Podcasts · The History of Literature

817 The Odyssey - Getting Ready for a Summer Blockbuster | My Last Book with Mary Beard

16 Jul 2026 · 1 h 30 min · Episode 817

Jacke gets ready for the release of Christopher Nolan's Odyssey, the rare instance of a summer blockbuster based on a literary classic, with some help from classics scholars Daniel Mendelsohn (The Odyssey, An Odyssey: A Father, A Son, and an Epic) and Mary Beard (Talking Classics: The Shock of the Old).

On Sale Now! For more information and to order Great Detective! An Adventure for Two People [2-Book Boxed Set] by Jacke Wilson, visit press.historyofliterature.com. SPECIAL DISCOUNT! It's a month for celebrations! In honor of the birthdays of America, Emma Wilson, Jacke Wilson, and Marcel Proust, enter discount code BIRTHDAY2026 to receive 20% off your order. Offer available throughout July 2026.

The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at gabrielruizbernal.com.

Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/donate. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature.

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Links in the notes 6

• https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/O/bo243090734.html
• https://bookshop.org/p/books/an-odyssey-a-father-a-son-and-an-epic-daniel-mendelsohn/b90367519c002673
• https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/T/bo271524691.html
• https://press.historyofliterature.com/
• https://www.gabrielruizbernal.com/
• https://megaphone.fm/adchoices