Here are 100 books that Odyssey fans have personally recommended if you like
Odyssey.
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I have always been fascinated with various myths and legends, as I think they are all based on actual events and personalities. I see mythology and folklore as a connection between that distant past, which otherwise would have been lost to us. I started reading Greek and Norse mythology at an early age, and my interest only grew stronger. At the same time, I had an issue with the dry and gloomy stories and always wanted to insert humor and entertainment into the old myths to make them more acceptable to the general public. I always longed for a blend of mythology and humor.
I read it late at night, I read it on the metro going to work, I read it on my lunch break, I even took it to a birthday party and read it there between the toasts and the jokes.
I’ve always liked mythology, but at times it was too dry and gloomy. So I always looked for a different story about the ancient myths, and this book delivered it. I especially loved the notes at the bottom of the page, which were even funnier than the text.
STEP INTO ANOTHER WORLD - OF MAGIC, MAYHEM, MONSTERS AND MANIACAL GODS - IN STEPHEN FRY'S MOMENTOUS SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER, MYTHOS
'A romp through the lives of ancient Greek gods. Fry is at his story-telling best . . . the gods will be pleased' Times ___________
No one loves and quarrels, desires and deceives as boldly or brilliantly as Greek gods and goddesses.
In Stephen Fry's vivid retelling, we gaze in wonder as wise Athena is born from the cracking open of the great head of Zeus and follow doomed Persephone into the dark and lonely realm of the Underworld.…
I have always been fascinated with various myths, folklore, legends, and history. And I’ve always liked sharp humor and witty punchlines. Considering I have read all the Slavic fairy tales and historical books, I thought that presenting the rich and extensive history of that region through the eyes of a baker is the natural thing to do. So I tried to retell the rich folklore of the Slavic realm as an absurd baking journey through magic, empire-building, and baking the perfect loaf. It does add spice and flavor to the otherwise violent history of the region. Folklore and history should be fun and entertaining to read, not dry and academically challenging.
Last but not least, this book is a fantastic and entertaining read.
It may be classified as fantasy, but it's full of history from biblical times to contemporary England, so I’m putting this book in the “hilarious history” section.
The idea of an angel and demon working together is as absurd as it gets; the humor is sharp and sarcastic; and the book is full of quirky takes and punchlines on history and folklore.
THE BOOK BEHIND THE AMAZON PRIME/BBC SERIES STARRING DAVID TENNANT, MICHAEL SHEEN, JON HAMM AND BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH
'Ridiculously inventive and gloriously funny' Guardian
What if, for once, the predictions are right, and the Apocalypse really is due to arrive next Saturday, just after tea?
It's a predicament that Aziraphale, a somewhat fussy angel, and Crowley, a fast-living demon, now find themselves in. They've been living amongst Earth's mortals since The Beginning and, truth be told, have grown rather fond of the lifestyle and, in all honesty, are not actually looking forward to the coming Apocalypse.
I have always been fascinated with various myths, folklore, legends, and history. And I’ve always liked sharp humor and witty punchlines. Considering I have read all the Slavic fairy tales and historical books, I thought that presenting the rich and extensive history of that region through the eyes of a baker is the natural thing to do. So I tried to retell the rich folklore of the Slavic realm as an absurd baking journey through magic, empire-building, and baking the perfect loaf. It does add spice and flavor to the otherwise violent history of the region. Folklore and history should be fun and entertaining to read, not dry and academically challenging.
Fantastic blend of the old and worn-off topic of vampires and history.
It breeds fresh air into the already crowded literary topic of the undead, with humor, satire, and deep knowledge of the history of the region. What drew me to the book is the fact that it takes place in my country of birth: Bulgaria. Being born and raised there, I truly appreciate the masterful capture of the culture and history of the country, blended with the topic of the undead.
Highly recommend to readers who love vampire stories and appreciate historical fiction.
Late one night, exploring her father's library, a young woman finds an ancient book and a cache of yellowing letters addressed ominously to 'My dear and unfortunate successor'. Her discovery plunges her into a world she never dreamed of - a labyrinth where the secrets of her father's past and her mother's mysterious fate connect to an evil hidden in the depths of history. In those few quiet moments, she unwittingly assumes a quest she will discover is her birthright - a hunt for the truth about Vlad the Impaler, the medieval ruler whose barbarous reign formed the basis of…
The unhinged, absurd, and intensely carbohydrated journey through Ukraine’s flour-dusted myths, gods and princes.
This is not just a collection of fairy tales; this is a meticulous, satirical, and slightly unhinged journey through Ukraine’s deepest folklore, exploring the violent, perfectly laminated, and golden-crusted history of the Kyivan Rus baking empire.
I have always been fascinated with various myths and legends, as I think they are all based on actual events and personalities. I see mythology and folklore as a connection between that distant past, which otherwise would have been lost to us. I started reading Greek and Norse mythology at an early age, and my interest only grew stronger. At the same time, I had an issue with the dry and gloomy stories and always wanted to insert humor and entertainment into the old myths to make them more acceptable to the general public. I always longed for a blend of mythology and humor.
