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Quick answer: If you loved Homer's Odyssey, read Stephen Fry's Mythos and Troy, then Pat Barker's The Silence of the Girls and The Women of Troy, then Anonymous's Epic of Gilgamesh, Beowulf and The Song of Roland, and Aeschylus's The Oresteia and Euripides's Medea and Other Plays. All are classic epics and myths.
Homer's Odyssey tells of Odysseus's long return home from Troy. These picks share its myth and adventure.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mythos | Stephen Fry | Adult | fans of funny retellings |
| Troy | Stephen Fry | Adult | witty retelling |
| The Silence of the Girls | Pat Barker | Adult | readers who want a different view of Troy |
| Epic of Gilgamesh | Anonymous | Adult | oldest epic |
| Beowulf | Anonymous | Adult | Anglo-Saxon epic |
| The Oresteia | Aeschylus | Adult | the source |
| Medea and Other Plays | Euripides | Adult | Greek tragedy |
| Clytemnestra | Costanza Casati | Adult | queen of Mycenae |
| Medusa | Jessie Burton | Adult | short retelling |
| The Penelopiad | Margaret Atwood | Adult | wit and rage |
| The Women of Troy | Pat Barker | Adult | the aftermath |
| The Song of Roland | Anonymous | Adult | medieval French epic |
| Sir Gawain and the Green Knight | Anonymous | Adult | Arthurian romance |
| The Golden Ass | Apuleius | Adult | source of Psyche |
| Don Quixote | Miguel de Cervantes | Adult | the first comic novel |
1. Mythos by Stephen Fry
Fry retells the Greek myths from the birth of the gods through Prometheus and Pandora in a witty, conversational voice. It is the closest to Percy's humor.
Best for: fans of funny retellings.
2. Troy by Stephen Fry
Fry retells the story of the Trojan War in a warm, funny voice. A good primer.
Best for: witty retelling.
3. The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
Briseis, taken as a prize of war, tells the Trojan War from the women's side of the camp. Bleak, honest and powerful.
Best for: readers who want a different view of Troy.
4. Epic of Gilgamesh by Anonymous
The king of Uruk searches for immortality after his friend dies. Short and powerful.
Best for: oldest epic.
5. Beowulf by Anonymous
A hero fights monsters and a dragon. Dark and strong, best in a modern translation like Seamus Heaney's.
Best for: Anglo-Saxon epic.
6. The Oresteia by Aeschylus
The ancient trilogy that tells of Agamemnon, Clytemnestra and Orestes. Powerful and dark.
Best for: the source.
7. Medea and Other Plays by Euripides
Euripides' most famous tragedy and others. Powerful and brisk.
Best for: Greek tragedy.
8. Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati
The queen tells her story from Spartan childhood to revenge. Vivid and violent.
Best for: queen of Mycenae.
9. Medusa by Jessie Burton
The Gorgon Medusa as a young woman. Short and lyrical.
Best for: short retelling.
10. The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
Penelope tells the Odyssey from the underworld. Short, sharp and funny.
Best for: wit and rage.
11. The Women of Troy by Pat Barker
The sequel follows the women after the fall of Troy. Bleak and gripping.
Best for: the aftermath.
12. The Song of Roland by Anonymous
Roland and his rearguard fight at Roncevaux. Heroic and fierce.
Best for: medieval French epic.
13. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Anonymous
A knight accepts a deadly challenge from a mysterious green stranger. Strange and lively.
Best for: Arthurian romance.
14. The Golden Ass by Apuleius
A man turned into a donkey, with the tale of Cupid and Psyche inside. Lively and bawdy.
Best for: source of Psyche.
15. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
A man reads too many romances and sets out as a knight. Long, funny and wise.
Best for: the first comic novel.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Homer's Odyssey: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Homer's Odyssey. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For retellings, read Mythos or Troy. For epics, try Epic of Gilgamesh. For heroes, pick The Silence of the Girls.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote The Odyssey?
Homer, traditionally.
Is it a poem?
Yes, an epic poem.
Which translation?
Emily Wilson's and Robert Fagles's are popular.
Which book here is best for the first comic novel?
Try Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, which suits readers looking for the first comic novel.
Which book here is best for source of Psyche?
Try The Golden Ass by Apuleius, which suits readers looking for source of Psyche.
Which book here is best for Arthurian romance?
Try Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Anonymous, which suits readers looking for Arthurian romance.
Which book here is best for medieval French epic?
Try The Song of Roland by Anonymous, which suits readers looking for medieval French epic.
Which book here is best for the aftermath?
Try The Women of Troy by Pat Barker, which suits readers looking for the aftermath.
Which book here is best for wit and rage?
Try The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood, which suits readers looking for wit and rage.
Which book here is best for short retelling?
Try Medusa by Jessie Burton, which suits readers looking for short retelling.