What to read before Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey

If you haven’t heard yet, let me be the first to tell you that Christopher Nolan’s next film is an adaptation of Homer’s “Odyssey”. I know I know. I can hear your applause from here! Just wait until you hear who’s in the cast. Drum roll please… Zendaya, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o, Matt Damon, and so many more. 

Some of you may have had to read the “Odyssey” back in high school or college or you’ve never had to read it at all. Fair to say: it’s been a while since we’ve put our nose in the poem. Where to start? We could just cold read it. Jump in and learn the names and general plot as we go. A risky move though. The “Odyssey” is in fact a poem, so it could be difficult to track. We could look up a YouTube video explaining the plot, but that seems like it would still be a serious search. Do we just watch the first video that pops up? Or the one with the most views? And we’re back to asking where to start? Have no fear. There are various other works that are a great starting point before jumping into reading the poem itself. Shall we begin with the general plot of the book? Ya, let’s start there.  

The “Odyssey” follows Odysseus’ journey back home to Ithaca after the Trojan war. While sailing home, he is confronted by gods, creatures, and ethical dilemmas. If you have no introduction to Greek mythology I would start with familiarizing yourself with a digestible version of the Greek Gods. Poseidon, Athena, and many more gods are active characters battling for and against the leading man. If I was looking for a place to start outside of googling them, I would reach for the “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series by Rick Riordan. The plot being weaved between the world of the Greek Gods and the world that we all know is masterful as well as just plain fun. The series follows a young demigod, Percy Jackson, as he and his friends battle mystical creatures of the past, go on daring quest’s, stand up to their Godly parents, and creatures of old. The series is middle school and up friendly. It is not an exact replica of the gods in the “Odyssey”, but it will give you a good feel of the deities, what they rule over, and their complicated history with each other. 

If you do have a general understanding of the Greek Gods and would like to read something that is more mature, go grab “Circe” by Madeline Miller. Wait. Before you read, note there are scenes of violence, sexual assault, and grief throughout the book. Circe is a powerful and short-followed character in the “Odyssey”. Homer’s Circe and Miller’s Circe are almost like venn diagrams of each other. Their differences are in interpretation while the things they have in common keep the character grounded in each literary work. Miller adds vulnerability, understanding, and depth to Homer’s Circe. The plot naturally begins to overlap with the events that occur in the “Odyssey” as well giving a different perspective of Odysseus, Telemachus, and others. “Circe” and the “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series are both great literary works you could read to gain a grasp of topics, characters, and plots addressed in the “Odyssey”. I see a hand in the back. Yes, there are other media’s that you could intake instead of reading those books. Have you ever heard of Jorge Rivera-Herrans?

Over the last couple of years, he wrote, composed, and debuted EPIC. It all started when Rivera-Herran’s began posting about his idea for a musical interpretation of the “Odyssey” on TikTok. The idea took off and an idea turned into a nine saga epic (for lack of better terms) musical. Journey with Odysseus meeting the Cyclops, Circe, and (SPOILER ALERT) making it back home to his beloved wife Penelope. Each of the sagas is filled with characters directly from the poem written to music so beautiful, you would think it’s directly from the Muses. My personal favorite saga is “The Ithaca Saga”. It’s so satisfying listening to Odysseus take back his home and reunite with his wife after 20 years. 20 YEARS. It’s beautiful. Since the sagas follow Odysseus’s journey closely, it is a wonderful resource to listen to for direct plot and characters. Even if you have no intention of reading the “Odyssey” or you decide you don’t care for anything about it, you should listen to this musical. It is filled with unforgettable melodies woven together with enduring themes, and actors singing like they were born to portray these immortal characters. If you’re not big into musicals, still give this one a try. Trust me. It’s worth it. Go ahead and hop on over to Spotify or Apple Music or wherever you listen and stream EPIC. 

All this being said, there is no shame if you don’t want to read the books or listen to a musical. You can always watch the movie without any of the homework beforehand, but there is a reason it is continually being adapted. The story is timeless from generation to generation. A man fighting hell and earth to get back home to the woman he loves and the family he was forced to leave behind. Come on. You know you want to read it. No harm in taking in more wonderful media in the meantime.