Odyssey Translator Slams Nolan's Film, Now Writing New Version

Emily Wilson, the first woman to translate The Odyssey into English, is working on a second translation of the epic poem. Her first translation, published in 2017, was widely acclaimed for its modern and accessible verse, but Wilson has now decided to retranslate the work from scratch, less than a decade after her first attempt.

Wilson's decision to retranslate The Odyssey is largely unheard of in the publishing world. She has cited perfectionism and academic evolution as her reasons for tackling another full-length translation of the epic. Wilson has also been critical of Christopher Nolan's film adaptation of The Odyssey, which was inspired by her translation. She has called the film 'abysmal' and lacking 'psychological, emotional, political, and ethical depth'.

Wilson's new translation will be longer and aim to better capture the varied stratification of enslaved people in the epic, which she feels was flattened in her first translation. She is about halfway through the new project, which she describes as a 'complete retranslation' rather than a revision of the old version.

## What changed Wilson's first translation was a bestseller, and its success was renewed with the release of Nolan's film adaptation. However, Wilson's criticism of the film has sparked a debate about the interpretation of The Odyssey. Her new translation is an attempt to provide a more nuanced and accurate representation of the epic poem.

## Why it matters The Odyssey is a foundational work of Western literature, and its translation has a significant impact on how it is understood and interpreted. Wilson's decision to retranslate the epic poem reflects her commitment to perfectionism and academic evolution. Her new translation will provide a fresh perspective on the work, and its publication is likely to be a significant event in the literary world.

The stakes are high for Wilson's new translation, as it will be compared to her previous work and Nolan's film adaptation. However, Wilson's expertise and dedication to the project make it an exciting development for scholars and readers of The Odyssey. As the first woman to translate the epic poem into English, Wilson's work has already made a significant contribution to the field, and her new translation is likely to be a major achievement.