To read this book was such a pleasurable experience.
I truly loved the idea of a mythical creature mixing it with the modern world and trying to fit in. In some places, it resonated with me and some of my prior experiences, which made the book even more enjoyable. I read it twice, both times on long trips to Europe, and it made my journey easy and fulfilling.
This is an inspiring story that became personal to me and, in a way, served as inspiration for me to try my own hand in writing. I keep this book as one of the several that I take on my trips.
Five thousand years out of the labyrinth, the Minotaur finds himself in the American South, living in a trailer park and working as a line cook at a steakhouse. No longer a devourer of human flesh, the Minotaur is a socially inept, lonely creature with very human needs. But over a two-week period, as his life dissolves into chaos, this broken and alienated immortal awakens to the possibility for happiness and to the capacity for love.
Steven Sherrill is a graduate of UNC Charlotte and holds an MFA in poetry from the Iowa Writers' Workshop. The recipient of a…
I have always been fascinated with various myths and legends, as I think they are all based on actual events and personalities. I see mythology and folklore as a connection between that distant past, which otherwise would have been lost to us. I started reading Greek and Norse mythology at an early age, and my interest only grew stronger. At the same time, I had an issue with the dry and gloomy stories and always wanted to insert humor and entertainment into the old myths to make them more acceptable to the general public. I always longed for a blend of mythology and humor.
I thought this was one of the most influential and important books of the 21st century.
I truly enjoyed the details and level of research that went into this book, as well as the wealth of information about the Vikings’ Icelandic settlements, their traditions, customs, and way of life. I felt transported back in time, when the first longships landed on the Icelandic shore, and I felt that I was living with those early settlers, not just reading about their lives.
I felt a very powerful connection with their struggles to establish their farms and regulate their communal life. I felt inspired to read and learn more, and eventually to write my own take on the Viking voyages.
In Iceland, the age of the Vikings is also known as the Saga Age. A unique body of medieval literature, the Sagas rank with the world's great literary treasures - as epic as Homer, as deep in tragedy as Sophocles, as engagingly human as Shakespeare. Set around the turn of the last millennium, these stories depict with an astonishingly modern realism the lives and deeds of the Norse men and women who first settled in Iceland and of their descendants, who ventured farther west to Greenland and, ultimately, North America. Sailing as far from the archetypal heroic adventure as the…
I have always been fascinated with various myths and legends, as I think they are all based on actual events and personalities. I see mythology and folklore as a connection between that distant past, which otherwise would have been lost to us. I started reading Greek and Norse mythology at an early age, and my interest only grew stronger. At the same time, I had an issue with the dry and gloomy stories and always wanted to insert humor and entertainment into the old myths to make them more acceptable to the general public. I always longed for a blend of mythology and humor.
I loved the entire series, but this book stands out, at least for me, as the most entertaining of them all.
The idea that Thor can be separated from his hammer was what really caught my interest. I especially loved how Thor assembled a diverse team to search for the hammer.
What was especially interesting and appealing to me was the mix between Norse mythology and the world and how they interacted. It made me laugh hard at some point, and I especially loved the personality of the characters. I really enjoyed the mixing of humor and adventure against the Norse mythology background.
Thor's hammer is missing again. The thunder god has a disturbing habit of misplacing his weapon - the mightiest force in the Nine Worlds. But this time the hammer isn't just lost, it has fallen into enemy hands. If Magnus Chase and his friends can't retrieve the hammer quickly, the mortal worlds will be defenseless against an onslaught of giants. Ragnarok will begin. The Nine Worlds will burn. Unfortunately, the only person who can broker a deal for the hammer's return is the gods' worst enemy, Loki - and the price he wants is very high.
Hemingway's Goblet is a rollicking read about a mismatched relationship between a middle-aged commitment-phobic university professor in London and one of his female students, a Korean 15 years younger than him. He is accused of sexually harassing her, but somehow their relationship survives as they join forces to seek to…
I have always been fascinated with various myths, folklore, legends, and history. And I’ve always liked sharp humor and witty punchlines. Considering I have read all the Slavic fairy tales and historical books, I thought that presenting the rich and extensive history of that region through the eyes of a baker is the natural thing to do. So I tried to retell the rich folklore of the Slavic realm as an absurd baking journey through magic, empire-building, and baking the perfect loaf. It does add spice and flavor to the otherwise violent history of the region. Folklore and history should be fun and entertaining to read, not dry and academically challenging.
The funniest history book about English history, starting at the year 1066 AD and going forward.
Hilarious collection of kings, battles, and absurd and comic humor. The satirical stew of good kings, bad kings, mistakes, and what-ifs made reading English history an entertaining and enjoyable thing.
Great for long trips and/or boring commutes. It has the appropriate historical references but also holds hidden jokes, which add to the pleasure of the read.
