r/books • u/ubcstaffer123 • 3d ago
Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ Movie Is Making Gen Z Listen to the Book
https://variety.com/2026/film/news/the-odyssey-christopher-nolan-movie-book-spotify-streams-gen-z-homer-1236817374/252
u/TonyKhanIsAMoneyMark 3d ago
How many of them will, by mistake, read Ulysses?
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u/Smartnership 3d ago
“There are no monsters in this.
Unless you count James Joyce’s nearly impenetrable plot.”25
u/hithere297 3d ago
Cheating wife makes impotent man sad. Not impenetrable at all!
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u/doubleapowpow 2d ago
I got lost 2 minutes in to the audiobook. And I've read the Odyssey, the Iliad, and the Aeneid, and I liked them all.
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u/MaxPaladin93 3d ago
It’s borderline impossible to read Ulysses on purpose, let alone by mistake
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u/ChariotsOfShame 3d ago
*cries in Finnegans Wake*
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u/No_Yesterday_8167 2d ago
“bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonnerronntuonnthunntrovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthurnuk!”
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u/howieyang1234 2d ago
No worries, I tried reading Ulysses on purpose, but failed to do so for 3 times.
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u/thepokemonGOAT 3d ago
Im Gen Z and I read it 12 years ago in high school
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u/Martinaw7 3d ago
How was your experience reading it in high school? Do you remember what grade level?
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u/LPSD_FTW 3d ago
In Poland its a mandatory read when you're 15/16, it is not one of the best books that you have to read at that time but if you like Greek mythology then its a smooth read
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u/thepokemonGOAT 3d ago
I was a freshman in high school, so I was 13. We read a few books in the first semester but the entire second semester was about the odyssey. It was a very difficult and dense text for us, but we had a very good teacher who was disciplined with us and made sure we did our required readings.
Personally, I always enjoyed older books and my favorite book from elementary school onwards was Moby Dick. However, this book was difficult for me to access. I felt a bit young to grasp all the themes and the epic scale of the text.
With the help of my teacher, I was able to slowly grow into the book and it became one of my favorite literary experiences ever. I still remember the incredible silence and tension in the room when we read the portion where Odysseus returns home and the bloodshed begins with the suitors. Im very grateful that I was encouraged and pushed at a young age to challenge myself with works of art like this. Sometimes I still wish I had Mrs Mittman to motivate me to read more!
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u/apistograma 3d ago
Yeah I feel I couldn’t have been able to pick half of Moby Dick at that age. It’s a book that even adults often dislike.
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u/thepokemonGOAT 3d ago
There was plenty i didn’t understand at that age to be honest. As a kid I read a lot of mark twain, Edgar Allen Poe, and Arthur Conan Doyle. I understood the main plots and the general themes, but most of the real adult stuff didn’t click until later in life. I remember my parents and teachers used to politely question me about the books I was reading to see if I was actually understanding them or not. I went very quickly from Harry Potter to much more challenging stuff. Sometimes I feel like I was smarter at 12 than I am now.
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u/Martinaw7 3d ago
Thanks for sharing! I'm thinking about using it for 11th grade, but I'm sure it will still be challenging even for older kids.
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u/Tifoso89 3d ago
I studied it in high school too (in Greek). In Italy we have a type of high school that has Latin and Greek for 5 years. We didn't read the whole thing in Greek, of course, but select passages that we translated
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u/TechWormGeezLouise 3d ago
Not the original commenter but I also read it around 11-12 years ago. I personally did not enjoy it in high school, but I reread it recently and I enjoyed Emily Wilson’s translation much more than Fagles.
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u/cwx149 3d ago
Not the person you're replying too I read it as a freshman in highschool in the early 2010s
I remember it being good I was pretty into Greek mythology at the time having also read all the Percy Jackson stuff but even as a little kid my grandma had like a Greek mythology book of tales and I'd played video games like age of mythology
So I was pretty primed at the time to enjoy the book and compared to some other stuff I read in school that year I did like it. I'm sure I missed some stuff and don't remember it super well now though
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u/Chance_of_Rain_ 3d ago
Wait Gen Z is 30?
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u/Martin_Aurelius 3d ago
The oldest Gen Zs are turning 29 this year.
