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So I read the Odyssey (I can’t remember what translation) my freshman year of high school, but I remembered very little about it. Honestly, the version that sticks with me the most in The Wishbone adaption on PBS. But in the last year, I fell in love with EPIC the musical and with Christopher Nolan’s movie come out, I wanted to educate myself on the hubbub. (Especially with my coworkers spouting questionable ‘facts’ left and right. Did I read this book to win an argument? Well, maybe.)

Anyways, I appreciated the context & criticism Emily Wilson presents before the story. And I can appreciate the reasons behind the pithy word choice (so that it’s the same number of lines as the original poem), the meter (it’s iambic pentameter since that’s the best English rhythm that approximates the way this might have been orally told in ancient Greek), and the common language (because this originated as an oral tradition told by the common people who would’ve used common language.)

But dude, now here on the other side, I understand exactly why I don’t remember reading this in high school. The characters are, well, horrid, and the story is told in a circuitous, nonlinear fashion. The story starts with Penelope & Telemachus after they been waiting 20 years for Odysseus. And then when we eventually run into Odysseus, he’s already been on Calypso’s island for years. We basically get the rest of his story/adventure when he (a renowned liar, the story tells us) relates it to others.

While EPIC reimagines the Odyssey as a romance, dude, this is so far from a romance. This is a man that wants to go home because he wants to be the king again. And this book is less about his adventures and more about him coming home.

Maybe all of this is old news to you, but I remembered none of this (probably because I conflated it with the greatness that is the Wishbone retelling). It is interesting to see all the changes to the modern adaptation that have tried to make the story more palatable.

Which is all to say:
Did I enjoy this? No.
Was it educational? Yes.
Did I win my argument? I won some. I lost some
Was it worth it to be able to talk intelligently about it and have an informed opinion? Yes.
Did I recommend it to my coworkers? Yes.
Will I watch Christopher Nolan’s adaption? Maybe if it happens upon me.
Will I care a single iota if Nolan’s adaptation isn’t true to the text? NO. Good lord, if it was, you wouldn’t catch me watching it.
Is EPIC: The Musical still my favorite adaption? Absolutely.

Thanks for reading!