View noticesNolan's blockbuster sparks revival of Homer's ancient epic
Nearly 2,800 years after it first emerged from the oral traditions of ancient Greece, Homer's The Odyssey is enjoying a global revival as readers return to one of Western literature's oldest surviving works following the success of Christopher Nolan's film adaptation.
According to Euronews, Nolan's The Odyssey has grossed more than US$650 million worldwide in its first two weeks in cinemas, making it the highest-grossing live-action film of the year to date and putting it on course to surpass the US$1 billion mark.
The film's success has also translated into renewed interest in Homer's epic poem. Euronews reports that UK sales of The Odyssey have risen 70% this year compared with 2025, while US book sales are up 76% since the start of the year, according to Circana BookScan. In France, daily listening hours for The Odyssey on Spotify increased by more than 752% in mid-July compared with the previous month.
Interest has extended beyond book sales to the Greek language itself. Citing data from Google Trends compiled by language-learning platform Preply and The Times, Euronews reports that online searches for "learn Greek" have surged by 5,000% over the past fortnight.
Preply language trends expert Madeline Enos said the renewed interest reflected curiosity about both ancient and modern Greek. She explained that while Homer's work was composed in ancient Greek, studying either form of the language could deepen understanding of Greece's linguistic and cultural heritage.
Despite the commercial success and renewed enthusiasm for the classic, the film has divided scholars and literary critics.
British-American classicist Emily Wilson, whose 2017 translation of The Odyssey was the first English verse translation by a woman, criticised Nolan's adaptation in an essay for the London Review of Books. Wilson argued that the film lacked the psychological, emotional, political and ethical depth that made Homer's poem enduring, while also criticising its narrative structure and character development.
However, Wilson acknowledged that the film was introducing new audiences to ancient Greek literature. Speaking to The Times, she said the release of The Odyssey remained a cultural event worth celebrating because it was encouraging people to return to cinemas and, more importantly, to reading.
Euronews also praised Nolan's ambitious interpretation of the ancient epic, describing it as a modern reimagining that shifts the emphasis from mythology towards the psychology of Odysseus. However, the publication said the film's pacing and emotional depth fell short of its visual ambition.
SOURCE: Euro News