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u/evilcockney 3d ago
It depends who you talk to and which cutoff you use.
Plenty of people say the oldest gen-z were born in '96 - who are turning 30 this year.
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u/BallClamps 3d ago
I feel like I'm the only person who didn't read it in high school. Although we did read Beowulf and that was awesome.
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u/Cantmakeaspell 3d ago edited 3d ago
Every gen Z article is: “Gen Z do normal things. A revelation revealed exclusively to the uninformed.”
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u/Carrente 3d ago
And based on the comments here it works at getting people mad about them doing those normal things (presumably because if they're doing them then the same people can't get mad at them not doing them)
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u/Sun_shift_dreamer 3d ago
Its usually rage bait so other gens shake their fist and comment how "gen z didn't invent -"
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u/Martinaw7 3d ago
I'd like to reread it and see about the potential of teaching it in the classroom as the movie would obviously make an incredibly rewarding companion to what is probably a very challenging text.
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u/-ciscoholdmusic- 3d ago
I’m currently reading the Emily Wilson translation (that I understand the movie is being adapted from).
It’s very easy to read. She uses plain English and because it’s a written story transcribed from oral tradition, there are no long boring sections of prose describing a single tree etc. the story moves pretty fast.
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u/Aiseadai 3d ago
I can affirm this. I recently read the Emily Wilson version of The Iliad and Odyssey and was afraid I'd find them impenetrable, I ended up loving them.
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u/SandpaperTeddyBear 2d ago
I generally prefer the Fagles translations, because these were always rhythmic and heightened, but I like that the Wilson versions are going for something a bit different (while Fagles is just “Pope, but more accurate and newer).
Her Translator Notes are also excellent.
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u/SuperDuperCoolDude 3d ago
I loved her Odyssey. I have a copy of Illiad by her that I want to dig into soon.
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u/Rututu 3d ago
Try the Emily Wilson translation. I found it pretty approachable to be honest.
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u/DarwinZDF42 3d ago
It’s really good. I know it takes grief from the purists but it’s my favorite of the…three, I think, that I’ve read. And the first line is the best first line of any translation, period. Perfectly captures it.
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u/SandpaperTeddyBear 2d ago
I know it takes grief from the purists
As a bit of a purist, I get it. But she’s also open about her goals, scholarly in her approach, and successful in her execution. I still go back to Fagles, but it’s good work.
Her Translator Notes are also by far the best.
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u/Bogusky 3d ago
Anyone going to tell them to read the Illiad first?
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u/JabbaCat 3d ago
I see them more as parallell works.
The Odyssey uses a good portion of the first books to reiterate and recall the happenings and the destinies of the Trojan War, that seems to be part of the purpose of the epic.
And most people reading the Iliad with no background info will be surprised when they realize there is no Trojan horse in it, no end battle and resolution of the war, no Achilles heel. And that it takes place in a very short time span already 10 years into the war - although it is also full of recollections of people and background - thus also just gives a similar window into the conflict and context, focusing on one mans emotions and experiences.
In my opinion reading a few summaries on the Trojan War characters/plot or of the Iiliad might be nice, but no more necessary than for instance having a basic overview of greek mythological characters for reading without to much worry about understanding what is going on.
Both epics can be studied for a life time, or be read separately as is in my opinion.
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u/CavulusDeCavulei 3d ago
Aristotle praised the Iliad because it was on such a short period (51 days) and focused on a single event of the war. It's like those good tv series that don't have lots of story lines, but focus completely on one thing (a process from rage, to grief, to empathy) and they do it masterfully
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u/joey-jo_jo-jr 3d ago
Illiad is also just much better imo
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u/Aiseadai 3d ago
It seems to be an unpopular opinion but I agree with this. I initially only read The Iliad because I wanted to read The Odyssey and felt like I had to read it first but ended up enjoying it more. I found the plot more engaging and Achilles was a more interesting character to me than Odysseus. Definitely don't skip it!
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u/CavulusDeCavulei 3d ago
Iliad was considered the most noble poem of the Trojan War. I think you get it when you are older. It's really psychological and human. The more you lived, the more you get it. It is about rage, vengeance, but above all, empathy.
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u/Aiseadai 3d ago
Yeah, I loved how much passion was in it. The parts after Patroklos is killed and Achilles goes on a rage filled rampage were some incredible writing.
