Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is now in theaters, bringing the ambitious retelling of Homer’s epic to life on the biggest of screens. The film has been getting rave reviews for its expansive storytelling and incredible cinematography as it retells the story of Odysseus’ long journey home after the Trojan War. The story itself is essential and one of mankind’s greatest works of literature, but the movie is itself an achievement, adding perspective beyond just that of a hero making his way home.
A significant part of that added perspective comes from the women of The Odyssey. While the women don’t have a lot of screen time in Nolan’s film, their stories bear a considerable amount of weight. Penelope, Helen, Circe, Calypso, and even Clytemnestra are all powerful figures in the sprawling tale. If you came away from The Odyssey wanting to know more about these women and their stories, fortunately for you there are some truly great books available to help you not only delve into their experiences, but also perhaps even see the classic tales of both The Odyssey and The Iliad in a different light. After all, these stories all started with one woman; we should definitely find out more about what she has to say. Here are four stories to check out to dive deeper into the women of The Odyssey.
Arguably the most significant woman in The Odyssey is Penelope. Wife of Odysseus and queen of Ithaca, she endures a long wait for her husband’s return from war, but more than that, she has to try to keep those who would take her husband’s throne at bay while she and other women of the kingdom try to keep things running in the wake of their men not yet returning from war. This three-book series fully explores Penelope’s story—both the one we know as well as the years in between and beyond. If The Odyssey is the song of Odysseus’ heroics, this trilogy is Penelope’s and it may change how you see one of the most storied women in ancient literature in the best possible way.
An unsettling figure in The Odyssey, Circe is one of the most misunderstood and maligned women in Greek myth and, in Circe by Madeline Miller, the formidable sorceress truly gets her due. A genuinely gorgeous retelling of Circe’s story, the novel gives Circe a real voice, fully fleshing her out as much more than a witch who turns men into pigs. You may have your own preconceived notions about Circe after watching Nolan’s movie or even after reading Homer’s epic, but Miller’s book offers layer and nuance to a figure that is far more important than you realize—and ultimately much more sympathetic than she may initially seem. Circe is not merely a witch to be feared; she’s a force to be reckoned with and Miller’s writing makes for a truly exquisite read.
We learn very little about Clytemnestra in The Odyssey but what we do learn is heartbreaking. We know that her marriage to Agamemnon was not a happy one, that he sacrificed their child to the gods, and when he returned home from war, she finally had enough. But Clytemnestra is not just the bitter, violent woman she’s briefly portrayed to be in Menelaus’ retelling of what happened to his brother. Instead, she’s a woman who suffered greatly at her husband’s hand and finally took her power back. The novel explores Clytemnestra’s story in a way that will make you think twice about considering her to be the villain she’s painted as and, instead, brings to light a woman who understands that sometimes it’s better to be hated than forgotten and that justice doesn’t always mean peace.
The Odyssey may be Odysseus’ story, but the reality is that the story of the Trojan War belongs as much to the women as it does the men and Natalie Haynes’s novel leans into that. The book approaches the full story—both The Iliad and The Odyssey—from the women most impacted by it. By exploring the perspectives and experiences of the Trojan women whose city falls and leaves them at the mercy of the Greeks to Penelope waiting back in Ithaca, and many women in between, the full picture of the Trojan War and its aftermath comes to life. War is about more than just the heroes and you’ll look at The Odyssey completely differently when you get the stories of those the epics and songs left out.
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