You'll be hearing a lot about Homer's The Odyssey in the coming weeks and months. Christopher Nolan is scheduled to film and release a new IMAX adaptation of the epic poem with big-name stars like Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson and Charlize Theron, according to Variety.
Another Odyssey-based film, Uberto Pasolini's 'The Return' is also in theaters. It stars Ralph Fiennes and Juliet Binoche as Odysseus and his wife Penelope; it's a hyper-focused take on what happens after Odysseus returns to Ithaca (without the mythos of the gods and goddesses).
There is also a new translation of The Odyssey, by Emily Wilson. Who is Emily Wilson? She's a British American classicist, author, translator, and Professor of Classical Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.
Probably not a Trump voter, for sure.
Except her views on one of the major themes of The Odyssey -- heroism -- is, well, interesting:
The post reads:
“There’s an idea that Homer has to sound heroic and ancient,” Wilson told me, but that idea comes with a value system attached, one that includes “endorsing this very hierarchical kind of society as if that’s what heroism is.”
Heroism is hierarchical because heroes are better than other people. Flawed and human, yes, but the also go above and beyond.
All of this.
She truly has a look on her face that perpetually says "That's Not Funny."
— Oscar Von Reuenthal (@OscarVReuenthal) December 29, 2024
Yeah, she does.
I don’t know too much about the odyssey , but I don’t think it’s supposed to be … bouncy… am I wrong ?
— Curtis (@TheCurtism255) December 29, 2024
Recommended
It is not supposed to be bouncy.
I recommend listening to the Robert Fagles translation narrated by Sir Ian McKellan, while following along with the written version of the same translation. Since the Odyssey was originally an oral work, this may be the best experience, barring learning ancient Greek. pic.twitter.com/1DMfT6cyDH
— WallyBallou (@HarryPoulter7) December 29, 2024
Great translation. This writer read it in high school.
Oh F off!! What is this dogs**t? pic.twitter.com/G8zzfFeQhV
— SomeGuyOnPhone (@FrancescoSolbak) December 29, 2024
That's awful. Absolutely awful.
Her translation would be fine if it was aimed at like 8 to 10 year olds, but it obviously isn't. It's meant for simple minded, childish, incurious adults who can only read at a 6th grade level. That's not fine. It is NOT okay to be an uncultured swine past the age of 30. pic.twitter.com/o6xRtLBw24
— Jeremy Knox (@knoxzilla) December 29, 2024
The longer version makes it even worse.
Egads.
The entire value of ancient mythology is that it's a time capsule for older ways of thinking, a way to pass down time-tested values and solutions. If you alter it, it loses nearly all its value. Imagine not understanding this. pic.twitter.com/xTv5f1t4w5
— Tom Löwe (@awaken_tom) December 29, 2024
They understand this.
They hate it, which is why they seek to destroy it.
They really now trying to inject culture war bulls**t into classical literature? 🤦♂️
— NeoUnrealist (@NeoUnrealist) December 29, 2024
Always are.
This is correct if a book needs to be dumbed down you won't get anything from the dumbed down version at all. https://t.co/fx4GeaV5RO
— paul bolander (@feralmonkey4) December 29, 2024
Bingo!
I really did try to plough through Emily Wilson's translation of The Odyssey, but I found it clunky and leaden footed. It never 'sang' - at least not for me. https://t.co/rc8EVglDwx
— John-Paul Marney (@JohnPaulMarney) December 29, 2024
That language doesn't sing.
The attempt to recontextualize art through translation is monstrous, and is exactly why people are against wokalizers in gaming and anime... Though this is even MORE offensive. https://t.co/WL86s6vQM5
— A SITH LAWD? (@aresmen1) December 29, 2024
Yes, it is.
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