Rating: 
Summary: Bad and stuff
Review: it was boaring. don't read it
Rating:
Summary: Zero Stars
Review: Just one word BBOORRIINNGG. You should only read this book as required reading.
Rating: 
Summary: MYTHOLOGY FOR THE REST OF US
Review: Long ago in pre-history, 1973 to be exact, in the age of vinyl records, before the Internet and Play Station and Cable T.V. and the almost insulting stuff that gets peddled to kids these days as entertainment, an acne faced 13 year old bought this book because, in those days, the cover had this guy holding a sword and a severed head on the front, (Perseus holding the head of Medusa), and I thought COOL! And I fell in love with these wonderful stories. I still have that much worn, much loved, much dog-eared paperback on my book shelves that later in life inspired me to read other myths of other times and places, which lead me to James Joyce, Flannery O'Connor and T.C.Boyle and a life-long head over heels romance with literature. Edith Hamilton's book is a good beginning for anyone at any age to begin, or continue, the remarkable adventure that is human story telling.
Rating:
Summary: long but awesome
Review: long but awesome. action-packed, drama-packed, AND educational! what more could you want?
Rating: 
Summary: A good overview, but not the best reference.
Review: Looking at the title of the book, I thought this book would be a collection of myths. Upon looking at the list of other titles by Edith Hamilton (like "The Greek Way" and "The Roman Way"), I felt that this would be more of the history of mythology. This book is a blend of these two ideas.The book is not organized to be a quick reference. It tells the main stories and characters as well as gives a brief section on the minor figures. For each section, the author explains where she is getting the material (for instance, from Homer or from Ovid) with a little editorial comment. Then, she relates the myth. She is giving you the story, but it does not read like a story. It reads like a college instructor giving you the highlights of the story with the occasional comment. Although the bulk of the myths covered are either Greek or Roman, Hamilton does include some Norse mythology. Given the difference in worldview difference, I would like to have seen more contrasting of the differences. I found this book to be a great review of the Greek and Roman myths. I found that the differences between the Greek and Roman interpretations of the same basic myth to be very interesting. It is not a substitute for reading the myths themselves, and for this, Hamilton does mention the authors and, sometimes, the play or poem. I would recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: A fine book for reference, but woefully lacking in spirit.
Review: Perhaps spirit is the wrong word. It is obvious by the late Miss Hamilton's writing that she harbors quite an affinity for the Græco-Roman/Norse myths and cultures. However knowledgeable and talented she is at non-fiction and discussion, the actual tellings of the myths emerge as dull and tedious. If the prospective reader is looking for a thorough and well-crafted reference guide with brief recounts of the myths with little poetry or other flairs for the dramatic, this book is a fine choice. On the other hand, if one wants a reference guide that is entertaining as well, they will be more satisfied with "Bulfinch's Mythology" as long as it has an index and glossary. If the reader desires not reference but pure entertainment value, and does not wish to read translated Homer, Virgil, Ovid, etc., I suggest "Gods, Heroes, and Men of Ancient Greece," by W.H.D. Rouse. The book is written as a storyteller would deliver the myths.
Rating:
Summary: boring
Review: Reading this book is like reading a textbook. I would not recommend reading this book unless it is an assignment. This book is extrememly boring and i found myself reading the same paragraph over and over because I could not focus on the book.
Rating:
Summary: Very Readable
Review: The author accumulated the legends from authors such as Ovid and Hesiod, and then organized them into her own words. I really enjoyed it since the text was readable and I wasn't subjected to huge amounts of quotations from the original authors. I think I got more out of this book than if I had read the original works. Summarized very nicely.
Rating:
Summary: Great Introduction for Early Teens
Review: The major fault of Edith Hamilton's classic Mythology also serves as its greatest strength. Hamilton edited this collection in a very conservative social mileu, and chose to edit out and play down much of the sex and violence one typically finds in the greek myths. However, that choice makes it an excellent selection to give teens and pre-teens their first introduction to the world of Zues, Perseus, Hercules, and the rest. Several other intructory books on myths are available, but this remains the classic. Other less sanitized collections, however, are probably better for older readers. The myths are well presented and organized. A short section on Norse myth, though prefunctory and not Hamilton's speciality, provides in theresting contrast and good fun for young readers. The essays included are good, though not the books greatest strength. They are nontheless worthwhile as they sketch out the complex interrelationships between the greek gods and heroes offering the reader substantial intellectual stimulation.
Rating:
Summary: Great Introduction for Early Teens
Review: The major fault of Edith Hamilton's classic Mythology also serves as its greatest strength. Hamilton edited this collection in a very conservative social mileu, and chose to edit out and play down much of the sex and violence one typically finds in the greek myths. However, that choice makes it an excellent selection to give teens and pre-teens their first introduction to the world of Zues, Perseus, Hercules, and the rest. Several other intructory books on myths are available, but this remains the classic. Other less sanitized collections, however, are probably better for older readers. The myths are well presented and organized. A short section on Norse myth, though prefunctory and not Hamilton's speciality, provides in theresting contrast and good fun for young readers. The essays included are good, though not the books greatest strength. They are nontheless worthwhile as they sketch out the complex interrelationships between the greek gods and heroes offering the reader substantial intellectual stimulation.
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