Christopher Nolan’s film adaptation of The Odyssey has triggered a sharp rise in sales and library checkouts of Homer’s ancient epic, with Emily Wilson’s 2017 translation emerging as the most sought-after edition across bookshops, online retailers and digital library platforms, according to slate.com.
The film, which has grossed $1.1 billion globally and set a new record for IMAX releases, has been credited with boosting sales of Odyssey editions by 76% across all formats, according to data cited by variety.com. Spotify reported that audiobook listens jumped more than 240% in the weeks before the premiere and rose roughly 680% afterwards.
In the UK, print sales of the poem increased by 700% in the week following the film’s release compared with the same period in 2025, the BBC reported. Audiobook narrations by Stephen Fry and Ian McKellen entered the Spotify Top 10 in both the UK and US. In the US, Wilson’s translation reached No. 2 on USA Today’s bestseller list in late July and remained at No. 14 on Amazon, while Robert Fagles’ version sat at No. 19.
Libraries have recorded similar spikes. The New York Public Library cited a 338% increase in demand for the Odyssey last month. OverDrive, which powers the Libby app, said ebook and audiobook checkouts rose by 1,005.93% compared with the same period in 2025.
Booksellers say Wilson’s edition has benefited most. McNally Jackson reported that sales of her translation tripled between June and July across its stores. Books Are Magic in Brooklyn sold nearly 100 copies in a month, up from a typical 10, with Wilson’s version the clear favourite.
Readers interviewed by Slate said they picked up the text after seeing the film. Manon Spadoni, a 19-year-old from France, described turning to Wilson’s translation after the movie, while Ed Killingsworth, a programme analyst from Alabama, noted the film omitted significant divine interventions and sexual episodes from the poem. Others, including a 20-year-old reader from India, opted for Stephen Fry’s retelling for its modernised style.
Interest has also extended to related retellings. Madeline Miller’s Song of Achilles and Circe have seen renewed sales, alongside newer titles such as Emily Hauser’s Penelope’s Bones and Mara Gold’s Ancient Myths and Legends Without Men, which reframe the myths from women’s perspectives.
Karen Klaiber Hersch, chair of religion and ancient Mediterranean studies at Temple University, said the surge reflected broader appetite for classical texts. “These texts belong to all of us,” she said, noting that multiple versions of Odysseus’ story have existed since antiquity.
It is common for film and TV adaptations to lift sales of source material, with recent examples including Dune, Frankenstein and Oppenheimer.