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By Empress Eve | @ | Thursday, June 4th, 2026 at 5:51 pm |
The Odyssey
The Classic Tale By Homer (Young Readers Edition)
Hardcover
By Homer; Adapted by Geraldine McCaughrean
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Release Date: May 26, 2026
This summer, director Christopher Nolan, who’s wowed audiences with the Batman: The Dark Knight trilogy as well as 2023’s Academy Award-winning Oppenheimer, will bring Homer’s ancient poem The Odyssey to movie theaters and IMAX. Early buzz for the film calls it “breathtaking” and “jaw-dropping,” promising another Nolan box office blockbuster. The film features a star-studded cast led by Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, and others portraying a mix of Greek gods and the mere mortals they meddle with.
With the upcoming release of the film, now is a great time to read the source material, because it truly is an extraordinary epic adventure. But not everyone is so inclined to delve into the over 12,000 lines of verse in the book. For those people, there’s a solution: The Odyssey: The Classic Tale By Homer, a new hardcover adaptation by Geraldine McCaughrean for readers age 10 and up from Viking Books for Young Readers.
Even those unacquainted with The Odyssey will likely recognize the gods Poseidon and Athena, monsters like Cyclops, and locations such as The Underworld, the realm of the dead ruled by Hades. But there’s still much more to experience.
This new version of the ancient classic, retold in just over 100 pages, streamlines each of the harrowing encounters Odysseus has with the aforementioned members of the Olympian pantheon and various other gods, immortals, and mortals alike, as well as his descent to the entrance of the Underworld. This simplified approach helps readers familiarize themselves with Odysseus and the many people and places in this hero’s decade-long, against-all-odds journey back to his kingdom of Ithaca to reunite with his loyal wife Penelope and son Telemachus.
While Homer’s original poem is structured mainly through flashbacks, McCaughrean made the effective choice for this adaptation to recount Odysseus’s adventures chronologically, creating a fast-paced narrative that welcomes new readers of all ages. The new book is a perfect way to become immersed in the world of Odysseus as he makes his long and arduous voyage home to Greece after the Trojan War.
Along with the main story, the new book includes an Introduction by the author, as well as back matter material to help readers learn more about this venerable classic. There are character and subject glossaries; an extended about the authors section; tidbits about Homer’s influences on pop culture and other facts, and there’s even a book-related recipe (for the sorceress Circe’s tzatziki, a dip that’s still popular today). As with many classic books for young readers, this one also includes a section with questions and scenarios to give readers more to think about.
In her concise retelling, McCaughrean succeeds in capturing the excitement and emotion of Odysseus’s journey, thereby providing an easy entry point for readers of all ages just discovering Homer’s influential epic for the first time, while also serving as an accessible option for longtime enthusiasts who want a quick refresher before Christopher Nolan’s film adaptation arrives in theaters on July 17, 2026.
This deluxe mini hardcover also features a gorgeous cover with metallic foil and sculpt embossing effects, as well as beautifully illustrated endpapers, making it an attractive package for gift-giving and book collecting.
Hardcover: 160 pages
Book Dimensions: 5.19 x 0.64 x 7.31 inches
Reading Age: 10 and up
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English (US) · 