'The Odyssey': How the movie of the summer became the must-read of the season

In the week since Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster adaptation of Homer’s epic premiered, Sylvester said that roughly half the customers at his Queen West bookstore are looking for any version of the book they can get their hands on. Demand has grown so quickly that the store has placed bulk orders to keep its shelves stocked.

“The fervour for the story itself has really surprised me,” said Sylvester. “It’s been nice to talk to people about the film and feel like we’re all taking part in a communal thing.”

Nolan’s “The Odyssey” has cemented itself as the movie of the summer with critical acclaim, social media ubiquity and a $300 million worldwide box office so far. It’s also sparked a quest beyond the screen.

Toronto film lovers, longtime classicists and curious first-time readers are hunting down the nearly 3,000-year-old epic at libraries and bookstores across the city. Karyn Bonham, a manager at ABC Bookstore, said that it’s been “impossible” for the store to keep up with demand. At Toronto Public Library, all 26 editions of “The Odyssey” are currently checked out or on hold. BookNet Canada told the Star that sales of the book are up 69 per cent from last June. 

Bryce Reyes, 31, is a first-time Homer reader and longtime Nolan admirer. Until recently, Reyes had given little thought to the classics or Greek mythology, but a trip to the Cyclades and Athens earlier this summer piqued his interest. He saw “The Odyssey” on opening night last Friday, and the next day, picked up a copy of the famed Emily Wilson translation at BMV Books on Bloor.

Although he hasn’t finished reading it yet, Reyes says the epic is already helping him understand the creative decisions behind Nolan’s film, which chronicles Odysseus’ turbulent journey back to Ithaca after 20 years away, including a decade spent fighting the Trojan War.

“In the book, Wilson highlights the experiences of the women, the servants and the slave people in ways that older translations would often overlook or soften,” said Reyes. “Nolan did a great job of highlighting that and translating that from the book.”

Jonathan Burgess, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto who specializes in Homer and ancient Greek mythology, said there’s a simple explanation for why “The Odyssey” has caught fire with moviegoers and readers alike.

Homer, he said, is a humanist.

“He knows the heart and soul of humans, and he portrays it perfectly,” said Burgess, adding that part of what makes “The Odyssey” so compelling is that its hero is deeply flawed and complex.

“Odysseus, he’s not a great guy,” said Burgess with a laugh. “He’s famous for being tricky. And that’s kind of enjoyable if you’re on his side.”

This timeless appeal may also explain why booksellers say interest isn’t stopping with “The Odyssey” — there’s a broader resurgence of readers reaching for the classics.

Over the past year, Sylvester said Flying Books at Neverland has seen a renewed interest in classic literature, particularly children’s retellings of Greek mythology. Customers have been picking up everything from Rick Riordan’s “Percy Jackson & the Olympians,” to “D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths,” which sold well over Christmas, as well as an illustrated translation of “The Odyssey,” for children ages eight to 12.

Bonham first noticed that resurgence at ABC Bookstore during the pandemic.

The used bookstore, located between the University of Toronto and Toronto Metropolitan University, has long welcomed students looking for literature as part of their coursework, but Bonham says she started noticing more and more nonstudents asking for them too.

Bonham believes the renewed interest in classics is part of something larger: a growing desire to slow down, learn and reconnect with history.

“I think people are looking to get back to the basics,” she said. “Lots of younger people are reading and they’re very interested in having book clubs and having collections and kind of restoring a bit of sanity and calm back to their lives.”