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Art to read/watch to prepare for the new Odyssey movie
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items You've probably seen the trailer of the new Odyssey movie, by Christopher Nolan. As a fan of Greek mythology, I'm... very disappointed (who designed those ugly armors? It sure isn't a Greek.) But many people are excited about it, so let me give you a...
Sections
5
Original sources
Movies
Books
Iliad retelling
Visual artists and other
Original sources
Surprisingly (or not), reading the Odyssey is a good beginning to understand the new Odyssey movie! I highly recommend Emily Wilson's translation, the one which is closest to the orality of Homer's poem.
The Odyssey: Translated by Emily Wilson by Homer, Paperback
The Metamorphoses doesn't focus on the Odyssey, but some characters of the poem appear in the text. My favorite bit is about Iphigenia and Agamemnon! All in all, it's probably the best text to discover Greek mythology.
Metamorphoses by Ovid, Hardcover | Barnes & Noble®
The Oresteia focuses on Agamemnon, leader of the Greek army during the Trojan War, and the consequences he and his family suffered from his unethical choices.
The Oresteia: Agamemnon; The Libation Bearers; The Eumenides
I consider the Aeneid to be a fanfiction of the Odyssey, and Virgil probably did too. Great book.
The Aeneid: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) by Virgil, Paperback
Movies
This fan-made musical about the Odyssey is accessible on YouTube (with animatics). It doesn't respect the story perfectly, but it's full of love for the original source material. I would fall in love with you over and over again, Jorge.
Epic: The Musical
This Greek movie is available on YouTube for free, with English subtitles. It's an adaptation of Iphigenia in Aulis (Euripides). The dialogues are incredible!
Iphigenia (1977) - IMDb
The movie Troy took many liberties with the original source (I've written an article about it, if you're interested: Is Troy a fanfiction of the Iliad? https://medium.com/@travel_bringer/is-troy-a-fanfiction-of-the-iliad-c57df3309d3d). But it's much ...
Troy (2004) - IMDb
Books
This retelling of the Odyssey is accessible to all. I really recommend it!
Odyssey: The Greek Myths Reimagined by Stephen Fry, Hardcover
The Odyssey, but from Penelope point of view. It's a complicated but great read!
The Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus
Circe is an major character in the Odyssey. Odysseus lived with her for one year, and she's the one who's sending him to Hades. I think this novel is the best way to learn more about her!
Circe by Madeline Miller, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®
A book in which you can pretend to be Odysseus. Because as smart as this guy is, he spends his travel falling asleep when he shouldn't. It's time to change that.
You Are Odysseus by L Jenkinson-Brown, Paperback
Iliad retelling
You probably already know this book. It takes place during the Trojan War, so just before the Odyssey, and it's accessible to all.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, Paperback
This novel focuses entirely on the Trojan War, and I don't think Odysseus appeared in the book. But it's a great read to understand that the Greek heroes are, according to our criteria, far from heroes. Odysseus is a morally grey character at best, a...
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®
This musical by Jon English, accessible on YouTube, is a retelling of the Iliad which focuses mostly on the Paris and Helen love story. Odysseus is an important character in it, with a great song!
Paris (Original Musical Soundtrack) - Album by Jon English | Spotify
Visual artists and other
I love this artist! She creates very funny comics about Odysseus, Poseidon, and the end of the Odyssey.
Chiara De Plano (@kdpartworks) • Instagram photos and videos
This artist is by far my favorite! She has the best take on Odysseus.
Wolfy (@wolfythewitch) • Instagram photos and videos
This book isn't centered on the Iliad or Odyssey, but it's a good summary of Greek mythology, accessible to all. I fell in love with this novel, and I can't recommend it enough!
Aphrodite: A Novel|Hardcover - Phoenicia Rogerson - Barnes & Noble
The Odyssey focuses on the consequences of war for Odysseus. But in A Thousand Ships, Natalie Haynes focuses on the consequences of war for the women. A must-read!
A Thousand Ships: A Novel by Natalie Haynes, Paperback