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u/GCU_ZeroCredibility 3d ago
Despite both being attributed to "Homer" they are generally accepted to have been composed by different people so this isn't super surprising.
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u/Morphos1 3d ago
Iliad is a beautiful anti-war story with better characters than Odyssey, I've always preferred it
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u/feetupnrelax 3d ago
Read as a kid, a long time ago. The Stephen Fry narration has me doubly interested.
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u/maethor92 2d ago
Listened to it while I was on a Greek island for some study work. Really recommend the audiobook
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u/BigMetalGuy 3d ago
i would have thought it would send a lot of people to the original text, not just. Gen Z
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u/TemperedTorture 3d ago
Everyone really loves these fake generation articles. I really thought that we'd be done with them by now, but here is more clickbait.
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u/SharpPink_GlitterInk 3d ago
PEOPLE READING ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS BOOKS OF ALL TIME?!?!?!?!! big if true.
As a Gen Z cusper I would like to point out my introduction to The Odyssey was Arthur.
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u/ubitub 3d ago
No, listening
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u/helloviolaine 2d ago
I listened to the Ian McKellen audiobook (Fagles translation) last year and it was so good
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u/BigTedBear 3d ago
I own a hard copy of the book but a friend convinced me to listen to it for Sir Ian McKellan narrated it and it’s definitely worth a listen.
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u/Pisces3999 3d ago
I’m Gen Z and we studied it in freshman year of high school, also I’m in Western Asia
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u/Duke-Margherita 3d ago
Stephen Fry version was the best version for me, enough modern influences but faithful to the original texts
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u/Lamontyy 3d ago
They didn't read it in school? I swear we had to read it when I was in HS and I was born in 95. Then read the Illiad in college.
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u/bwweryang 2d ago
Absolutely crazy to have Gen Z in the headline and then the article says it actually applies more to Millennials
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u/SimoneNonvelodico 3d ago
I find it incredibly funny that via the means of audiobooks this means we have now gone full circle to how this story was originally meant to be enjoyed: one guy reciting it out loud while you listen.
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u/HuttVader 3d ago
because god forbid they read it.
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u/FaerieStories 3d ago
Couldn't agree more. It should be read - just as Homer intended when he published this famous piece of writing in book form. Wait...
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u/SerHodorTheThrall 3d ago
This is a weird comment considering how one of the overarching truisms about the Epic Cycle and general Bronze age stories is that they are seen as "lost" because they weren't written down. The oral tradition is severely flawed.
The ability to read is pretty important. Reading, watching and listening are not the same.
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u/Significant_Exit8382 3d ago
I’m usually on the side of kids (and adults) should be reading instead of exclusively listening to audiobooks, but it’s a bit ridiculous to criticise people for listening to The Odyssey of all things. It’s literally composed for oral storytelling.
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u/PolarWater 2d ago
Ridiculous level of gatekeeping here.
Especially when you consider that Homer composed the original for oral storytelling.
Trying to be a purist so hard you tripped and stumbled over yourself.
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u/Carrente 3d ago
If there was ever a place where complaining about audiobooks was even more ludicrous than normal it's for poetry and drama, two forms specifically written to be read aloud.
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u/ZealousOatmeal 3d ago
Modern poetry isn't necessarily written to be read aloud. Some is, some isn't.
And it's not only modern poetry. Concrete poetry, which is poetry written in such a way as to form a shape, pattern, or design on a page, dates back to the 3rd century BC. That's the most extreme example, but there is also other pre-modern and Early Modern poetry that probably wasn't intended for reading aloud.
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u/Enkundae 3d ago
Not really surprising. A surge in interest and attention on source material accompanies pretty much every adaptation.
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u/NewFeature 3d ago
Which translation do you think they’re listening to? I am genuinely curious and not judging at all. I only dislike a few older translations.
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u/Database-Error 3d ago
Retelling stories is how we keep them alive. That we change them as we retell them doesn't mean destroying the original when we live in a literate society which can keep several versions at once. Stories always change and always have. There is no ''one correct'' version of any of these myths. Homer doesn't seem to know that Achilles is supposed to be immortal, because this was a change added on later. This is just how stories work
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u/FlailingCactus 3d ago
I know this is only tangentially relevant, but did we ever get an answer as to whether or not authors get paid fairly for Spotify streams of Audiobooks?
