Written by Mackenzie Manley, Content Specialist, Downtown Main Library
Christopher Nolan is back this summer on the silver screen with an EPIC adaptation of Homer's The Odyssey. Nolan's adaptation is based on Emily Wilson's translation, which aims to be accessible and readable; add your name to the holds list.
In the meantime, here's how to have your own journey fit for an Ancient Greek at the Library.
Make a Trojan Horse (and More) at the MakerSpace
Nolan's Trojan horse replica stands at 40 feet and weighs 8,000 pounds. While our MakerSpaces can't hold such a giant creation, you can make your own miniature Trojan horse using a 3D Printer. If The Odyssey has you buzzing, embrace fan behavior by making your own buttons or t-shirts! Better yet, get into the DIY spirit by making and printing a zine of your latest Odyssey take.
Embark on the Library Visit Challenge
Set a decade after the Trojan War, The Odyssey follows Odysseus as he returns to his wife, Penelope, in Ithaca — a trek that takes another 10 years and is rife with wrathful gods, gruesome monsters, tempting goddesses, nymphs, and sirens, including a blissful stay at Calypso's Island.
While none of our 41 Library locations promise eternal youth (although plenty of our spaces are made with relaxation and restoration in mind) the Library Visit Challenge is a perfect quest.
Make like Odysseus and embark on a journey to explore all 41 library locations. Discover new branch libraries without the worry of encountering Cyclops Polyphemus or a trip to the Underworld. Use the challenge tracking sheet to check off each location as you visit. Once you've visited all 41 CHPL locations, bring your completed tracking sheet to any branch to earn an exclusive button!
Keep Trekking with Discovery Pass
If that's not enough traveling for you, reserve a Discovery Pass to visit arts, cultural, and recreation attractions in Hamilton County.
- Bask in neon from yesteryear at the American Sign Museum.
- Experience stories of courage, perseverance, loss, redemption, and new life, as told by local Holocaust survivors at the Holocaust & Humanities Center.
- Create your own adventure with a self-guided tour of the Heritage Village Museum.
Book Recommendations
If you're hungry for more epic stories, the Library has you covered with staff-recommended retellings of Homer's classic from cultures around the globe.
Revisit Christopher Nolan's Filmography
An Academy Award-winning director, Nolan is one of this century's most prominent filmmakers. Known for visually stunning blockbusters, his body of work is also marked by narratives that probe the complexities of human nature.
Revisit some of his earlier films, like Memento, The Prestige, and Following, to dive into themes he's explored throughout his career. You can also check out the franchise that made Nolan a household name: The Dark Knight Trilogy, including the collected screenplays. Or watch the movie that scored Nolan Best Director and Best Picture wins at the Oscars: Oppenheimer.
Other Nolan films include the mind-bending pop culture juggernaut Inception, World War II thriller Dunkirk, the ambitious-but-box-office-flop Tenet, and Interstellar, which, like The Odyssey, stars Matt Damon.
No matter if you catch The Odyssey in theaters (or, IMAX, as Nolan intended), we can't wait to see you at the Library for all your epic journeys, from page to screen to real life.
Mackenzie Manley is currently reading The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen by Yuta Takahashi.
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