Episode · The Book Review · 2026-07-11
Books mentioned on This Author Says You Shouldn’t Be Intimidated by ‘The Odyssey’
Gilbert Cruz discussed The Odyssey, The Iliad, and The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. Madeline Miller recommended Philoctetes, The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood, Watership Down by Richard Adams, I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem by Maryse Condé, An American Marriage by Tayari Jones and others, and The Buddha in the attic by Julie Otsuka.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The Odyssey
The Odyssey by Homer is an epic ancient Greek poem that follows the arduous ten-year journey of Odysseus as he attempts to return home to Ithaca after the Trojan War, encountering mythical creatures, divine wrath, and numerous trials along the way.
Discussed“Christopher Nolan's new film, The Odyssey, is hitting theaters soon, and you still have time to read. Or, uh, maybe skim the 3,000-year-old poem it is based on.”
Where to get it
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The Iliad
Homer's ancient epic poem The Iliad chronicles the final weeks of the Trojan War and the devastating wrath of the Greek warrior Achilles.
Discussed“But you probably know her from her best-selling novels, The Song of Achilles and Cersei, which reimagine the ancient source material in the Iliad and the Odyssey.”
Where to get it
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The Song of Achilles
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller is a lyrical and moving reimagining of the Iliad that focuses on the deep romance between Achilles and Patroclus.
Discussed“But you probably know her from her best-selling novels, The Song of Achilles and Cersei, which reimagine the ancient source material in the Iliad and the Odyssey.”
Where to get it
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Philoctetes
Philoctetes by Sophocles is a classic ancient Greek tragedy exploring complex themes of duty, betrayal, and persuasion against the backdrop of the Trojan War.
Recommended“The tragedy by Sophocles is called Filictites. There are lots of good translations out there. So definitely that one to give you kind of a different perspective on um on Odysius from the ancient world.”
Where to get it
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The Penelopiad
The Penelopiad is a novel by Margaret Atwood that retells Homer's epic from the perspective of Penelope and examines the fate of the enslaved women murdered by Odysseus.
Recommended“Um I'm going to also recommend uh the Penelope ad which is Margaret Atwood's uh sort of Penelopey's version but also gets into some of the enslaved women that Odysius murders.”
Where to get it
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Watership Down
Watership Down by Richard Adams is a classic survival and adventure novel that follows a small band of displaced wild rabbits as they seek a safe new home while facing existential threats and political tyranny.
Recommended“And I'm going to recommend Watership Down. Watership Down goes to show just how powerful Epic is because you can even write it about rabbits and it's still gripping.”
Where to get it
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I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem
I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem by Maryse Condé is a powerful historical novel that reimagines the life of Tituba, an enslaved woman tried during the infamous Salem witch trials.
Recommended“It's called It Tituba, Black Witch of Salem by Maurice Kande. Um, and in it, uh, like Odysius, the character sort of travels through various dangers, meeting various monsters in human form.”
Where to get it
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An American Marriage
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones is an acclaimed contemporary novel that explores the devastating impact of a wrongful conviction on a newlywed couple in the American South.
Recommended“So, first of all, a great place to start is An American Marriage by Tari Jones, which was actually inspired by by the Odyssey and is in conversation with it.”
Where to get it
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The Buddha in the attic
The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka is a poignant novel that follows the lives of Japanese picture brides arriving in the United States during the early twentieth century.
Recommended“This is another a little bit um unusual, but one of my favorite books of all time is Buddha in the Attic. And part of what I love about it is that it's written in the first person plural.”
Where to get it
