Joyce Carol Oates Criticizes Emily Wilson's Review of Nolan's "The Odyssey"

Emily Wilson, the first woman to translate Homer’s epic into English, published an essay in the London Review of Books criticizing Christopher Nolan’s film "The Odyssey." She described the movie as overly grandiose yet superficial, faulted its race-neutral casting for reducing characters of color to stereotypical roles, and said the adaptation omitted sensory details such as sex scenes and appealing food. Wilson later said she had framed some of her arguments poorly.

On X, author Joyce Carol Oates responded, saying Wilson’s “tone of dismissal & haughty superiority” was “a sour note” and likening it to the “crude language of MAGA folks.” Oates suggested that a translator should be more thoughtful and respectful toward others who interpret the text in good faith.

Oates also noted her personal preference for earlier adaptations, referencing a 1997 Hallmark Channel version featuring Bernadette Peters as Circe, which she described as a more interesting interpretation than Nolan’s.