to read the source material without trudging through dense 19th-century text, Emily Wilson’s masterpiece is essential. As the first woman to publish an English translation of the epic, Wilson brings a fresh, dynamic perspective using clear, punchy language set in strict verse. It strips away Victorian fluff while maintaining the power of Homer's original lines, making it by far the most readable version for modern audiences.
Read ‘Circe’ by Madeline Miller
For a creative literary spin, Madeline Miller's runaway bestseller flips the perspective from the famous hero to the infamous witch who turned his men into pigs. The novel follows Circe from her lonely childhood in the halls of the sun god Helios to her banishment on the island of Aiaia, recasting her not as a mythological villain, but as a complex hero fighting for her own independence. It's an enchanting, intimate fantasy that completely reframes Odysseus's voyage.
Watch ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’
The Coen Brothers proved that Greek myth translates brilliantly to the American South in this cult-classic satirical comedy. George Clooney plays an escaped convict embarking on a wild journey across Depression-era Mississippi alongside two bumbling sidekicks. Featuring riverbank sirens, a terrifying one-eyed Bible salesman representing the Cyclops, and a blind prophet, this film packages the epic’s major plot beats into a hilarious, bluegrass-fueled masterpiece.
Watch ‘The Return’
If you prefer a gritty, realistic take on the story's bloody final act, this cinematic drama reunites The English Patient stars Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche. Focusing strictly on Odysseus’s long-awaited arrival back on Ithaca, the film strips away the flashy divine intervention to portray a battle-scarred king dealing with severe trauma while trying to reclaim his home and protect his wife from hostile suitors. It is a grounded, quiet, and deeply human look at the true costs of war.
Read ‘The Odyssey’ Graphic Novel by Gareth Hinds
Visual learners and comic fans will love Gareth Hinds's beautifully illustrated adaptation, which turns the sweeping poem into a full-color graphic novel. Hinds maintains the classical weight and core storyline of the epic, but pairs it with stunning watercolor and ink art that brings monsters like Scylla, Charybdis, and Polyphemus to terrifying life. It is an ideal pick for anyone who wants a fast-paced, visually rich trip through ancient Greece.
Listen to ‘The Odyssey’ by Homer, Read by Ian McKellen
Before it was ever written down, Homer’s epic was an oral tradition passed between bards, and there is no better voice to bring that tradition into the digital age than Sir Ian McKellen. Narrating Robert Fagles’s celebrated translation, McKellen uses his theatrical prowess to give distinct voices to every god, monster, and mortal hero. Listening to this audio production feels like sitting around an ancient campfire while a master storyteller commands the room.
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