What happens when one of the most celebrated translators of ancient Greek literature decides she’s not impressed by Hollywood’s latest attempt to bring that literature to the big screen? Apparently, all-out literary war.
Emily Wilson, the scholar who made history as the first woman to publish a major English translation of Homer’s The Odyssey, recently shared some pointed thoughts about Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated film adaptation of the epic poem — and to put it mildly, her comments did not land quietly. Within hours, the internet was ablaze with classicists, authors, and everyday readers all weighing in on whether Wilson’s critique was brave, brilliant, or just plain rude.
The debate took a particularly spicy turn when acclaimed author Susan Orlean jumped into the conversation, suggesting that Wilson was being ‘a bit of a jerk’ with her criticism. That kind of celebrity-on-celebrity commentary was enough to blow the whole thing into mainstream news territory, with outlets from the New York Times to the Los Angeles Times scrambling to cover what had become a full-blown literary showdown.
And then things got even more interesting. Literary giant Joyce Carol Oates entered the chat, taking aim at Wilson’s tone and reportedly comparing the style of her criticism to what she described as the ‘crude language of MAGA folks.’ That comparison set off yet another firestorm, with many rallying to Wilson’s defense and others arguing that passionate disagreement about art and adaptation is not only healthy but necessary.
At the heart of all the drama is a genuinely fascinating question: when a filmmaker takes on one of the oldest and most sacred stories in Western literature, how much creative liberty is acceptable? Wilson has spent years immersed in Homer’s world, crafting a translation that breathed fresh, modern life into the ancient text while staying remarkably faithful to its spirit. It’s no surprise she might have strong feelings when someone reimagines that world through a blockbuster lens.
Critic Daniel Mendelsohn also weighed in thoughtfully over at the New York Review of Books, framing the debate as a broader tension between academic reverence and popular storytelling — a conflict that’s as old as adaptation itself.
Whatever side you fall on, one thing is crystal clear: Homer’s Odyssey is still very much alive and capable of starting arguments across millennia. And honestly? That might be the most epic thing about it.
