Nolan’s film could make The Odyssey the most sought-after book in the US — SkimNews
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- The Odyssey saw US print sales rise 76% year-to-date across all editions per Circana BookScan data, with 2025 sales already up 42% over the previous year after Nolan announced the project in December 2024.
- Books Are Magic in Brooklyn sold 80 copies of Emily Wilson's translation in July alone, up from single-digit monthly sales before the film — a several thousand percent increase driven largely by Gen Z browsers.
- Emily Wilson's 2017 translation surpassed one million domestic copies sold across all formats by early July per WW Norton, and has remained among Amazon's top 10 bestsellers since the film's release.
- The New York Public Library reported a 338% increase in demand across print, audiobook, and ebook editions of The Odyssey between July 2 and July 30, prompting waiting lists across the country.
- Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt told Bloomberg that Homer — the ancient Greek poet — is currently the chain's best-selling author, eclipsing contemporary fiction on the bestseller table.
- Related mythology titles including Madeline Miller's Circe are also seeing renewed interest, partly driven by Samantha Morton's portrayal of the character in Nolan's film.
- Translator Emily Wilson publicly criticized the adaptation as lacking 'psychological, emotional, political and ethical depth,' yet she and classicist Mary Beard both predicted it would drive audiences back to Homer — a forecast now borne out by the sales data.
Why it matters: Nolan's blockbuster is doing what scholars couldn't — turning Homer's 2,700-year-old epic into a mainstream, leisure read. With US print sales up 76%, library demand spiking 338% in late July, and Barnes & Noble now naming Homer its top-selling author, the poem has crossed from classroom assignment to bestseller lists dominated by Gen Z browsers at indie shops. Wilson's 2017 translation alone cleared one million domestic copies.
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