A few months ago, a friend of my parents told me, very seriously, that the problem with younger generations is that they don’t read books anymore. Naturally, I didn’t waste a second telling her that not only was she wrong, but that TikTok had created a whole new generation of readers and viewers who don’t go for the obvious, but have their own clearly defined niche. Of course, she didn’t believe it, but it’s true: How else do you explain Gen Z being hooked on The Odyssey?
Homer, a youth icon
Over the course of this year, ahead of Christopher Nolan’s epic film, sales of the book have risen 76%, and they’re expected to rise even more after the release. But that’s not all: Now, The Odyssey has become Spotify‘s most listened-to audiobook, and this is only the tip of the iceberg. The craze around The Odyssey goes much, much further.
In fact, reports show that on July 17, when The Odyssey was released, the audiobook got 500% more listens on Spotify, and has since risen by as much as 680%, especially among Gen Z and millennials, 36% and 45% of total listens respectively. Put another way: Homer appeals to the new generations, even if there are those who refuse to acknowledge it.
It’s plain to see that, beyond popular “romantasy” and the clichés, there’s a young audience willing, whether because it’s fashionable or for whatever reason, to read and understand Homeric poems. Things have really changed, huh?
