Can’t get enough of The Odyssey? 5 novels based on Greek myths you might enjoy

Five modern novels inspired by Greek mythology have been gaining popularity in light of Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey. These retellings offer fresh perspectives on ancient stories, exploring themes of heroism, gender, power, faith, and belonging that remain relevant in today's society.

Kamila Shamsie's Home Fire gives a critical take on Sophocles' Antigone, focusing on three British Muslim siblings whose lives are upended when one of them joins an extremist group. Shamsie's novel tackles themes of loyalty, state power, and citizenship, placing the ancient question of whose laws must be obeyed in a modern context of Islamophobia and contested belonging.

Margaret Atwood's The Penelopiad puts a new spin on Homer's Odyssey by allowing Penelope, Odysseus' wife, to tell her own story from the afterlife. Twelve maids who were hanged by Telemachus join the chorus, challenging Penelope's account and shedding light on issues of class, gender, and belief. Atwood's Penelope is portrayed as witty, self-aware, and uninterested in the saintly image often attributed to her in traditional retellings.

Natalie Haynes' A Thousand Ships reimagines the Trojan War from the perspectives of its female characters, including Andromache, Cassandra, Penelope, Helen, Clytemnestra, Briseis, and others. The novel provides a comprehensive view of the war's impact on civilians and civilizations, shifting the focus from the male commanders and battle maps to the women who experienced the conflict firsthand.

C.S. Lewis' Till We Have Faces offers a psychological exploration of the Cupid and Psyche myth through Orual, Psyche's older sister. The novel delves into themes of jealousy, grief, and alternative perceptions of love as Orual grapples with the gods' actions and her own understanding of love. Set in the fictional kingdom of Glome, the story follows Orual's transformation from princess to ruler as she seeks to understand her sister's fate and the nature of love itself.

Madeline Miller's Circe reimagines the witch from Homer's Odyssey as a complex character in her own right. The novel follows Circe's childhood among the Titans, her exile to Aiaia, her discovery of witchcraft, and her encounters with figures such as Daedalus, Medea, and Odysseus. Miller focuses on Circe's transformation from a powerless figure to a powerful goddess who learns what kind of power she desires, challenging the historical dominance of male voices in myth.