5 Books to Read If You Liked “The Odyssey”
For those who loved "The Odyssey" movie, here are five books to read that explore Greek Mythology.
Syameen Salehaldin · Lifestyle · 20 July 2026
Go big or go, Homer
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has finally hit theatres, and if you walked out wanting more, then you’re not alone. The good news: the story doesn’t end at the credits.
Homer’s world has been rewritten, reimagined and reinvented for centuries, and the epics that inspired it are just the beginning. Below, a reading list for anyone still under the spell.
Here’s what to read after watching “The Odyssey”:
01. The Odyssey
Without a doubt—if you haven’t already—you should read “The Odyssey”, the epic poem written by Greek poet Homer. The poem follows the tale of Odysseus as he journeys home to Ithaca to his family—with tons of obstacles—after winning the Trojan War. Despite being passed down orally by bards and enduring multiple translations, the tale remains one of the most riveting ever written.
02. The Iliad
If you wanted to know more about the Trojan War, then read “The Iliad”. This poem starts from the very beginning of the war, when Trojan prince Paris abducts Helen, the wife of Menelaus, the King of Sparta. The story then narrates how Menelaus’ brother, Agamemnon, led the Trojan War, which lasted 10 years, with Achilles, Odysseus, Ajax the Great, Diomedes, and others.
03. Circe
For those who want to know more about Circe, then this fits the bill. An interpretation of Greek mythology, author Madeline Miller reimagines the story of Circe—the one who keeps Odysseus on her island for a year—who possesses the power of witchcraft and transforms her enemies into monsters. Threatened by Zeus, he banishes her to a deserted island, where she crosses paths with famous figures such as the Minotaur, Daedalus and, of course, Odysseus.
04. The Song of Achilles
But, of course, Madeline Miller didn’t just stop at Circe. She also reimagined the story of Achilles and the Trojan War in The Song of Achilles. However, this tale is narrated from the perspective of Patroclus, Achilles’ lover. In this book, we see how their steadfast friendship becomes a deeper connection that leads Patroclus—torn between love and fear for his friend—to follow Achilles to lay siege to Troy,
05. Percy Jackson and The Olympians
Remember how Odysseus made an enemy of Poseidon, god of the sea, on screen? Well, here’s a book that tells the story of Poseidon’s demi-god son, Percy Jackson. When Percy’s pre-algebra teacher tries to kill him, his mother decides it’s time to tell him the truth: about his father, about his nature, and about the one place he might be safe. She sends him to Camp Half-Blood, a summer haven for demigods tucked into Long Island, where Percy discovers that his father is none other than Poseidon, God of the Sea. What follows is a quest of mythic proportions. Alongside a satyr and Athena’s quick-witted daughter, Percy crosses the country in pursuit of a stolen thunderbolt and the gates of the Underworld, racing to stop a war among the gods before it begins.
