Mythology

Rating:
Summary: Great Reference Guide
Review: I am a student of English, and a favorite subject of mine is Classical Mythology. I find myself going back to this book time and again for most of my research needs on the subject. I was first introduced to mythology through this book. The clear descriptions sparked an intrest. I have read the book several times, and at every reading it is new and fresh. If you are a student doing research or a person who just wants to find out about Mythology, this book is for you.

Rating:
Summary: An old classic that belongs on the reference shelf.
Review: I bought this to answer questions and settle arguments about Greek and Roman mythology in various word-based game forums. It is a classic and a standard reference. It does little with any mythology of non-mediterranean people.

Rating:
Summary: A fine introduction to Greek and Roman myth.
Review: I came to love this book as a child, and I continue to enjoy it and benefit from it as a twentysomething adult. Understanding the root Greek and Roman stories can lead to a much fuller and richer understanding of Western culture, including literature, movies, art - even comic books and cartoons.

This a great collection of stories (with wonderful illustrations) for students and others interested in getting a sense of various myths and stories - large one like the search for the Golden Fleece, the Trojan War, the wanderings of Ulysses, the labors of Hercules, and smaller ones like King Midas, Orpheus, etc. This book recounts the stories, but it doesn't seek to interpret them. You'll have to dig deeper for that, and Hamilton helps you on your way by providing her sources.

If you enjoy this book, you may want to read the originals, such as Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Virgil's Aeneid, the Argonautika; the works of the Greek playwrights Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides; and other works like Ovid's Metamorphoses and some the Norse and northern European epics and sagas - Beowulf, the Prose Edda, etc.

This isn't a definitive reference or mythological encyclopedia; it's a starting place for a really wonderful trip. I encourage you to give it a try - and to give it as a gift to young people in your life.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding and opinionated introduction to mythology
Review: I first read this book as a child and it was the first book I ever wore out. It relates all the key Graeco-Roman myths, with Norse myths treated perfunctorily at the end. Hamilton learned Greek and Latin as a little girl and wrote her books late in life; they read like the works of someone who spent a lifetime reading the classics for personal pleasure. Readers using this book as an introductory guide should be aware of Hamilton's prejudices: she prefers the Greeks to the Romans, and writers who believed in the stories to those who did not. As a result, you might be wrongly discouraged from classical authors such as Ovid (whom Hamilton seems to actively despise), even though Ovid's worldview is strikingly similar to our modern one and his writing vivid and enjoyable. But if you approach this book as an opinionated presentation by a genuine enthusiast, as opposed to an effort at scholarly objectivity, you will not likely regret being caught up in the passion the author brought to this material.

Rating:
Summary: good
Review: I had to do this big mythology project for english class and I didn't understand at all this book helped alot!

Rating:
Summary: a pretty good book
Review: I had to read this book for my 9th grade Enighish class i thought it would suck but it got kinda intersting and it was a pretty good book for a into to mythology!!!!!!!!

Rating:
Summary: If you teach Mythology, you need this book!!
Review: I had to read this book in my English 1 class, and even though I thought it would be a drag, I was suprised at the information I got from it. By the way, I am 15 and a freshman at Oak Grove High. Anyway, I now have a very strong knowledge of mythology and I thank Edith Hamilton for writing such a good book and a great leaning tool for us kids in High school

Rating:
Summary: It's a Classic!
Review: I had to read this carefully in high school, it was required reading, we had to be tested on it. It is more of a reference book, more encyclopedic than fiction. The principal mythic characters of Greece, Rome, and Nordic origins are briefly introduced. She selects the most notable tales about these gods from their ancient bards, as in presenting the story of Odysseus, she provides excerpts from Homer and Euripides' Trojan Women.

It's good reading for these Olympic games.

And you'll find herein, that the amazons are, according to Aeschylus, "warrior women, those men-haters"! OH, my goodness! (What did they know???)

Rating:
Summary: LOVED THE BOOK!!!!
Review: I have to say that I am a TOTAL mythology freak, and Ms. Hamilton's book really exemplifies the ideals to which other mythological compilers must compare. I had just rediscovered the book for my 9th grade English class (Thanks Ms. Warner!), after having read it many years ago along with D'Aulaires. (spell check BTW) Sorry if I tend to ramble, but there are simply not enough superlatives to attest to her work.

(P.S.--Theseus is only HALF mortal as the son of Poseidon, but other than that, the accuracy was remarkable).

Read On, ~V~Aquila~V~

Rating:
Summary: Very Concise
Review: I loved this book a lot