Christopher Nolan's big-budget film adaptation of Homer's The Odyssey arrives in cinemas on 17 July, prompting renewed interest in the roughly 3,000-year-old Greek epic. The Hollywood Reporter piece rounds up audiobook versions of the poem for those wanting to grasp the story quickly before seeing the film, noting that audio editions condense one of literature's longest works into a few hours. The article matters mainly as a shopping guide, and it flags a limited-time Audible offer of $0.99 a month for three months plus a $20 site credit.

The Universal Pictures film, reportedly made for $250 million, boasts a starry cast including Matt Damon, Zendaya, Tom Holland and Anne Hathaway, and follows Nolan's 2023 hit Oppenheimer. The recommended audiobooks span several translations and retellings: Emily Wilson's translation read by Claire Danes, Robert Fitzgerald's read by Dan Stevens, Robert Fagles's read by Ian McKellen, a full-cast BBC Radio 4 dramatisation featuring Benedict Cumberbatch, and Stephen Fry's reimagining narrated by himself. Runtimes range from under four hours to more than 13, with listener ratings between 4.5 and 4.9.