"Canute began by being a Bad King on the advice of his Courtiers, who informed him (owing to a misunderstanding of the Rule Britannia) that the King of England was entitled to sit on the sea without getting wet." 1066 And All That is a book that has itself become part of our history. The authors made the claim that "All the History you can remember is in the Book" and, for most of us, they were probably right. But it is their own unique interpretation of events that has made the book a classic; an uproarious satire on textbook…
I have always been fascinated with various myths, folklore, legends, and history. And I’ve always liked sharp humor and witty punchlines. Considering I have read all the Slavic fairy tales and historical books, I thought that presenting the rich and extensive history of that region through the eyes of a baker is the natural thing to do. So I tried to retell the rich folklore of the Slavic realm as an absurd baking journey through magic, empire-building, and baking the perfect loaf. It does add spice and flavor to the otherwise violent history of the region. Folklore and history should be fun and entertaining to read, not dry and academically challenging.
Amazing imagination of blending the vampire theme with history!
This book kept me reading late at night (or early morning). I really appreciated the incredibly original idea of introducing vampires within the historical retelling of the failed Napoleonic campaign against Russia in 1812.
While the historical record of Russian irregular units disrupting the French logistical train is true, the idea of composing those units of vampires is brilliant. It explains the unusual violence and savagery as well as their inclination to operate at night (pun intended).
Excellent storytelling, and the author did not blunt the history by introducing the vampire angle; it made the story more entertaining and personal.
The voordalak—a creature of legend, the tales of which have terrified Russian children for generations. But for Captain Aleksei Ivanovich Danilov—a child of more enlightened times—it is a legend that has long been forgotten. Besides, in the autumn of 1812, he faces a more tangible enemy: the Grande Armée of Napoleon Bonaparte.
City after city has fallen to the advancing French, and it now seems that only a miracle will keep them from Moscow itself. In desperation, Aleksei and his comrades enlist the help of the Oprichniki—a group of twelve mercenaries from the furthest reaches of Christian Europe, who claim…
When I tell people I think about Greek myths for a living, they tend not to believe me. But I’ve never considered Greek myths to be at all odd or mysterious. After all, telling stories is a very normal human activity. Most recently I’ve been working to better understand how ancient communities attached stories to the places they lived in and this has resulted in MANTO, a huge mapping project, which anyone can look at here: https://www.manto-myth.org/manto
Once Troy was conquered, the Greeks had to get back home. Few heroes managed this without drama, but even on this benchmark, Odysseus’ ten-year (a-hem) odyssey was an outlier.
You can read this as the first great traveller’s tale: the Odyssey will immerse you in a giant, detailed story world of gods, heroes, and monsters traversed by a protagonist famous for his clever schemes and his stretching of the truth.
Emily Wilson’s translation really can’t be beaten: she brings before our eyes and ears again a fantasy world given weight by very human stories of loss and longing.
Set in pre-literate Bronze Age Greece, Serpent Visions reimagines the enigmatic myth of the gender-switching seer Teiresias. Walking in the deep woods, he strikes apart two coupling serpents and transforms into a woman. Seven years later, she, now called Teira, encounters mating serpents, strikes between them, and becomes male again.
My interest in the heroes and myths of the Trojan War came from a dream. My father was a wounded Greek youth and I carried him down into the Underworld. As I explored that dream and my relationship to my father, the world of Greek mythology opened to me. I absorbed The Iliad and The Odyssey, read the fragments and summaries of the other six poems that in antiquity had been part of the Epic or Trojan Cycle, immersed myself in Greek myths and gods, wondered if Homer wrote both surviving epics (I don’t think he did), and found within myself the voice of Telemachus ready to narrate On Wine-Dark Seas.
I loved this book. It tells Odysseus’ story from the viewpoint of his loyal dog Argos. Intended for readers aged 8-12, it can awaken the child in all of us. We knew from The Odysseyhow loyal a dog Argos was. But hearing in Argos’s own words how he protected Penelope, Telemachus, and the hall of Odysseus in his master’s absence makes absolutely clear that Argos is formidable indeed. In fact, he shares many of his master’s characteristics. He can plan, trick his opponents, and use his wits to overcome any challenge in service to Odysseus. He learns of Odysseus’ movements by speaking to birds who have come from the islands where Odysseus is struggling to return home from Troy. Although Argos dies of old age when he finally sees Odysseus, he has had a son who, loyal like his father, stands beside Odysseus and Telemachus and witnesses their…
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What is this book about?
Fans of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series will love this reimagining of Homer’s The Odyssey told from the point of view of Odysseus’s loyal dog, Argos.
Now available in paperback, this rousing story of devotion and determination is an original take on one of the most beloved myths of all time.
For twenty years, the great hero Odysseus struggles to return to home on Ithaka. He defeats monsters. He outsmarts the Cyclops. He battles the gods. He does whatever it takes to reunite with his family.
And what of that family—his devoted wife, Penelope; his young son, Telemachos; his dog,…