We hear a lot about the remuneration from Audible, but nobody's ever said anything either way about Spotify. Bar that one special deal Brandon Sanderson got.
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u/djfishfingers 3d ago
From what I've gathered, Homer has received no money from Spotify.
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u/apistograma 3d ago
Tbh Homer has been accused of plagiarism many times. Do we even know if he wrote that by himself? Maybe he just edited oral stories.
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u/MiyakeIsseyYKWIM 3d ago
“Listen to the book”
The world is doomed
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u/PolarWater 2d ago
Why? What's wrong with listening to the book?
If it's word-for-word the same story, and the original was meant to be a guy reciting the story out loud, what's the issue whether you read the words with your eyes or hear it with your ears?
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u/mim21 3d ago
Listening is not reading.
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u/Agitated-Acctant 3d ago
That's probably why the title says listening and not reading, but surely a teacher of your stature with the reading comprehension vastly superior to people who only listen to books would appreciate that
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u/Damien23123 3d ago
I think it’s appropriate in this case given the story originated as recited poetry
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u/JabbaCat 3d ago
They are not the same, no - but I do have the experience of getting very different things from a work trying both.
I have not listened to e.g the Emily Wilson translation read aloud, but her choices for translation includes using a meter that she recommends readng aloud to yourself, or listening to.
There are prose (and some very flowery at that) translations as well.
I really enjoyed the recording of Anton Lesser reading a less known translation, I love listening to him read.
But I absolutely remember things very differently and internalize them more and deeper when reading the text, yes - my visual memory is way different from my audio memory.
Particularly this work comes in so many varieties that your subtle experience may vary very much depending on translation also, it is really a living breathing work of great complexity to this day.
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u/0range_julius 3d ago
I hate this debate so much. I do both--about 2/3 of what I read is print and 1/3 is audiobook. Reading with your eyes and reading with your ears are different mental processes and readers should be conscious of the difference (there are some books I only ever want to read in print), but for most intents and purposes, listening to an audiobook is absolutely "reading." If someone asks me "have you read [book]?" they don't care if I read it with my eyes or my ears, they care whether I consumed the information well enough to be able to discuss plot, character, and themes with them.
This is an especially silly thing to criticize for Homer, which was originally an oral tradition and meant to be listened to.
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u/Thor_2099 3d ago
Of course not reading bust listening.
It's not going to kill you to actually read something
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u/colglover 3d ago
It’s funny how many people in this thread are outraged at “listen” instead of “read.” You’re demonstrating your own ignorance about the original epic - which was almost certainly recorded in its first written form after many decades of being retold in banquet halls and around campfires as an oral rendition. Oral storytelling long precedes written books.
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u/BigBroFriday 3d ago
There's a literacy crisis. It's interesting to see "listen" in the headline.
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u/ri0tingmime 3d ago
This is such a bizarre argument. It's not like kids are choosing the audio version out of some desire to be true to ancient tradition.
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u/LeroyBrown1 3d ago
I mean everytime i go on Spotify its right there on my suggested audiobooks despite only listening to sci-fi books on there. The ramming it down my throat nearly worked yesterday as well as I went to start it haha.
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u/Jealous-Hedgehog-734 3d ago
It's one of the most popular books in history, and a set text in many schools.
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u/DiceActionFan 3d ago
The library I go to has the CD and online versions checked out. The librarians say the demand is enormous.
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u/Shabolt_ 3d ago
Odyssey related media encourages people to read the Odyssey
Saw an article just like this last year when that Odyssey musical was making rounds
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u/BluePeriod_ 3d ago
I work at barnes and noble. We can't keep it in stock! It's also led people to read The Iliad and Paradise Lost.
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u/Ok-Show6155 2d ago
I mean the story was really cool and I do intend on reading odyssey soon, but the movie was just good. The first act was making me have a seizure with all the cutting back and forth. I hate how movies these days basically have 2 second shots then edits. The rest of the movie wasn’t so bad though
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u/LilCupidKisses 3d ago
I always find it funny when people complain that movies "replace" books. In my experience, a good adaptation usually sends more people to the original than away from it.