Nolan’s ‘Odyssey’ boosts sales of mythology tales in UK

Christopher Nolan's adaptation of 'The Odyssey' has wowed audiences and critics, topping the US box office for two straight weeks and already taking US$640 million worldwide. (EPA Images pic) LONDON: Christopher Nolan's adaptation of "The Odyssey" has not only lured legions of fans to cinemas but also sparked huge interest in the UK in Homer's epic poem and other Greek and Roman mythology works.Some involved in Classics academia hope the blockbuster's box office success and wider cultural impact will also prompt more young people to study the subject.The movie's mid-month release has helped hike UK print edition sales of "The Odyssey" by 1,400% in the four weeks to July 25 compared to the same period last year, according to market researcher NielsenIQ.A 2017 translation by British-American classicist Emily Wilson of the millennia-old mythological tale has been flying off the shelves at a similarly increased rate.Britain's biggest bookstore chain Waterstones saw sales of Wilson's work rise over 1,000% compared to 2025 and were "increasing every week" alongside purchases of "all other available translations," a spokeswoman said.Meanwhile, NielsenIQ noted many related works – including "The Iliad", Madeline Miller's "Circe" and Margaret Atwood's "The Penelopiad" – had also seen "significant" sales uplifts.Actor and writer Stephen Fry's "The Odyssey" currently tops the history bestsellers on Amazon's UK website. Two of his other Classics books – "Mythos" and "Troy" – occupy the second and fifth spots, respectively, on the online giant's list.Audiobooks are also sharing in the boom, with Spotify reporting that searches for "The Odyssey" translations have skyrocketed by 310%.'Buzz' "People are drawn to these stories," University of Exeter Classics lecturer Richard Kendall told AFP, hailing the sales spike as "fantastic"."And that's not just writers who continually return to the Greeks and Romans – the history, the myths, the characters, the events – that's also readers.

These are ripping good yarns."Kendall, the first expert-in-residence earlier this year at Britain's The Classical Association, cautioned against viewing the renewed literary interest just in cinema-related isolation."If this is a gimmick, it's been a gimmick that's been lasting for over 2,000 years at this point," he said."It's wonderful that this has created so much popularity.