Film's 'Odyssey' effect boosts book sales

The recent film adaptation of Homer's "The Odyssey" has sparked a noticeable surge in interest for the classic epic among booksellers. Customers, particularly younger ones, are increasingly seeking out the book before or after seeing the movie, expressing a desire to read the original story.

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We want to read the book first and then see the film.

Bookstores across Belgium report a heightened demand for various translations and adaptations of "The Odyssey." At Boekarest in Leuven, "The Odyssey" was the second best-selling book last week, with customers explicitly stating their intention to read the book before watching the film. Booksellers are charmed by this renewed interest in a story often perceived as difficult but now accessible through numerous fresh, readable versions.

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We are grateful to Christopher Nolan for breathing new life into the story. This works mutually.

In Ghent, the bookstore 'Paard van Troje' (Trojan Horse), a name fittingly linked to the epic, has also seen an increase in customers wanting to own and engage with Homer's text. The film's success is credited with bringing this 2,700-year-old story to a wider audience, prompting people to revisit classic literature. Booksellers are offering not only translations but also related books on Greek mythology.

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We have no rush, but there is more demand. People want to have this in-house, want to get to know this text.

Younger readers, some as young as 12 or 13, are particularly drawn to illustrated versions or English translations, following the trend of Young Adult literature. This "film effect" is clearly measurable, with customers mentioning the movie as their motivation for purchasing the book. One young woman, a former Latin-Greek student, bought "The Odyssey" with a gift voucher, inspired to dive back into the text after seeing the film.

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It's nice that this classic story reaches the masses with the film. And that people are turning back to the classic texts.