What Do I Read Next?
Last Updated July 23, 2024.
- Another epic poem by Homer, The Iliad, recounts events from the Trojan War that precede the opening of the Odyssey. The most acclaimed English translations are by Lattimore (Harper & Row, 1967) and Fagles (Viking, 1996).
- Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem Ulysses explores Odysseus's later years and is often considered a prime example of English Romantic poetry. Tennyson also penned The Lotus-Eaters, which delves into a specific event from Book 9 of the Odyssey.
- Nikos Kazantzakis, known for works like The Last Temptation of Christ, wrote his version of the Odyssey in 1938. In this narrative, Odysseus is depicted as a restless wanderer who leaves home, abducts Helen, and journeys across the known world, even traveling part of the way on an iceberg.
- Arguably the most famous related English work is James Joyce's 1922 novel Ulysses, which was nearly banned in the United States upon its release. Joyce's novel mirrors scenes and events from daily life within the dramatic structure of the Odyssey. For instance, the Circe episode from Homer's epic is reimagined as an extended escapade in a brothel.
- For an insightful look into the life of Heinrich Schliemann, the German businessman and archaeologist who first excavated Troy, Mycenae, and other Homeric sites (including several on the island of Ithaca), David A. Traill's Schliemann of Troy: Treasure and Deceit (St. Martin's Press, 1995) is a highly recommended critical biography.
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